While divers and chronographs are getting all the attention and seeing massive price increases in recent times, it is the ‘humble’ (ironic, no?) gold dress watch that has been left behind and highly underappreciated.
Let me tell you that I remain a huge fan of the vintage gold dress watch, and for those looking to find value out there, this is the place to start. There is something beautiful about the dress watch, never loud or brash and always displaying its beauty in a more subtle way than say your Submariner or Autavia.
Take this Universal Geneve for instance. I was stunned at how beautiful it was when I first came across it and knew that I had to have it. Housed in a solid 18k pink gold case and sized at a very wearable 36mm, it has elongated lugs that slowly turn inwards giving the case an even larger presence on the wrist. The silver two-tone dial reflects differently according to the light source and sometimes when the two tone really comes out, it is out of this world. With applied gold alternating Arabic and teardrop markers and Dauphine hands, all of these small details add up to produce what is really one of the most beautiful dress watches I’ve come across in awhile.
To top it off, beating inside this Universal Geneve is a self winding Cal. 139 bumper movement that is just pure quality. For now, gold dress watches remain highly undervalued and I think it is only a matter of time before these become fully appreciated again.
