We are fascinated by their intricate function, but our deeper obsession with all things horology is a relationship to form. And beyond those handcrafted shapes and complex details, the choice of material that encases the movement — and in the most luxurious examples form the basis for said movement — and bracelet, and which laces it to our wrist, greatly determine desirability. 

Painstakingly crafted analogue timepieces are the most functional adornment you’ll ever wear and as with other jewellery segments, much of the perceived value and joy of ownership lie in the properties of the material used. It comes down to its weight. The lustre. And, perhaps most important of all, longevity and future value. Luxury timepieces are investment items, after all. 

When considering splurging on a high-end watch, buyers traditionally distinguish between watches that appear either silver or gold in appearance. The truth is that the metals used by horologists don’t divide quite so neatly between silver and gold, and that leaves enthusiasts to choose from the truly precious, such as platinum, titanium and gold, to an assortment of different steels. All have unique properties that appeal to specific buyers, according to how each metal influences the mass and balance of a watch, the health of its owner and ease of long-term maintenance. 

Since ancient traders first kept recorded ledgers, gold has been the metal we associate most consciously with wealth and value. For millennia it has been the hedge against runaway inflation in times of crisis, and as such there’s little surprise that the Swiss watch industry has always used gold liberally as a material of choice for its dearest pieces. 

The appeal of gold is that uniquely warm colour, which blends well with olive skin tones, and the malleability of it for shaping a timepiece’s structure. Aside from its aesthetic appeal, gold offers nearly unrivalled durability, it doesn’t oxidise over time and retains its atomic mass. As the king of all yellow metals its special property is an amazing lustre that never fades. Gold’s stability as a material also means that even after two or three decades, a meticulous technician can refurbish your slightly scratched timepiece to brilliant newness in an afternoon. 

Unfortunately, that durability does comes at the sacrifice of mass. Gold is dense, which is why it lasts so well over time despite exposure to the elements, but that does make it heavy. Some can find a gold Rolex of generous diameter unexpectedly heavy on the wrist. 

If you are after something with a cooler hue and true rarity, try a platinum case. There is a 96 per cent greater availability of mined gold than platinum, and yet the price per ounce of the two metals remain quite similar, yet far fewer watches are made of platinum due to its rarity. Brands celebrated for their preciously low volume production, such as Patek Philippe and F.P. Journe, offer platinum as some of their most exclusive case and bracelet options. Similar in density to gold, there’s a satisfying weight to a platinum timepiece and for most it’s the alternative to gold on a metal colour chart.