Two-tone watches are those which combine mostly steel case/bracelet constructions with gold elements for a bi-color look. This sounds simple enough, maybe even attractive — but this is a highly contentious combination of metals.
There’s clearly an audience that appreciates the look, as evidenced by many recent two-tone releases — but when I say contentious, I mean some people really hate it. (Editor’s Note: I really hate it.) For them, the look evokes something dated, cheap and even somehow sleazy. (Editor’s Note: Like, really sleazy.) They’ll say it reminds them of their tanned, octogenarian grandfather or looks like a compromise for those who want to be flashy but can’t afford full-gold (Editor’s Note: My grandfathers were never tan.) Little else in the watch world provokes vitriol like two-tone.
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Clearly people who feel that way shouldn’t buy or wear such watches. Those who don’t share that sentiment, however, might counter that what some call “dated” others might call “retro.” So why shouldn’t two-tone have the same comeback that just about everything in watches from the 1960s and ’70s presently enjoys? In fact, there’s been a marked increase in two-tone watches released in recent years, and one supposes that it’s riding the vintage wave.
It’s not too hard to understand the anti-two-tone point of view, but this view is beginning to feel less relevant itself. Two-tone is like the mustache of watches: it shares stylistic associations with the swinging ’70s — but attitudes are changing and styles from those eras that were once rejected somehow look cool again. (To some people.)
Below are some two-tone watches that you’ll either love or hate.
CasioCasio A158WEA-9CF
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$29.95 (27% off)
