Of all the watches you’ll own in your life, a few will stand out as more precious than the rest. Sometimes it’s by merit of the memories associated with them, and sometimes it’s down to the finesse of the movement inside. More often than not, however, it’s because of a case made from the world’s favourite precious metal: gold. As the go-to material for high-end watch cases for hundreds of years, gold has easily held on to its place at the top of the watch hierarchy, even in the age of seven-figure sports watches made from steel and carbon fibre. From classic gold dress watches to sporty diamond-set chronographs, here are a few that are sure to stand the test of time.

BREITLING CHRONOMAT B01 42, $41,200.

BREITLING CHRONOMAT B01 42, $41,200.
CARTIER SANTOS DE CARTIER, $41,200.

CARTIER SANTOS DE CARTIER, $41,200.
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT HIGHLIFE CHRONOGRAPH AUTOMATIC, $5,795.

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT HIGHLIFE CHRONOGRAPH AUTOMATIC, $5,795.
GRAND SEIKO SBGY008, $49,400.

GRAND SEIKO SBGY008, $49,400.
LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION, $3,800.

LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION, $3,800.
ROLEX SKY-DWELLER, $65,200.

ROLEX SKY-DWELLER, $65,200.

The Gold Standard of Timekeeping

1 of 6

BREITLING CHRONOMAT B01 42, $41,200.

The Gold Standard of Timekeeping

2 of 6

CARTIER SANTOS DE CARTIER, $41,200.

The Gold Standard of Timekeeping

3 of 6

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT HIGHLIFE CHRONOGRAPH AUTOMATIC, $5,795.

The Gold Standard of Timekeeping

4 of 6

GRAND SEIKO SBGY008, $49,400.

The Gold Standard of Timekeeping

5 of 6

LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION, $3,800.

The Gold Standard of Timekeeping

6 of 6

ROLEX SKY-DWELLER, $65,200.

Photography: Marc Santos

Prop Styling: Dani Reynolds (Cadre Artists)