Gold Never Gets Old! 17 Exciting Facts on Yellow Gold Watches for Ladies
Have you ever wondered why yellow gold watches for ladies are such an in-demand material for making women’s watches? Let’s satisfy that curiosity with some interesting facts.
To at least give you an idea of what to expect, here are the three sections I’ve prepared just for you:
- A comparison between yellow gold and other variations
- A brief history of the first yellow gold wristwatch for a certain female royalty
- The innovations made by two world-famous watch companies to improve the properties of gold
What are the pros and cons of yellow gold compared to white gold and rose gold?
Yellow Gold Watch for Ladies
Just like any other thing on earth, yellow gold has its own advantages and disadvantages. Just because it is the brightest kind of gold doesn’t mean that it is the best. We must consider all the factors.
I know there are a lot of variations like green gold and grey gold, but the most common ones used for watchmaking are white gold and rose gold. That’s why I’ll only discuss three types including yellow gold.
To give you a clearer view of the comparison, I’m going to present first a table containing significant differences between the three types of gold:
| Yellow Gold | White Gold | Rose Gold |
| Hypoallergenic
Ideal for darker skin tones Only needs simple polishing and cleaning Prone to abrasion and dents |
Not hypoallergenic
Ideal for fair skin tones Needs professional maintenance of color & luster Durable & scratch-resistant |
Not hypoallergenic
Ideal for all skin tones No maintenance needed due to its dark color & durability Most durable |
Now that we have an idea on the best and worst features of yellow gold, let me explain everything from the comparison table.
Yellow Gold
Yellow Gold
Even though yellow gold is simply referred to as “gold” by most people, it is an alloy – not 100% gold! It turns out that yellow gold is just a combination of pure gold and copper or zinc. However, it is the purest kind of gold alloy because it contains a large amount of genuine gold.
As you can see from the comparison table, yellow gold is the safest type for sensitive skin. Why? It has the least amount of copper. Copper has always been known to be notorious on sensitive skin.
Additionally, yellow gold watches for ladies are easier to maintain than white gold. Sure, rose gold doesn’t need any maintenance, but yellow gold is much brighter and shinier. So, cleaning and polishing a yellow gold watch will only bring out positive results.
To prove to you how easy it is to maintain a yellow gold watch after every use, check out the following steps:
Yellow Gold Maintenance
- Slightly moisten a clean cotton ball or cloth with clean water. Be careful not to drench the cotton. Too wet, and it will damage your watch in the long run.
- Rub the moist cotton ball or cloth all over your watch’s band.
- Get another cotton ball or cloth to buff the surface.
With this simple daily process, you don’t have to deep-clean your watch frequently.
However, when the time comes for you to clean your watch more thoroughly than ever, look at these two deep-cleaning methods:
Yellow Gold Deep Cleaning
- Use a traditional non-gel toothpaste. This is ideal if your yellow gold watch already has annoying smears and dirty areas.
- Apply a tiny amount of toothpaste on a cotton ball or cloth. You may use a cotton bud or Q-tip to easily clean hard-to-reach areas.
- Gently rub the cotton ball or cloth on the dirty surfaces. Don’t forget the inside part of the watch band.
- Moisten another cotton ball or cloth to remove the toothpaste. Make sure that no residue is left on the watch to prevent corrosion.
- Use a jewelry cleaner. If you’re uncomfortable about the idea of applying toothpaste on your precious yellow gold watch, then don’t hesitate to buy a jewelry cleaner. The process is like the toothpaste method. However, make sure to do these precautions:
- Ask a watch or jewelry store for product recommendations. You might buy the wrong kind of cleaner.
- Check the label to see if the cleaner is totally safe for yellow gold surfaces.
- Carefully read the instructions before applying the cleaner on your watch.
Once you’re 100% sure that your yellow gold watch is finally clean, polish it. It’s super-easy! Don’t believe me? Check out the process:
Yellow Gold Polishing
- Use a cloth meant for polishing jewelry. Rub it all over your newly-cleaned watch until everything’s dry.
- Apply extra pressure on dull surfaces.
- Get another similar cloth to polish the watch twice. This will bring out a shinier surface.
See how easy it is to clean and polish a yellow gold watch? That’s exactly what I’m talking about!
Unfortunately, yellow gold is extremely vulnerable to scratches. It is also weak against impact, resulting in an ugly dent. So, be extra careful while wearing a yellow gold watch. As much as possible, don’t wear it casually.
White Gold
Even though it usually doesn’t contain copper, white gold can still trigger allergies because of its typical nickel content. If you really prefer a white gold watch despite sensitive skin, look for something that has more silver and palladium.
The number one disadvantage of white gold is such a bummer because it is much more durable than yellow gold.
The downside of white gold doesn’t end with its non-hypoallergenic properties. It is also a hassle to maintain.
Although maintaining a white gold watch is only required once every few years, you really need to find a trustworthy professional to restore its color and luster. If the surface has a rhodium plating, it needs to be replaced as well.
Rose Gold
Yellow Gold, White Gold & Rose Gold Comparison
Since rose gold has the most amount of copper, it gains a pink tone that’s irresistible to some women. Copper also makes it more durable than yellow gold and white gold. The result of these advantages? You don’t need to clean and polish your rose gold watch all the time.
However, rose gold is a red flag to ladies with sensitive skin. More importantly, its limited amount of pure gold makes it less valuable than yellow gold and white gold.
When was the first women’s gold watch made?
Now that we’ve established how valuable yellow gold is, let’s appreciate the fabulous history of yellow gold watches. Why is yellow gold usually incorporated on luxury timepieces?
Simple – yellow gold symbolizes prominence and fortune. This concept has been going on ever since craftsmen learned how to create timepieces. So, it is a no-brainer that the first yellow gold wristwatch was worn by Countess Koscowicz of Hungary in 1868. It was created by no other than Patek Philippe.
Countess Koscowicz’s watch was more of a piece of jewelry than a practical timepiece. For starters, its band was designed as a bangle. The whole look was expected, though. Prominent people were more concerned about fashion than timekeeping in the 1800s.
To be more specific about the historic watch, it had a rectangular case with an extremely small enamel dial. It was mostly made of yellow gold with diamond decorations.
When it comes to its system, the watch used key winding manual movement with a cylinder escapement and eight jewels.
Let’s now focus on the present: what are the current innovations to improve yellow gold?
I know a couple of watch companies that are so particular about quality that they formulate and create their own yellow gold material. Their goal is to guarantee maximum durability despite the shortcomings of yellow gold in nature.
I’m talking about Rolex and Hublot.
I was blown away by the standards of these two watchmakers that I can’t wait to share the details with you.
Rolex and Its Radiant Yellow Gold Watches
To guarantee that mesmerizing yellow gold shine, Rolex decided to control the entire process of watchmaking. Literally.
Rolex develops and creates its own precious metals especially gold. It uses the basic combination of yellow gold: pure gold, silver, and copper. However, the mixture or formula is solely based on the company’s standards.
Because of Rolex’s dedication to meticulously oversee every single process, the company’s yellow gold watches for ladies are exceptional. They go beyond simple durability and shine. In fact, Rolex watches are known for their beauty even after several decades.
For you to appreciate yellow gold Rolex watches even more, I’m going to a highlight a certain model.
Rolex Datejust 31 278278 has a sophisticated look that’s perfect for powerful career women. It 31-millimeter case is completely made of 18-carat yellow gold.
While other bezels are full of diamonds, this one has a simpler yet still-elegant design because of its fluted top ring. The gemstones are placed on the champagne-colored dial instead to serve as hour markers.
For other pure yellow gold options from Rolex, check out the following models:
- Lady-Datejust 28 279173
- Pearlmaster 34 81318
- Pearlmaster 34 81298
- Datejust 31 278278
- Lady-Datejust 28 279178
- Lady-Datejust 28 279138RBR
Aside from pure yellow gold watches, Rolex is also known for combining this precious metal with tough steel. That design is officially called Rolesor. The name was already patented in 1933.
Let’s get into the specifics of Rolesor watches. These timepieces have bezels, winding crowns, and center bracelet links made of 18-carat gold. Meanwhile, their cases and outer links are Oystersteel (that’s right – Rolex develops their own steel, too).
Here are samples of Rolesor watches so you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about:
Hublot and Its Magic Gold Watches
Remember when I presented to you earlier that yellow gold is the least durable alloy when compared to white gold and rose gold? Well, Hublot took advantage of that weakness and created a better version.
Claimed as the only scratch-resistant 18-carat gold alloy, Magic Gold is the first-ever product of the company’s Metallurgy Department. In a nutshell, it is created by fusing liquid gold and ceramic.
How hard is Magic Gold, anyway? First off, you should know that pure 18-carat gold only has a hardness of 140 based on the Vickers scale. It is so soft that 316L stainless steel is much, much harder with its 200-240 rating.
Brace yourself for this – Magic Gold has a mind-blowing hardness score of 1,000! Can you believe it?
It goes to show that ceramic is the real deal when it comes to durability.
How did Hublot even manage to pull off the fusion of gold and ceramic? Good thing I’ve discovered the manufacturing process behind Magic Gold. Learn about it below:
Meanwhile, here are some additional details regarding the production of Magic Gold.
Magic Gold
- Ceramic powder or boron carbide is pressed under 30,000 pounds/square inches of pressure to form a shape.
- The pre-formed ceramic is heated at 2,200 degrees Celsius in a furnace to boost hardness.
- Meanwhile, pure gold or 24-karat gold is heated at 1,100 degrees Celsius.
- Liquid gold is then poured into a machine to fill the pores and capillaries of the heated ceramic. The machine should work with 3,000 lbs./sq. inch of pressure with an intense heat of 1,400 degrees Celsius.
After the combining gold and ceramic, the watchmaking process follows:
- A piece is milled from the finished result of Magic Gold and formed into a specific shape fit for a watch.
- To carve the extremely hard piece of Magic Gold, outrageously sharp diamond-tipped tools must be used.
- After polishing the piece, it is exposed to an ultrasound with a very high frequency of 50,000 Hertz for that signature Hublot shine.
I’m sure you’re curious about the look of Magic Gold on a timepiece, so check out the following Hublot unisex watch models:
- Big Bang Unico Magic Gold 411.CM.1138.RX
- Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold 411.MX.1138.RX
- Big Bang Tourbillion Power Reserve 5 Days Full Magic Gold 405.MX.0138.RX
To conclude what we’ve learned about yellow gold watches for ladies…
Yellow gold, aside from its undeniable beauty, makes a timepiece more valuable. It is the purest form of gold alloy, which beats white gold and rose gold despite how soft it is. Because of its high value, it is an in-demand material for women’s luxury watches.
References
https://www.diamonds.pro/education/platinum-vs-gold/
https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Gold-Plated-Watches
https://squaremile.com/style/the-ten-patek-philippes-that-changed-watchmaking/
https://www.watch-next.com/know/
https://www.rolex.com/watches/rolex-watchmaking/materials.html