Overlooked is your weekly horological treasure hunt — where we dig through the vaults of European Watch Company to spotlight a few quietly brilliant pieces hiding in plain sight. It’s the sleeper hit, the underdog, the “wait, how is this still available?” watch you didn’t know you needed… until now.

Precious metals can be glamorous, used in jewelry, art, coinage, and of course, watchmaking. They also can have some qualities that make them an excellent choice for watch cases, as they are resistant to corrosion and have low chemical reactivity. The four watches below include two in white gold and two in platinum, silvery-white metals that gleam elegantly on any wrist.

Patek Philippe 5140G Perpetual Calendar Ultra Thin 18K White Gold Silver Dial

The quest for perfection is neverending, and Patek Philippe continues to refine it in every iteration of their perpetual calendars. This 5140G-001 is representative of that quest, as the successor of the brand’s iconic 3940, packing a lot of horological goodness into a slim package. It features the Patek Phillipe Caliber 240 Q, which is an automatic movement with a micro-rotor, which helps keep the profile slim. The perpetual calendar displays the time, day, date, month, leap year, moonphase, and a 24-hour indicator on a silver dial with applied white gold markers, and the exhibition case back will have you as mesmerized as if you were staring into the Mirror of Galadriel.

Cartier Santos-Dumont Platinum WGSA0053 Limited Edition

Bold in both design and color, this limited edition Cartier Santos-Dumont has many things to like: a platinum case framed by a burgundy enamel bezel, a silver dial with Roman numerals, the signature cabochon on the crown, and the signature of Alberto Santos-Dumont on the caseback. Louis Cartier originally designed the brand’s first wristwatch for Santos-Dumont, a legend in aeronautics, in 1904, and the collection continues to be a popular one to this day. Limited to only 150 pieces, this 2022 model is in like new condition and comes with box and papers.

Glashütte Original Senator Cosmopolite 18K White Gold

Glashütte is the heart of German watchmaking, and this Senator Cosmopolite example from Glashütte Original exemplifies the precision and attention to detail that is emblematic of the region. It features an automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve, a time zone selector that includes ½ and ¾ hour differences for maximum precision, a day/night indicator, a power reserve indicator, and a daylight saving and standard time indicator, the last of which is not very common. The 18K white gold case nicely frames the matte silver dial with contrasting black Roman numerals, and the display back reveals the true artistry of the movement.

A. Lange and Söhne Anniversary 302.025 Jubilee Langematik Platinum

Continuing with another piece from a legendary Glashütte-based brand, this A. Lange & Söhne Jubiläums Anniversary Langematik has an incredibly striking white enamel dial contrasted with deep black painted Roman numerals, with the exception of the red 12 (XII). It has an automatic in-house caliber with the proprietary Sax-o-mat system that resets the seconds hand to the zero position when the crown is pulled out to set the watch, allowing for extreme precision in setting the time. It features a display back so that the wearer can admire the movement construction and incredible finishing for which A. Lange & Söhne is renowned.

These four precious pieces each have something unique that will appeal to many collectors. Mechanical complexity, painstaking attention to detail, bold color choices, and, of course, the preciousness of the metals make any of these an excellent choice.