Why Two Toned Watches Are Back In Style
Although functional and practical, watches are an accessory and as a piece of jewelry, aesthetics are important.
Just like all kinds of fine jewelry, the world of watches is subject to trends. These trends might be driven by designer preferences on the catwalk or popularity on social media. Different styles, shapes, sizes, and watch brands become the most popular of their era, and just like everything else in fashion, the great thing about trends is that they come around again and again across the decades.
One particular type of watch has seen a recent resurgence and that is the two-tone watch. After its heyday in the 80s, it was then relegated to the undesirable zone for quite some time. The two-tone watch became associated with certain types of personalities/characters and the excesses of the decade. It is now making a comeback.
If you are currently in the market for a new luxury watch for your collection and want a men’s or women’s wristwatch that boasts the combination of being timelessly cool and retro classic yet bang on trend, then explore your options among the various two-tone models available right now.
Here are some of the main reasons why two-toned steel watches (even some with chronograph faces) are very much back in style in the current landscape of every day, dress and sports watches.
What Is A Two-Tone Watch?
A two-tone watch is made from a combination of precious metal and stainless steel. Traditionally, the precious metal was yellow gold.
The heyday of the two-tone watch was undoubtedly the 1980s, in which the style became incredibly popular with a Western male audience in particular. Two-tone versions of plenty of classic brands started to crop up at every turn, with two-tone Rolex watches becoming one of the most sought-after Rolex watches of the decade.
Luxury brands that produced two-tone watches in the 80s are:
Audemars Piguet Breitling Cartier
Omega Oris Patek Philippe
Rolex Royal Oak Tag Heuer
Tissot Tudor Vacheron Constantin
An important note is that two-tone is a bit of an arbitrary term. Two-tone is an umbrella term that is used for any watch that is a combination of steel and precious metals, although having said that, it is unusual to find watches with more than four metals used in combination.
Why Are They Making A Comeback?
Although trends are sometimes impossible to predict and explain, some of the best reasons to suggest the turn in fortunes for the two-tone watch:
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A Modern Craving For 1980s Nostalgia
We don’t know if you have noticed, but every single new trend that pops up lately can be traced back to the 1980s! The nostalgia for that decade in history is higher and harder now than it has ever been, and the watchmaking practices of the time have not been skipped over. You can even relate the popularity to the likes of American Psycho which boasted a main character who was so fond of the style that for a time it became known as the Bateman watch!
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Versatility Of Choice In Design
Unlike some watch designs, there is a great deal of versatility that a wearer can enjoy in a two-tone watch. The only requirement to meet the type is to have the watch be made from two different and distinct types of metal, and though traditionally this would be yellow gold and stainless steel, there is nothing to stop you from selecting other colors to match your personal preferences. There are plenty of two-tone watches (Swiss and otherwise) that feature the likes of rose gold, pink gold, and white gold.
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Classic Style with Modern Features
Watchmaking techniques have come a long way since the 80s and there’s also been a shift in what features are now considered desirable so modern two-tone watches are superior to the originals in many ways. You might choose watches with special features like water resistance with PVD coating, a black dial, gold bezel, and other solid gold embellishments. A new two-tone watch satisfies the desire for something classic/retro with the best in modern watch technology.
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Slightly More Understated On The Wrist
When fashioned from a single high-quality precious metal, there is something about the jubilee bracelet style watch that evokes an overstated vibe, perhaps making it unsuitable for everyday wear to work, etc.
However, both horology and fashion experts will agree that when two types of metal are combined, the overall look somehow becomes more understated. Still classy and expensive, but somehow more approachable looking!
Of course, if you are the kind of person who favors the grandeur of a Cartier Santos or a solid metal Seamaster or Sea-Dweller watch, then perhaps a two-tone isn’t the choice for you. Others who want to replicate the cool vibe of something like a Daytona with two tones can have a great time browsing the modern two-tone market.
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Rolex Never Abandoned the Style
Sometimes a brand name, a person, a design, or a particular feature acts as a barometer of style. In the case of two-tone watches, it is definitely Rolex. Rolex invented the two-tone watch in the 1920s. The design was cemented into watch history when the name “Rolesor” was patented in 1933 (a portmanteau word of Rolex with Or - French for gold). The two-tone Datejust which was first introduced by Rolex in 1945 remains the cornerstone of dress watches. Another Rolex two-tone watch that has remained a favorite is the Submariner.
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Is It Cheaper To Get a Two-Tone Watch than an All-Gold Watch?
There’s no easy answer to this question because when you buy a luxury two-tone watch you aren’t just paying for the gold content. You might be able to price compare similar models that are available in full gold and two-tone options but it is difficult (and a bit pointless) to compare different models, especially those of different brands, solely on price.
Two Tone Watch Recommendations
So, now you know exactly what a two-tone watch is, and why they are enjoying a new time in the spotlight, all that is left is for you to pick up one for your wrist! Most of the fun for a watch lover is doing the research in preparation for their next purchase, so if you have decided that a two-tone design is going to be the next addition to your collection, then you have come to the right place.
Here are five of the best and most sought-after two-tone watches that you can pick up on the market right now.
This is a perfect example of an ‘old school’ two-tone watch that has the look and feel of a timepiece that is more of the 1970s than the 1980s. Not as chunky as some of the other popular two-tone choices right now, it is perhaps more suited to a feminine wrist and certainly something that you can wear every day for all regular work and lifestyle activities.
Possessing all of the bulky confidence of a classic Royal Oak timepiece, this two-tone watch is made from stainless steel and pink gold, resulting in an interesting and striking contrast that works equally well for both men and women. The watch features the brand’s signature luminescent coating, with a stunning silver stoned dial.
This Bellina women’s watch boasts the classic two-tone pairing of stainless steel and yellow gold, complete with a durable PVD finished case. The delicate intricacies of the dial, hands and applied indices are a wonder to behold, and the watch face and bezel provide a slightly more feminine, rounded shape than the other two tone options on the market.
If you want a men’s watch that is going to make a statement, then look no further than this 1881 Automatic. The combination of classic yellow gold and stainless steel with a jet black 3-hand dial is stunning and will catch the eye of any eager watch lover.
No watch list is complete with the inclusion of a two-tone Rolex Datejust! Our choice is this rose gold and stainless steel design that boasts small diamonds along its bezel. Perhaps not a watch for everyday wear, but one that you will want to wear to as many formal occasions as you can.
Two-tone watches that were not so long ago shunned by the cognoscenti of the watch world are once again in favor. Whether you want a Nautilus dive watch, Tudor Black Bay S&G, or a blue dial Rolex, now is a good time to invest.
