Collecting Time: 5 Elegant Yellow Gold Watches to Buy Now
We are always scouring the web for the most amazing watches currently available, and each Friday Shopping Time shares five standout timepieces with you.
There’s a timeless appeal to yellow gold that makes its mark (at one point or another) on each successive generation that enters the watch-collecting hobby. Its recent resurgence in popularity is a phenomenon that we’ve covered in the past and continues to be evident today. How brands express their designs within the confines of yellow gold remains a high point of their respective collections. Yellow gold is a material many of us aspire to pull off, and the reality is that it often works across all manner of personal style tastes—that’s a deep part of its allure.
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This week, we’re curating a selection of yellow gold watches that showcase the material’s power to captivate, as well as its ability to highlight iconic designs. These watches represent the apex of just how versatile and beautiful this material has been and remains to be.
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Rolex Daytona ref. 6263 – $245,000
In many ways, the Rolex Daytona came into its own with the reference 6263, solidifying the use of screw-down pushers, an Oyster case, and a black acrylic insert, each of which coalesced in the short-lived reference 6240 before blossoming in 1971 with the release of the 6263. This is among the most collectible Daytona references today, and while it was available in a small range of configurations, none are quite as captivating as the full yellow gold version with a black dial. This is the quintessential sports watch of the ‘70s rendered in the era’s quintessential material.
This particular yellow gold Daytona reference 6263 comes to us from Wind Vintage, and it appears to be in near original condition. The case and dial are in excellent overall condition, showing some wear commensurate with its age. This is a 5.9M serial dating the watch to 1979, making the MK 2 pushers and bracelet end links era correct. This watch is new to the market, and comes with its box and papers, and is only one owner removed from the original buyer. When it comes to non-Paul Newman Daytonas, this is about as good as it gets.
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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak red. 5402 – $135,000
Audemars Piguet famously launched their Royal Oak sport watch in 1972, setting the stage for a whole new genre that would emerge by the end of the decade. While initially only offered in steel, by 1977, Audemars Piguet had introduced two-toned, white gold, and yellow gold examples of the original reference 5402 ‘Jumbo’, and it should come as no surprise that the design worked just as well across a range of materials. The yellow gold Royal Oak reference 5402BA brings the design to life in a different way, specifically the Gay Frères bracelet and its unusual grey dial tone.
This Royal Oak 5402BA in yellow gold is currently listed by The Keystone and appears to be in fantastic overall condition. This reference was in production until 1990, and this example shows only light signs of age around the case and dial. The watch is accompanied by an extract from the Audemars Piguet archives, though no other accessories are available. The bracelet appears to retain nearly all of its links, so fitting it shouldn’t be an issue. This watch represents an often overlooked part of the Royal Oak’s history, and it’s an early example of just how good the platform was and remains to this day.
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Cartier Tortue Privée – $19,500
Cartier debuted their Tortue design in 1912, boasting an organic new form that stood somewhere in between the existing Santos Dumont and Tonneau. The wider design lent itself to accepting more complications, and it would go on to do just that, most famously in the form of a monopusher chronograph (read the full history of the Tortue right here). In an effort to reclaim its history as a fine watchmaker in the late ‘90s, Cartier brought this famous shape back via their Collection Privée Cartier Paris, or CPCP program. This is a modern example of the Tortue that makes use of the Cartier Calibre 430MC movement, which is a Piaget-based 430P ultra-thin hand wound movement.
This Cartier Tortue Privée hails from the 2010s, and boasts a beautiful yellow gold case that accepts the flowing form of the case with ease. The color pairs with the white guilloché dial that hosts black Roman numerals and a set of Breguet hands. This watch is listed in overall great condition, with only light signs of wear, retaining its factory finish and strap. This watch is a celebration of the history of Cartier, and one that successfully reclaims its watchmaking past.
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A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 ref. 101.022 – £23,000
The Lange 1 serves as the brilliant face of A. Lange & Söhne as a whole, representing its reemergence into the market in 1994, as well as its design ethos. This design was first launched in yellow gold with a silver dial, and this configuration remains the purest expression of the asymmetrical concept. The ref. 101.022 is perhaps the closest you can get to the original spec first released in 1994. This is a highly focused take on the design, with blued hands and a subtle mix of finishes that define the subdials. The multi-part case rendered in yellow gold is just as distinctive and iconic as the dial.
This Lange 1 reference 101.022 is available from A Collected Man and is listed in very good overall condition. The case retains a brilliant warmth with only superficial marks throughout. This is offered as a full kit example that dates to 2001. The Lange 1 recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, an occasion the brand marked with a set of new Lange 1 references, and if you know this brand, you know they only move in one direction. That makes this example from 2001 all the more special, as it’s a configuration you’re not likely to see again anytime soon.
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Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5130J – $39,900
There is a historic magic to be found in Patek Philippe World Time references. The brand’s unique take on the complication comes courtesy of its inventor, Louis Cottier, who devised a 24-hour ring that could be advanced between representative cities from across the globe. The look that defines this complication has been preserved through generations by Patek Philippe and remains just as compelling today. The solution is elegant and practical, and a broad range of styles have been applied to it as it has survived the subsequent Stern eras.
The reference 5130 is the modern expression of this philosophy, and it’s seen here in yellow gold as offered by European Watch Company. Today, the reference uses the caliber 240 HU, which allows for the advancement of the 24-hour ring via a button at 10 o’clock on the case. Condition is listed as “like new.” This reference, which dates to 2020, comes as a full kit. This watch captures all the original magic of the complication in thoroughly modern style.
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Please note that we are not affiliated with the sellers of the watches we recommend. We may point out aspects of a listing that we feel are positive, but only you can vet a seller. We can recommend viewing our video “How to Collect It: Vintage Watches” to glean some best practices, however.
