Discussion Time: Two Tone or Solid Gold?
So I watched Hodinkee's latest episode with Jimmy O. Yang, which was good. He's a funny guy, but I digress. He mentioned that his parents said that buying a two tone watch is for people who can't afford a solid gold watch. He disagreed as do I. I think Two tone's have their place as does a solid gold piece.
I've heard this so many times and I really don't know where it came from and why it persists.
What are your thoughts on Two - tone vs. Solid gold pieces?
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Shawn - The Watch Titan
Watch enthusiast/collector. Watches are an art form, a muse of sorts, an inspiration from the past for the future. A watch does more than tell us the time of day....They should inspire us. Reddit: htt...
Midwest, USA
Member since
Last active: 2 days ago
7.00” / 17.78 cm
It depends on the watch. That being said I don't have anything two tone.
I absolutely love two tone. The mix of gold and steel creates this really beautiful contrast on a number of watches.
I love both!
On a metal bracelet I love bicolor more, for me full gold would be to much and to flashy. However on a strap (leather or rubber) a full gold watch is quite nice.
I have a bicolor Explorer, I love it! I would also love a Daytona or Moonwatch in yellow gold on the rubber. However a nice dress watch like a Tank Louis or Calatrava is perfect in solid yellow gold. I am actually waiting for the new Tank Louis with the black lacquer dial.
And my grandpa‘s watch in full gold is so 80‘s, awesome ;)
I've grown to appreciate the sleek gold dress watch. I'd take a garish President too, but gold sport watches generally don't make sense to me. I'd rock a Patrick Bateman two-tone Datejust for sure too.
This is of course subjective and who cares if some guy thinks two tone is for poors? I think it's for people that can't make up their mind and get the worst of both worlds and nobody should care about my opinion.
But I do have a vintage steelie with gold tone hands and index markers, and it does have a charm to it. Oh, not that you asked but I seem to be the only person on earth that despises rose gold with a white hot passion. I'll take brass or copper or zinc first, unless we're talking melt value.
Something about the two-tone is more appealing to me than all gold. I appreciate both but a cool contrasting tone on a watch is always going to pop more in my opinion. Like anything else, it comes down to personal preference. Now if it's a gift........either will be 100% acceptable !
i love full gold or full steel watch. im not really into two tone like for example a datejust, but not because people opinion. i just thought less colour are more clean. but this is subjective topic. i already seen that episode, i always remember him as dun meng in patriot day movie 😂
My problem with two tone is that often, it feels like unnecessary decoration. I love me a two tone DJ though, maybe I'm just used to seeing them. 🤷🏻♂️
The one watch I've worn the most in my life was two tone (sadly, is no longer in the collection as it broke and could not be fixed). However, if I had unlimited funds and wanted to get some kind of gold in my collection, no doubt it would be full gold and yellow gold at that. I don't like rose gold at all. I'd probably go for the baller day-date Rolex President on jubilee, but the newly released all gold Speedmaster also speaks to me as I am an Omega fanboy. I love panda dials (regular and reverse) and this is just bad ass.
100% agree with you. I still don't know why this thought process still exists around these two options.
I absolutely love two tone. The mix of gold and steel creates this really beautiful contrast on a number of watches.
It absolutely does. It also, imho, adds some flare to a collection.
I am personally not that big a fan of two tone. To me it looks a little to fancy to wear casual. But thats just me. I can see myself with a full gold watch much more. Dresses differently. But again..thats just myself. I recently tried on the Yachtmaster 40 in rose gold on the oysterflex. that thing is a beauty and wears so great.
I love both full gold and two-tone watches - they're different and one is not better than the other, in my opinion.
Whoever came up with the rationale that two-tone is the "poor" version of full gold must have some fighting words for full steel watches too (bottom of the barrel??) - and we all know how valuable/in-demand those are today!
Gold watch. Leather strap. I’d also do a two tone case on a leather strap. Gold and two tone bracelets have never done much for me.
I have 1 two-toned, and some some solid gold watches (though none of them are in a full gold bracelet) and I think it's fine regardless.
I prefer stainless steel personally since gold is more scratch prone, and is just a softer material overall. I heard similar things from my parents and older relatives about the same sayings, which I completely disagree.
I think in general (to your question), they just look on the case material of the watch without considering other things. Gold is worth more than steel, so two-tone watches logically comes in between.
But thing is, we all know the most expensive watches ever sold on record was stainless steel watches haha
I am going to say it depends on the person. I don’t mind gold, two tone or an combination of metals. I can’t have anything gold. I am in an office position now, but I have a titanium ring and watch with deep scratches. Gold is out of the question for me.
Thank you for this thorough discussion. This makes total sense to me. I'm not of Asian decent, but I too enjoy Jimmy's comedy, and can relate to some of the things he says as it spans other cultures including my own.
I appreciate your comments about the home you bought and the thoughts of your parents and other relatives. I too have experienced this in another way. There's a perception that having certain things like a big house, big car, fly first class, have gold watches etc. means you are successful. In today's age, there are MANY who are faking it and robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Anyway, thanks for your comment. It was very insightful to me personally.
Well, thank you! That's awfully kind of you to say. Sometimes, as I'm typing away, I think to myself, "Okay, dude, you should shut the F&^% up already." It's nice when someone actually appreciates my autistic ramblings! Thank you!
I love two tone. I have both a two tone Datejust and the two tone Explorer. I love them both.
It‘s not an issue of price. For me, gold watches are generally too blingy, too attention seeking, and too fragile to wear on a daily basis. A two tone watch is much more durable (though certainly not as durable as pure steel), and the gold/steel combination creates a really attractive contrast. Simply put, you can have too much of a good thing, and that solid gold watches are usually just that.
Now, having said that, a Rolex President is probably my grail watch. That is one of the few solid gold watches that really works for me.
Great points! I've always liked silver colored items especially with a royal blue. When I think of a solid gold watch, I think of solid white gold. Still your point is very valid on the durability.
The Rolex president should be on everyone's grail list.😀
I grew up in Northern Germany, and there a gold watch with gold bracelet would be seen as too much. Instead of showing high social status, people would think that you are a pimp. In the South you get away with a bit more bling - that's a persistent cultural divide going back to the Reformation and the 30-years-war. I emigrated just after re-unification, so things may have moved on since.
Myself - I'm not a bracelet guy, and I find either a bit much. As others have stated - gold watch with a leather strap is fine with me too.
That was a great episode👍
To me, two tone is the perfect middle ground: relaxed but warm and shiny.
I'm pretty sure Jimmy O'Yang's mother made the comment without regard for the watch community! But as a person of Chinese descent, I can relate. In a society where "face" is everything, you don't want to put out that you are somehow of a lesser social standing and have this reflect on your family. While gold is often viewed as the ultimate sign of success, a two-tone watch may in some people's eyes, demonstrate that you haven't really reached the pinnacle in life (because you can't afford full gold). Worse still, opting for two-tone may suggest you are"faking"success, which again has a lot of "face-losing" potential.
Solid. I think
I wouldn't go with two-tone.
It's a neither here nor there, not sporty but not dressy watchtype. Especially when the precious part is not solid, but capped, Tudor GMT way.
If you can't do it, don't fake it
I'm pretty sure Jimmy O'Yang's mother made the comment without regard for the watch community! But as a person of Chinese descent, I can relate. In a society where "face" is everything, you don't want to put out that you are somehow of a lesser social standing and have this reflect on your family. While gold is often viewed as the ultimate sign of success, a two-tone watch may in some people's eyes, demonstrate that you haven't really reached the pinnacle in life (because you can't afford full gold). Worse still, opting for two-tone may suggest you are"faking"success, which again has a lot of "face-losing" potential.
That's interesting. Thank you for the added perspective.
I wouldn't go with two-tone.
It's a neither here nor there, not sporty but not dressy watchtype. Especially when the precious part is not solid, but capped, Tudor GMT way.
If you can't do it, don't fake it
Hmm...interesting. I'd disagree with you in that the sporty/dressy hybrid would depend on the watch type (i.e. Rolex Daytona). The Tudor GMT I would agree with you is in a weird spot as I don't see Tudor watches as a good option for both sport and dressy options.
You know what's hilarious? Jimmy O. Yang is a Hong Kong-born American actor. My family is Chinese, and made it to Hong Kong during Mao's Great Leap Forward, and then made their way to the U.S. And I can TOTALLY relate to his comedy.
Different cultures / tribes have VERY different notions of what's high socio-economic status (SES) and what's low SES. And all these things are totally unconscious - like, nobody sits and thinks explicitly about it. We all just have different emotions associated with different things, and that's just our autonomic systems driving us to have preferences for the things that our tribe drilled into us as signaling high status.
I think growing up in my Chinese family here in America, and seeing the constant disconnect between what Chinese culture found to be high SES and what American culture indicated was high SES somehow sensitized me to these weird implicit norms that are drilled into all of us sub-consciously.
Here's a hilarious example:
My wife's Chinese-Indonesian extended family feels the same way about why she and her siblings choose to live in city apartments (Boston & San Francisco) when they could by castles in Orlando for the same $.
Yeah I disagree. Two tones are very nice and look better than solid pieces in some cases. It’s like if I go up to my father and call him cheap for buying a two tone submariner rather than the solid gold piece (which in my opinion the two tone looks better than the solid gold).
I love my AT gold/steel. I know its not for everyone, but love mine.
I have both and like them both. Of the two watches you posted I would love to own the Speedy in moonshine gold some day. This watch is absolutely gorgeous!!
One day I dream of buying a gold watch and it would have to be an all gold watch. I like the two tone watches they have their appeal and I would totally wear onde but for my money's worth, i would have to go full gold or nothing. They just look so good, so classic.
One day I dream of buying a gold watch and it would have to be an all gold watch. I like the two tone watches they have their appeal and I would totally wear onde but for my money's worth, i would have to go full gold or nothing. They just look so good, so classic.
I think that's fair. I want a solid gold watch as well, but I'm a fan of White Gold, personally, so I'd be looking for something like that.