The Beckertime Guide to Yellow Gold Rolex Watches

The pendulum of fashion never stops swinging, and recently it has most definitely swung back in favor of the use of yellow gold in watchmaking.  

It always does, of course, given enough time and the precious metal has been recorded in the creation of jewelry for more than 6,000 years. From then to now, it continues to be an overt sign of wealth and status.

On occasion that has been its own downfall. In more reserved, understated eras, yellow gold has been conceived as too brazen a statement and has fallen in popularity compared to the likes of white or rose gold—more modest tones for less grandiose times.

Today, however, we are at the start of the latest resurgence and so we have put together a guide to showcase the very best yellow gold watches, past and present, Rolex has to offer. 

Yellow Gold Rolex

There are more collections in the Rolex catalog with some form of yellow gold option than not.

Once the sole preserve of the dress watch duo, the Datejust and Day-Date, its use has since been expanded considerably and it is currently included in some way throughout every series bar the Air-King, Explorer II and Oyster Perpetual. 

Some, such as the Explorer, Sea-Dweller and, ironically enough, the Datejust, have to make do with sharing their yellow gold components with a healthy amount of stainless steel in Rolex’s own two-tone concoction, Rolesor, but there is no doubt that the metal is extremely popular at the moment. Even the Deepsea, perhaps the least suitable specimen out of the entire portfolio, has a solid gold reference.

These days, every metal employed in a Rolex watch is cast in the brand’s own foundry, allowing them to exercise meticulous control over its disposition. All three of their gold alloys, yellow, white and Everose, are 18k, meaning they use 75% gold, bolstered by other elements to harden the notoriously soft precious metal and/or alter its color.

In the past, however, the manufacture has used 14k and 10k and also gold shell, where a steel case was coated with a layer of gold around 240 microns thick. A more cost effective alternative to the opulence of 18k, they don’t appear anywhere in the current range.

If You Want the Ultimate Rolex Status Symbol

The Rolex Day-Date

Put simply, no other watch ever made quite matches a solid yellow gold President in its ability to communicate prominence, prosperity and achievement.

The favored timepiece of everyone from Warren Buffet to Tony Soprano, the Dalai Lama to a handful of literal Commanders in Chief, it has remained the number one target for every aspiring and actual leader since its introduction in 1956.

True to its role as Rolex flagship, there have never been anything except precious metal Day-Dates released to the public, but the undisputed all-time classic look will always be the yellow gold case, matching three-link President bracelet, topped off with a champagne dial.

Yet, for a watch with its master of the universe reputation, it is quite staggering as to how much you don’t have to spend to secure an example for yourself.

The modern range kicks off at $36,500, for which you will be able to walk away with a 36mm piece with the standard fluted bezel. But, if you delve back into the archives, a beautiful neo-vintage equivalent such as the ref. 18038 can be had for less than half that. Aesthetically there is very little to choose between them, and because of their place in the Classic Collection as opposed to the tool watches of the Professional Collection, it is a good bet it will have been well looked after and had a much easier life than a similar era Submariner or GMT-Master.

Arguably the most enticing bargain in preowned Rolex, there is really nothing to match a gold President.

If You Want a Sunken Treasure

The Rolex Submariner

Once upon a time, Rolex devised the last word in dive watches. Released in 1953 to meet the needs of a new breed of adventurer armed, for the very first time, with the methods and equipment needed to explore the wonders of the world’s oceans, the Submariner was not only the most capable of a fresh wave of such models, it was by far the most chic.  

Theoretically presented as a full-blooded tool watch, its uncluttered, timeless styling pegged it as a design classic from the off, and by the end of the 1960s it was much more likely to be seen at the boardroom table than experiencing the underwater realm.

That was the time the Submariner range split in two. The original no date model continued its exclusively stainless steel existence (as it has into the modern day) while the introduction of a date-equipped variant brought with it the first of the precious metal references, the ref. 1680/8.

There has been a solid yellow gold Sub ever since, available with the customary black dial and bezel, and also in a striking all-blue edition.

Despite the grumblings of brand traditionalists, it is entirely fitting for an icon like the Submariner to have such a version. No other tool watch is more revered and the Submariner gave up its sporting pretensions a long time ago. It is now an undeniable status symbol and, as such, can live in the same company as the likes of the Day-Date above. Stands to reason then that a yellow gold reference or two should always be present. 

One difference between it and the President though is in price. There is no such thing as a cheap yellow gold Sub, and you can expect to pay above the $20,000 mark as a start point. If you wanted to go all out in the attention-grabbing stakes and opt for a Serti dial piece, with either a silver or champagne face accented with gemstone hour markers, you can add an extra $10,000 on top.

That is a lot of anyone’s money, but then, you will go a long way before you find a more desirable watch.

If You Want Supreme Elegance

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 

Just in case you were thinking gold watches were only for the well-heeled…

The Oyster Perpetual series has long been seen as the entry level range in Rolex’s arsenal, an extensive collection of ultra-minimalist pieces across numerous sizes and, in the past, a variety of metals.

Nowadays you will only find steel models in the catalog, but you don’t have to go too far back to find yellow gold examples, and in particular among the ladies watches.

References such as the diminutive ref. 67197 from the 1980s are the epitome of discreet charm, 24mm and beautifully subtle, cast in 14k. 

Obviously with less of the precious metal going into the alloy (58.3% versus 75%) 14k becomes cheaper than the now-standard 18k. On top of that, as 14k contains a higher proportion of other elements, it is notably more durable and scratch resistant. 

Inside beats the Cal. 2030, a no-date movement built on such a tiny scale that it has always struck me as a more impressive technical achievement than those fitted to the larger men’s models. Measuring just 20mm in diameter and with a height of only 5.4mm, the caliber still manages to claim official chronometer status, accurate to within -4/+6 seconds a day.

Best of all, you can easily find perfectly preserved examples of these stunning watches for as little as $5,000.