ARE 14KT GOLD WATCHES WORTH IT?

Ah, the big watch question…

Are solid 14kt yellow gold watches worth buying?

Is there any reason to purchase a solid gold watch verses a normal watch that’s NOT gold?

Yes, there are a lot of reasons…

And yes, I highly recommend them!

P.S. you can check out the grand selection of solid gold watches on Amazon here! :)

This is why I recommend them…

First and foremost; no allergies! That’s right. Most people can wear 14kt gold without breaking out in a rash (If you do, read: Are you allergic to gold?)

Generally people break out from gold plated jewelry. Electroplating and gold filled jewelry tends to react with people’s skin and causes redness, puffiness and irritations to develop.

It’s Rare to find anyone who’s allergic to 14kt.

Now 10kt is a different story… 10kt yellow gold actually contains more nickel than 14kt and a lot of people are allergic to the nickel. So my advice, buy 14kt gold and not 10kt gold. That way you won’t have to worry about those ugly, itchy rashes.

The next big reason:

Life expectancy. Solid gold watches will last you a lifetime. Solid gold watches are the watches that get passed down from generation to generation. They make great keepsakes. You don’t get that with plated watches. A $2.00 watch just doesn’t get the same attention or reaction as a gold watch does.

It’s a fact, the plating on cheap watches will wear off, rub away, or scratch and chip. It could last 7 years, it could start to wear off in 7 days. It all depends on the quality of the watch and the thickness of the gold plating. Usually after about 5 years, gold plated watches will start to look like crap and most people will just buy new ones anyway.

You’ll know when the plating starts to wear off, because the watch will start to turn white. You’ll notice this around the clasp area and the edges of the links. That’s normally where they start to turn first. Eventually your pretty little yellow watch will look dull, faded and whitish. Yuck! Solid yellow gold will look like yellow gold the entire time you own it (and that’s worth the price right there).

The next reason:

Investment. While it’s true that jewelry doesn’t hold it’s value and you’d be lucky to get 20-30% of what it’s worth when you sell it, it’s also a fact that gold is gold and still worth something. If it comes down to it, you can still sell your gold watch for money, whereas plated watches are pretty worthless. You couldn’t get a penny for them even if you tried. Gold watches are a much better investment no matter how you slice it.

And don’t forget about: repairs.

That’s the nice thing about a solid gold watch. If you break a link, or bend the band, gold can be fixed and repaired. It can be worked on just like every other piece of gold jewelry you own. Plated watches can’t be fixed. You can’t put a jeweler’s torch to it. They won’t take heat. Heat will just make your plated watch peel like a banana. The plating will burn off and ruin the watch.

So when it comes to plated watches, if you break the band, the only way to fix it is to replace the entire band. Or more accurately, throw it away and buy a new watch.

The Biggest Problem with Solid Gold Watches is the Price Tag!

The Price Hurts!

No doubts about that. Solid Gold Watches are Not Cheap!

But take a step back and look at the entire picture. Gold watches do last you a lifetime. You buy the watch once, and you can wear it forever. Plated watches will need to be replaced every 5 years or so. So when you look at the amount you spend on cheap watches, vs a good watch, it’s actually not that bad.

Gold link problems:

And then you have the problem with links. If you ever need to add Links to your gold watch (say you eat too much chocolate), it can be done. Jewelers can custom duplicate one of your gold watch links and add it to your watch. It’s that easy. That’s the greatest thing about gold, jewelers can make a link that looks exactly like the rest of it, and fit it in seamlessly. You’d never know it was enlarged.

You can’t do that with plated watches.

True, true, lots of Watch manufacturers can supply you with extra watch links…

But keep in mind, that’s only if the company still makes that particular style.

Watchmakers are always updating their line and discontinuing old designs and models. Plus, even if you could still get links from them, chances are, they won’t look good. Why? Because by now, your plated watch will be worn, scratched, and the plating faded.

Adding in a couple brand new, shiny links will look silly and stand out. You’ll see a visible difference between them. Solid gold is just so much easier to deal with.

Good gold watch reasons:

So you see, there are lots of good reasons to buy a solid gold watch.

If you look hard enough, you could find a gold watch for as little as $300! I’ve seen them. But do note, a $300 solid gold watch may not be worth buying…

Cheap versions of gold watches usually have extremely thin links and fragile bands. Almost paper-thin that bends and breaks easily. Buyer beware. Look at the thickness of the band and links before you buy it. Make sure if you buy inexpensive, that it’s not going to break if the wind blows.

It could cost you thousands.

A good gold watch could run you into the thousands. Easily! But I would think that if you stayed in the middle ground somewhere, and spent $600 to $1200, you’d be in a great price range and you’ll get a great watch too! Of course, it all just depends on the brand name and how heavy the watch is.

You can also go fancy and get solid gold watches with diamonds in them. Diamonds around the bezel or on the face and dial of the watch itself look awesome, and add a lot of brilliance and sparkle to the lustrous gold (see picture of ladies gold and diamond Bulova watches).

When your solid gold watch gets some scratches on it, you can simply take it in to a local jewelry store and have them buff out the marks (just like you would a ring or a bracelet). In just a couple of minutes, they can make your gold watch look brand new again.

Anniversary watches:

Gold watches work as wonderful anniversary gifts as well. You can get them engraved on the back and it will preserve those special dates and memories forever. Watches are also the expected anniversary gift for the 1st, 10th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 20th, 30th & 31st wedding anniversaries too (read more in my full anniversary gift guide here).

Gold watches are stunning, dramatic and last a lifetime. If you need a birthday gift or a present for that next special occasion, I’d highly recommend buying a solid 14k gold watch. But if you’re getting it engraved, which I also recommend, make sure you buy it early enough so they can do the engraving. Allowing 1-2 weeks is ideal. That way, time is always on your side.

14K white gold watches:

P.S. You can also get solid gold watches in 14kt white gold as well. The funny thing about white gold watches is that they are rare to run across.

Why are they so hard to find? Because with white gold, there are other substitute white metals you can get, like stainless steel and titanium, that will last a lifetime, never fade, cost much less, and also be hypoallergenic (sadly, there is no substitute yellow metals for yellow gold).

The only bad thing about these other white metals is that they’re not gold. They just don’t have the same appeal. Gold is rich and full of zest and luster, plus everyone wants it. Just the quality and sparkle of gold makes it hard to resist. In my book, if you want gold, buy gold!

White gold watches are identical to yellow gold watches in every way. The only difference is the color. 14kt white gold watches are just, well… white.

Amazon has some awesome looking 14k watches HERE!

Cheers! :)