What does “YG / WG / RG” mean?

YG, WG and RG stand for yellow gold, white gold and rose gold, the three main gold colours used in watchmaking. Rose gold is also called pink or red gold, and brands use their own names for their alloys, such as Rolex's Everose or Omega's Sedna gold. Most watch gold is 18 carat, meaning 75 per cent gold mixed with other metals that create the colour.

The abbreviations matter because many references come in several metals, and the value differs a great deal between them. White gold can look very similar to steel in photos, so buyers check hallmarks, reference numbers and weight. White gold is also often rhodium plated, which can wear over time. Some brands encode the metal in the reference: on modern Rolex references the last digit often indicates it, for example 8 for yellow gold, 9 for white gold and 5 for Everose.

Typical listing: “Day-Date 40, 228235, RG (Everose), olive dial, 2022, full set.” Combined forms like YG/SS are sometimes used for two-tone watches.