Is the era of stealth wealth over?

[Andad]

Originally Posted by Donnie90

I love precious metals, especially a yellow gold, but I would prefer 14k. 18k gold is too soft, the scratches are killing me....

18K gold is not always softer than 9K or 14K gold.

Depends on the amalgam and how it is annealed or worked.

[Mr. K]

Is stealth wealth the same as flying under the radar? Because I know flying under the radar has been around for a very long time.

I personally think platinum and white gold are awesome. If I had unlimited funds, I would be buying some.

Just bought my Mega Millions ticket about 20 minutes ago., I guess I'll have to wait and see....

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by wm82

No one ever wanted anything in white gold. Its the softest of the alloys and looks like crap after a few years of wear. The market is never wrong, thats why 2nd hand values on white gold is always so low.

Nonsense. Lots of us prefer white gold.

And your statement is wrong. White gold is generally less soft than yellow gold.

As for "looking like crap after a few years of wear" you may be thinking of rhodium plated white gold where the plating wears off.

WG Rolex watches are not plated.

And lastly, you are wrong on second hand values too.

[Orangejoe]

Originally Posted by wm82

No one ever wanted anything in white gold. Its the softest of the alloys and looks like crap after a few years of wear. The market is never wrong, thats why 2nd hand values on white gold is always so low.

Does it really? I have jewelry in white gold (non Rolex) and it does look bad after a few years of wear.

I though Rolex would have a different white gold mix to ensure long lasting good looks.

[the dark knight]

Originally Posted by acorn

sounds overstated, i’d take the first two over a ss daytona any day.

+1

[the dark knight]

No, I think if anything we are at peak stealth wealth era, at least in the cultural zeitgeist. It's just that WG Rolex has always probably been a bad example of this. Succession was a good example. I can't recall a single main character on that show wearing a WG or even gold Rolex. Kendall was wearing the "Submariner" of stealth wealth watches, a steel Nautilus. Some dressy VCs here and there, Cartier, etc.

FWIW, I work and live in the SF Bay Area, this place might be the stealth wealth capital of the world. I've met quite a bit of UHNWI types, I don't recall a single WG Rolex or much Rolex at all. The Apple Watch may be the ultimate stealth wealth watch among these types, TBH.

[7sins]

Originally Posted by huncho

they do, they have a 15510 in wg, a ROC in wg and then some tourbs/QPs in wg with exclusive dials and with/without baguette bezels, which are really cool actually. also their line of frosted gold models which are probably all hard to get anyway. don't see the point in buying a regular RO/ROC in wg though

You missed the best wg AP, the jumbo! Without question, AP makes the best WG, the brightness is unmatched and easily discernible from SS. The way it glistens off the lights, you can spot a mile away.

[Joearch]

Not sure I would agree with OP. Retail on this was basically $30k. I don’t see this watch within $5k of that number. Has nothing to do with wealth. Simple appreciate of design and technology for me. I will say I also enjoy a number of SS pieces. Never a either/or. Always a both/and for me.

[Joearch]

In addition, also not sure about WG aging poorly. This is a 20 year old time piece. Still looks pretty decent to me. Gets a fair amount of wrist time. No difference in wear compared to my SS pieces.

[Halifax Daytona UK]

I’ve a WG Daytona and at the time I had a choice of which PM Daytona to get , other than a platona , I liked the blue dial Daytona ,it’s understated, I could have got the panda but it’s a bit garish for me

[espanol]

Nothing Rolex represents “steal wealth.” In fact, modern Rolex is the opposite. It’s very “look at me.”

[HHIslander]

Originally Posted by espanol

Nothing Rolex represents “steal wealth.” In fact, modern Rolex is the opposite. It’s very “look at me.”

Stealth wealth is driving land cruisers and wearing clothes with no labels. It’s not a white gold DD or Daytona.

[espanol]

Originally Posted by HHIslander

Stealth wealth is driving land cruisers and wearing clothes with no labels. It’s not a white gold DD or Daytona.

Bingo!

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by Orangejoe

Does it really? I have jewelry in white gold (non Rolex) and it does look bad after a few years of wear.

No, the poster is wrong. See my post above yours.

I though Rolex would have a different white gold mix to ensure long lasting good looks.

Rolex WG ages just as well as any other Rolex gold because its not rhodium plated. That's why Rolex WG has a warm tone.

It's the rhodium plating applied to a lot of white gold jewellery which, when it wears, can look bad.

Incidentally, the rhodium plating can be reapplied quite easily by most competent jewelery workshops and quite inexpensively - its done by electroplating (electrolysis).

[AK797]

I can imagine demand for coloured metal went up during the peak hype years as flexing on SM was half the point of buying them, but the flip side is that dealers in London have been saying the demand for WG has been increasing recently with the rise in crime and certainly the perceived rise in watch crime on our streets which has been very public and made people more wary.

[travisb]

I'm still a huge fan of the WG GMT and Sub. Prefer them over YG.

[GB-man]

There are no stealth wealth Rolex. It’s the most known brand there is and it’s mainly known for being expensive.

[brandrea]

If I take the emblems off my Bentley does it become stealth wealth?

Asking for a friend

[2loaded]

Originally Posted by JSolution

The 116719 is a sleeper if there ever was one :) one of my favourite and with such a short production run and factoring in that a lot of people switched out from blue to black the numbers have to be relatively little. But you are right it’s always been cheaply priced in comparison. Obviously this has a lot to do with the steel counterpart being exactly the same, which I personally love about it.

Spot On.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by brandrea

If I take the emblems off my Bentley does it become stealth wealth?

Asking for a friend

Only if you sell it for a WG Rolex.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by AK797

Only if you sell it for a WG Rolex.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wgdaytona]

Love WG and bought a WG Sub retail from an AD to back up my words. No regrets. Have had a few diff models in WG, including Daytona. It's not about Stealth and all that BS. I'm not that wealthy, and have nothing to prove or pretend to be. Some folks like me just like the idea of gold without the bling of YG or RG, so we go WG. I would look dumb or like a poser in my world wearing a YG Rolex. Your world it may be normal, and maybe not even bling. My world it would be blingy. The WG helps me enjoy gold's heft, color shifts, etc. without anyone else caring or noticing. I'd venture maybe 5 folks out of 300 in my building even care about a nice watch past $500.

[alphadweller]

A work colleague is selling her father-in-law Day-Date 36 ref 18038 in YG from the 1980s (on jubilee bracelet). A present given to him by one of his students. Guess what. He never wore it. Too blingy to him. A yellow gold watch is not something easy to wear to most people, draws attention, especially on a bracelet, not so much on a leather strap perhaps. Had it been in WG, he'd probably have worn it.

I can see why some would prefer WG over YG. I happen to love both, the showy type and discreet one, depending on mood and circumstances. I own a loud TT blue Sub and a quiet WG Patrimony.

[Apdl]

For me personally, if I am going to spend $40,000 on a watch its going to be OVERT AF.
Its not going to be stealth for me.

[RTG]

Rolex white gold has such a beautiful, warm luster. I love seeing it on my wrist. I buy them because I like them and not because of what people may think. I also like Rolex rose gold, purchased because I thought it looked great. Would never spend a dime based on opinions of strangers.

[4 Aussies]

Originally Posted by brandrea

If I take the emblems off my Bentley does it become stealth wealth?
Asking for a friend

I asked our mutual friend, he said it becomes a Chrysler 300!!

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by 4 Aussies

I asked our mutual friend, he said it becomes a Chrysler 300!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by 4 Aussies

I asked our mutual friend, he said it becomes a Chrysler 300!!

[subprimero]

No, if you live in a major metropolitan area, it is alive and well.

[joli160]

It’s not only about the metal. The imo nicer looking dials are typically reserved for PM models