Platinum vs YG Which Ages Better

[DCGuy1965]

Im sure this has been discussed before but when it comes to the DayDate I'm leaning towards the thought platinum will hold up better and as a result age better.

I hope not to get flamed for saying this but over the years of dealing with many different clients I've seen my share of DayDate watches. The YG ones more often than not look rather beaten up and I'm thinking this has to do with the softness of gold and that platinum is more dense and heavier.

Give this is a high dollar purchase I just want to make sure I'm clear on the differences. The AD I don't think I can rely on to be accurate when it comes to metal properties and I sure as hell am not well versed in the science behind them. So I look to TRF and owners to hopefully shed some light

Thanks.

[tkerrmd]

Honestly I would choose the metal that appeals to you the most, because I think with proper care either will look great for a lifetime!

[thomaspp]

Originally Posted by tkerrmd

Honestly I would choose the metal that appeals to you the most, because I think with proper care either will look great for a lifetime!

Agree with this wise man. I think the YG ones look "beaten up" just because there are more of them around. The Platinum watches are fewer and harder to come by. You shouldn't make your choice based on the criteria mentioned above. That being said, the platinum is certainly going to be nice.

[watchwatcher]

Agree with both of the wise men above.

[DJ TT 2002]

Wasn't King Tutankhamen found with a YG death mask from 1352 BC ?
I think that held up pretty well.
I know that his Bubbleback had stopped, but it just needed a service from RSC Thebes

[Brucie D]

I am also a wise man supporter. There is a reason gold has been THE choice for fine goods for centuries (millennia?). Platinum is amazing. I would venture to say that you should also take a good look at how you will use the watch to determine future wear and tear.


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[DCGuy1965]

Thanks for the responses. It goes without saying this will be the dress to kill watch worn on the most special of occasions. Not worn during bar crawls (I'm too old for those anymore anyway). Also from an affordability standpoint YG is definitely more wallet friendly so to speak.

I guess the bottom line is the way I'll care for it is like women do with fine pearls. Last thing I put on and the first thing I take off. Similar to people I know that wear PP and the like.

[Sublover2166]

That platinum Daytona would be THE piece I would buy if I had enough clams to shell out!!

[kilyung]

The reason YG seems more prone to scratches is the same idea with scratches on a black car vs a white car. The color of the metal shows scratches more in one than the other.

[belligero]

Pt950 is much more durable than any 18K gold alloy. It's not even close, in fact.

edit:

Originally Posted by DCGuy1965

Thanks for the responses. It goes without saying this will be the dress to kill watch worn on the most special of occasions. Not worn during bar crawls (I'm too old for those anymore anyway). Also from an affordability standpoint YG is definitely more wallet friendly so to speak.

I guess the bottom line is the way I'll care for it is like women do with fine pearls. Last thing I put on and the first thing I take off. Similar to people I know that wear PP and the like.

On the other hand, if you're not going to take it easy on the watch, then it doesn't make much difference. You don't have to treat a platinum Rolex any differently than you would a steel model, but 18K works fine as jewellery. If you don't need the extra durability, then it's debatable whether platinum is worth the roughly-2X premium over gold; its biggest advantage is that you can wear it daily without the "stretch" (not actual stretching but metal loss through abrasion) and general wear issues that gold can have.

And yes, there's a reason you have to baby Pateks; they're not exactly known for their robustness.

[alanc]

A quick web search suggests that platinum is softer than gold and scratches easier, which I found counterintuitive, but there it is. I don't know whether the particular alloys used by Rolex makes a difference. I suspect that platinum will not show scratches as much; many say that it develops an attractive patina from scratches over time, while gold just looks scratched.

I would get the one you like better based on appearance; it sounds like you will take good care of either so it shouldnt be a big issue.

[VICI]

IMO, gold is timeless. Just ask the Egyptians :)

[AK797]

Originally Posted by DCGuy1965

Thanks for the responses. It goes without saying this will be the dress to kill watch worn on the most special of occasions. Not worn during bar crawls (I'm too old for those anymore anyway). Also from an affordability standpoint YG is definitely more wallet friendly so to speak.

I guess the bottom line is the way I'll care for it is like women do with fine pearls. Last thing I put on and the first thing I take off. Similar to people I know that wear PP and the like.

Then they both should last as long as you do and beyond, so choose which sings to your heart the loudest.

[Rolexpharm]

I think the yellow gold will be more desirable in the future because gold just as a substance and element is very usable I many other aspects. I think the yellow gold will hold value better because it has multiple uses aside from a fine jewelry

[locutus49]

This!

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

That platinum Daytona would be THE piece I would buy if I had enough clams to shell out!!

[locutus49]

You are talking about the melt-down value of gold, and I'm not sure you can apply that to Rolex gold, which uses different allows than most 18K gold manufacturers, which makes it a bit harder I believe. And 18K gold is 750 (out of 1000) but Platinum is 950 out of a 1000 (more pure Platinum in the alloy).

Originally Posted by Rolexpharm

I think the yellow gold will be more desirable in the future because gold just as a substance and element is very usable I many other aspects. I think the yellow gold will hold value better because it has multiple uses aside from a fine jewelry

[SaddleSC]

Originally Posted by DCGuy1965

I guess the bottom line is the way I'll care for it is like women do with fine pearls. Last thing I put on and the first thing I take off. Similar to people I know that wear PP and the like.

It doesn't really require this much babying...it is still a Rolex. I have a WG Sub that I have been wearing at least five days a week for the last six months and I do not notice any difference in wear/durability/robustness from any of my SS watches. Just wear the watch and enjoy...

[belligero]

Originally Posted by alanc

A quick web search suggests that platinum is softer than gold and scratches easier, which I found counterintuitive, but there it is. I don't know whether the particular alloys used by Rolex makes a difference. I suspect that platinum will not show scratches as much; many say that it develops an attractive patina from scratches over time, while gold just looks scratched.

I would get the one you like better based on appearance; it sounds like you will take good care of either so it shouldnt be a big issue.

The properties of platinum and gold alloys are fundamentally different. Platinum is a far tougher metal and is much more difficult to work with (Rolex uses 3X the machining time on Pt950 compared to 18K).

Durability is not the same as scratch resistance, either. Platinum hardly wears down at all when scratches occur, whereas gold loses material much more easily under abrasion. You might get a few superficial marks with platinum, but it lasts ages under conditions that would wear down gold very significantly.

Plus platinum is denser and has a unique feel among metals. I'll take Pt950 over 18K every single time, all things being equal. Of course, they aren't, since platinum is generally far more costly than gold once it's shaped into watch parts.

Of course, the durability thing isn't much of an issue for gentle use.

[Im Lauf der Zeit]

Originally Posted by DJ TT 2002

Wasn't King Tutankhamen found with a YG death mask from 1352 BC ?
I think that held up pretty well.

Could be a valid point... Is the OP planning on spending millennia lying very still in a tomb with his watch?

[psv]

I'd go white gold, it ages with great patina.

[PADI_Diver]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't platinum have less stretch in the band because platinum is much harder to bend than gold?


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[IAN1]

YG its just soooooo special

[belligero]

Originally Posted by PADI_Diver

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't platinum have less stretch in the band because platinum is much harder to bend than gold?

Um... sort of. While platinum does indeed have less "stretch", it's not directly related to the metals' tensile strength or ductility differences. What people refer to as "stretch" is in fact metal abrading away at the screw pins and holes, and platinum is far more resistant to this type of wear. Distortion through the material yielding (what people typically picture when they interpret "stretch" literally) isn't a factor.

[T01]

With recommended upkeep they'll both keep their luster and beauty for a long time. Pick which you prefer and enjoy!

[G8RDPM]

I should only have such problems!

[Soly20]

It doesn't matter much. Buy whichever one appeals to you more.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by PADI_Diver

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't platinum have less stretch in the band because platinum is much harder to bend than gold?


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Consider your interpretation of 'stretch' as corrected.

[lig]

All I can say is the my platinum ring has withstood 18 years of daily wear and abuse and still looks incredibly good. A quick polish and it's like new and I'm not removing metal every time I touch it up.

[kilyung]

Originally Posted by Im Lauf der Zeit

Could be a valid point... Is the OP planning on spending millennia lying very still in a tomb with his watch?

I am someday.

[Im Lauf der Zeit]

Originally Posted by kilyung

I am someday.

But until then you'll wear it every chance you get!