Our Favorite Men’s Two-Tone Watches To Wear Every Day

Given two-tone watches’ strong association with the 1980s, you may be shocked to learn that the style even exists today at all. But we’re happy to report that not only are they still around, but two-tone watches are thriving, with a number of prominent brands now offering a variety of tempting models. Some of these will give you ‘80s flashbacks (in a good way), but a solid number of these new two-tone watches are far more modern and do interesting and unexpected things with their bimetal makeup. So have a look below to discover the best two-tone watches for men currently on the market.

What Is a Two-Tone Watch?

Simply put, a two-tone watch combines two different metals, or has the appearance of two different metals (for cheaper options), in its case, bezel, and/or bracelet. Typically, the timepiece will combine stainless steel with either rose or yellow gold, which is used for its bezel and striped along its bracelet. Other metals can be used as well, including bronze.

Why Two-Tone Watches Are So Divisive

Is there a style of watch that ignites the same kind of fiery animosity as the two-tone watch? For some reason, the mixing of gold and steel tones on a single watch causes tremendous anger in some people. They say that two-tone watches are ugly, outdated, and should be worn by no one outside of ‘80s Wall Street traders and septuagenarian yacht owners with lots of chest hair. But we wholeheartedly disagree. We say what was cool in the ‘80s is still cool now (for the most part), and the best two-tone watches of today are a daring way to show off your style. And with the preponderance of vintage watches coming back into fashion in recent years, the two-tone aesthetic has been bubbling under as well.

SEIKO 5 Sports watch SRPE60

While not as sporty as the Seiko line literally suggests, this two-tone reference SRPE60 is the perfect way to implement the bicolored aesthetic into the already-retro-inspired lineup. The 5 Sports line goes all the way back to 1968 and has been revived in recent years to represent the brand’s versatility in style and purpose. Featuring a 44.6mm stainless steel case with the classic gold-toned stripe down the middle and around the bezel, this automatic timepiece also lets you view its movement behind an exposition caseback – not a common site in the ~$200 range.

Hamilton Jazzmaster Day Date Auto

Hamilton’s watch lineup has long been proving that you don’t need to look towards the Swiss giants for Swiss-like quality and style. Its Jazzmaster range has struck the balance between glamour and nostalgia better than almost any other, and this beautiful two-tone variant is the case in point. Ticking by the brand’s in-house, ETA-based H-40 automatic movement, which boasts 80 hours of power reserve, the timepiece features a PVD rose gold coating on and around the 42mm stainless steel case and bracelet. The hands and hour markers are also gold in color, with the silver-toned dial featuring a date window at the 6 o’clock spot. However, what makes this watch extra unique is the non-abbreviated day aperture at the very top.

Mido Baroncelli Heritage Gent

Mido is one of the most underrated Swiss watchhouses, as the mid-level brand routinely churns out compelling and beautiful watches while receiving few accolades. One such model is their Baroncelli Heritage Gent. A classic of the brand, this dress watch features an eggshell dial, dual-finished faceted hands, and an astounding thinness of just 7.3mm. Several variants exist, but if you want a little extra presence, opt for this version that adds a mix of rose gold PVD to the case, hands, and bracelet.

Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Solid 18K Gold Bezel

Tissot’s Gentleman Powermatic 80, a new addition to the popular Swiss brand’s lineup in 2019, was already one of the most compelling affordable everyday watches on the market thanks to its combination of classic sports watch construction, 80-hour automatic movement, and high finishing quality. But apparently, that wasn’t good enough for the Le Locle-based brand, so they had to go and outfit the Gentleman with a solid 18K gold bezel. Solid gold components are literally never seen at this price point, which makes this watch one fine gentleman indeed.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT Two-Tone

Zodiac has been cranking out quality, affordable, Swiss-made sports watches for a very long time. The brand’s Sea Wolf debuted in 1953, the same year as the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms, AKA the first professional dive watch, and their Aerospace of the early 1960s was one of the first GMT watches to market. Not much has changed, as Zodiac continues to produce the same excellent watches they made in the mid-century. This two-tone version of their Super Sea Wolf GMT is oozing with retro style, and it’s one of the best travel watches you’ll find for under two grand.

Longines HydroConquest

A lot of brands are into the whole vintage reissue scene these days, including Longines, whose Heritage line offers some of the best vintage-style watches in the business. But sometimes you just want a good, solid, modern dive watch. Thankfully, Longines is pretty darn good at making those too. The HydroConquest is a modern classic with its bold wrist presence, 300m water resistance, and ceramic bezel, but the two-tone version is even more special. By adding a touch of gold flash to the watch, you end up with a classic luxury diver that will look great on any wrist.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five

Two-tone watches almost always use gold as a complement to a stainless steel base, either through solid gold or through a PVD or plating treatment. But there are other amber-hued metals out there, and they can look just as fetching on a two-tone watch when done right. And this Oris diver is certainly done right. By using bronze in place of gold, the watch exudes more of a casual and tough tool watch feel than it would if it featured gold, and the nature of bronze means that this piece will become even more rugged-looking as the material patinas over time.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G

Sometimes it’s hard to describe a watch as being anything but “cool,” and that’s the vibe we get from this Tudor. With its gold reverse panda bicompax layout and touches of solid yellow gold throughout the case and bracelet, this chronograph is just dripping with swagger. Looking at this watch, we assume that as soon as you put it on a leather jacket materializes on your torso and a motorcycle appears in your garage. Absurd hyperbole aside, this is one excellent-looking watch, and it may be our favorite of Tudor’s new line of “Baytona” Chronographs.

Cartier Santos De Cartier

Cartier doesn’t do retro, Cartier does classic. The historic French luxury design house has been around forever, and when they find a design that works, they stick with it. Take the Santos, for instance. The watch first debuted in 1904, and while it has certainly evolved since then, it’s still unmistakably the same watch today. From the iconic curved rectangular shape and Roman numeral indices to the spinel-embedded crown and blued-steel hands, everything about this timepiece says “class” — especially when you add solid 18K yellow gold to the formula.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Steel

The name’s Bond… Gold Bond. Oh, wait, scratch that, Gold Bond is a brand of footpowder — look, what we’re trying to say is that Omega has a two-tone version of their iconic James Bond Seamaster Diver. And while the thought of slathering gold on such a legendary timepiece may seem garish and sacrilege, the end result is actually quite tasteful and attractive. That’s because Omega used the gold accents sparingly to make it a complementary color rather than a focal point, and because of the lovely muted pink tone of the brand’s proprietary Sedna Gold alloy.

For a deeper dive, check out our Omega Seamaster Diver 300m watch review.

Rolex Datejust

You knew this was coming. It’s impossible to put together a list of the best two-tone watches and not include the Rolex Datejust. It is the two-tone watch. The Patrick Bateman watch, the watch of the aforementioned yuppies and hairy boat owners, the watch that will cause people to make assumptions about you that maybe aren’t so flattering. Yes, the Datejust is all of those things, and yet we still love it. The solid gold fluted bezel. The mix of metals in the Jubilee bracelet. The cyclops date window. This is as two-tone as two-tone gets, and thanks to some flashy new dial designs in recent years, it’s even becoming hip again.

Breitling Chronomat B01 42

Like the Datejust, the Chronomat is a watch that is largely associated with the ‘80s thanks to the popular ref. 81950 that was produced from 1984 to 1990. But unlike the Datejust, the Chronomat stayed in the ‘80s after retiring in 1990 — until recently, that is. Breitling has brought back a modern version of the ‘80s Chronomat, and like any proper ‘80s watch revival, you can get it in two-tone. Outside of its signature “Rouleaux” bracelet, the new Chronomat chronograph doesn’t go too heavy on the retro vibes, with red gold accents and sleeker styling bringing some much-appreciated modernity.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1AR

Even the most ardent of two-tone skeptics will find little to argue with here. This example of Patek’s famous steel sports watch is not all steel, as rose gold has joined the party on the pushers, crown, dial, center links, and most notably, on the trademark vertically-brushed porthole bezel. The luxurious precious metal accents, the watch’s innovative single-register chronograph, and the coveted blue dial make this one of the finest Nautilus references we’ve ever seen.

The Best Gold Watches to Buy

Love gold watches? If so, head over to our guide to the best gold watches available right now.