Trend-spotting during Watches and Wonders is fun, but I also enjoy a post-convention temperature check to see what stars are still shining bright. One such star is rose gold, the trendiest metal of this year’s trade show. As a man who’s never been afraid of this reddish hue, I’m thrilled—tickled pink, if you will.
Rose gold is the Switzerland of watch colors. It’s unbiased and versatile, as formal and serious as Swiss craftsmanship but as inoffensively unique and joyful as Swiss yodeling. There’s also something beautiful about how the mix of warm and cool hues suits all skin types. Pink gold can take you from the office to the beach, or even to a warehouse party—perfect for the famously work-leisure balanced lifestyle of les Suisses.
Plus, brands are doing some terrific things with rose gold even beyond Watches and Wonders, as proven by the timepieces below.
Photo via Citizen
Citizen: The Titanium Innovation
DURATECT is Citizen’s proprietary titanium hardening technology, with a color line-up that includes “Sakura Pink” and “Pink.” The former is more rose than gold, while the latter is more balanced, as seen on the stunning Daichi EE1002. The DURATECT process manages to outmaneuver titanium’s stubborn gunmetal-like finish, delivering a rich luster. It’s especially impressive because titanium is famously unreceptive to red shades. Spec-wise, the EE1002 reads between 1,000 and 1,500 on the Vickers Hardness scale; the highest is 1,000, indicating imperviousness to diamond. This lightweight timepiece is also a touch romantic-looking, making it good for men, women, as an everyday timepiece, and as a dress watch—one built with a more practical precious metal dupe.
Photo via Parmigiani
Parmigiani: Not Just for Cases
Parmigiani Fleurier recently introduced the Toric Quantieme Perpetuel in rose gold. The show-stealing Golden Hour dial is evocative of the coral glow and aureate refractions of its namesake. Its grainy surface is inspired by Michel Parmigiani’s restoration work, one of the many features that add a quintessential quality. And despite being calendrically comprehensive, the sober use of space provides a clean, straightforward, and classy look. It’s just demure and aesthetically functional enough that anyone can sport it. The sloping case, which wears smaller than its 40.6-millimeter size, helps with this too. Finally, the high-tolerance, craftsman-finished fluted bezel combines heritage Parmigiani design elements with the brand’s recent focus on understatedness, ensuring this watch is distinctly Toric.
Photo via Casio
Casio: Uniquely Vintage and Wallet Friendly
Not only does the texturing on the Casio B640WMR-5AVT add a compelling rusted appearance, but it also combines vintage and antique styling in a uniquely cohesive way. This also allows nicks and scratches to blend in more naturally. It’s such a creative use of pink gold, and there’s nothing I delight in more than finding a true original. The glimmer of the bracelet and brushed end pieces beautifully accent the case, giving variation and topography to the whole composition. Of course, everything you want from a Casio is there, from the LED backlight to the stopwatch.
Photo via Chopard
Chopard: The Ethical Statement Piece
Back in the late ‘80s, Chopard started its own foundry, allowing full control and transparency of gold production. Even resmelted gold scraps could be recycled. Today, its “ethical rose gold” is sourced using artisanal and small-scale mining, in compliance with the Swiss Better Gold Association. So despite not being that into big watches myself, I’m thrilled to spotlight this Alpine Eagle XL Chrono. If you do like statement pieces, this one is a feast for the eyes. It’s brushed all over except for the polished middle links, like a more interesting take on the monochrome-with-a-pop-of-color approach. Similarly, the galvanized dial, inspired by an eagle’s eye, is accented with gilded indices. On the back, you can admire the bullet-proof triple-patented flyback Chronometer.
Photo via Daniel Roth
Daniel Roth Extra Plat: Proving the Naysayers Wrong
Being part of a big fashion conglomerate like LVMH doesn’t always win you points among watch snobs. Meanwhile, rose gold has historically been considered “for jewelry only.” Still, this rose gold Daniel Roth Extra Plat is dripping with style and watchmaking chops. The asymmetrical relationship between the double-ellipse case and round index wheel provides visual intrigue, without overruling its timeless elegance. The Extra Plat is far too aristocratic to be considered a fashion watch. The hands of master horologists Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas are evident in the movement’s sharp edges, glistening bevelage, and the delightfully tactile winding mechanism.
Photo via Omega
Omega Speedmaster Pro: Expanding a Classic
If you’re a Speedy purist or on team Rolex Everose, kindly allow me to make my case. Omega’s proprietary Sedna adds a contrast to the Speedmaster Pro, which I find quite meaningful. There’s a beautiful interplay here between warm and cool, between light and dark. It elicits the distinction between the sun and the moon, or burning stars against the backdrop of outer space; it takes the Moonwatch beyond just the moon. Many prefer Rolex’s more traditionally-hued proprietary rose gold, Everose. It’s definitely more classic and versatile. However, the warmer, redder tone of Omega’s fade- and scratch-resistant Sedna offers a prominent contrast against the legendary black watch face.
Photo via Bvlgari
Bvlgari Bvlgari Watch: The Referential References
While the Parmigiani is all about the dial, the Bvlgari Bvlgari is all about the bezel, which references the iconic B.zero 1 ring. This family resemblance is a testament to solidarity across the maison, proving that Bvlgari takes its watches as seriously as it does its jewelry. Moreover, the B.zero 1’s spiral design is fiercely unisex, as I believe rose gold is. It’s nice to see the Bvlgari Bvlgari collection also taking this stance with references 103968 (the automatic variation), 103966 (quartz), and the diamond-clad 103202.
Photo via Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe: The Coolest Bracelet
The Golden Ellipse has been one of Patek Philippe’s flagship collections since its launch in 1968. Reference 5738 brings the Ellipse back to the ‘70s with a chain bracelet, this time composed of over 300 supple rose gold links individually arranged and mounted by hand. This timepiece doesn’t just revive and remake a retro concept, but visually and constructively brings it into contemporary times. (Hey, it only took 15 years of development and patents.) The tried-and-true design of the watch includes an ebony sunburst dial and an ultra-thin automatic movement.
Photo via Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre: Something Everyone Can Agree On
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is an inherently aristocratic design. After all, it was built to accommodate the needs of polo players and is now more commonly seen at white-tie affairs than on the field. Part of JLC’s Tribute series to this emblematic timepiece, this Monoface Small Seconds gets a jazz-up via the ‘70s disco glitter of the Milanese bracelet and the eye-catching pink gold construction. Besides the sapphire, movement, and gaskets, every component of this watch is made of 18-karat pink gold. Regardless, the monochrome body, 7.5-millimeter-thin case, and traditional Milanese craft ensure old-world sophistication. It’s classy meets flashy—but not too flashy.
