The metal of a watch is a small, quiet colour that you see every time your cuff slides back. Silver is the cool, neutral choice, gold is the warm and richer one, and two-tone bridges the two so you can mix metals without it looking accidental.
Pick a watch metal, the metal you wear elsewhere and an outfit colour to see whether the pairing is tidy or competing, with the rule of thumb behind it, when to break it, and what to check before you buy.
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The quiet silver-tone option from the article: steel with a silver dial, which sits with navy, grey and black and agrees with any silver jewellery.
Silver-tone steel · Silver dial · Stainless steel
A gold-tone watch for warm outfits in camel, cream and brown. The pale dial keeps the gold from feeling heavy, so it stays one accent rather than a statement.
Gold-tone bracelet · Mother of pearl dial · Women's size
The bridging choice: steel with gold-tone links, so silver and gold jewellery in the same outfit both have something to echo.
Two-tone gold · Automatic · White dial
