May a man wear gold or a gold-plated watch?
Short answer
A man may not wear gold, and this includes what shows a gold plating in a ring or watch in the manner the source describes.
Evidence and explanation
The Shaykh cited the hadiths indicating the prohibition of gold and silk for the males of the nation, and mentioned the ruling on a watch or ring plated with gold.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
حكم لبس الرجل للساعة أو الخاتم المطلي بالذهب — فتوى ٩٥٩٧- Question
«بعد هذا رسالة بعث بها مستمع يقول: (ر. أ. ح) من البحرين، يسأل ويقول: ماء الذهب الذي تصبغ به بعض الألبسة مثل الساعات للرجال، هل يجوز، أو لا؟ جزاكم الله خيرًا.»
English translation (unreviewed): After this, a letter sent by a listener (R. A. H.) from Bahrain, who asks: Gold water that some items such as men's watches are plated with: is it permissible or not? May Allah reward you.
- From the text of the answer
«الرجل ممنوع من الذهب والحرير، فليس له أن يلبس الحرير ولا الذهب، وإذا كانت الساعة مموهة بالذهب أو الخاتم مموه بالذهب لا يجوز له لبسه، هذا للنساء، والنبي ﷺ قال في الذهب والحرير: إنهما حل لإناث أمتي، حرام على ذكورهم ولما رأى في يد رجل خاتمًا من ذهب طرحه، وقال: يعمد أحدكم إلى جمرة من نار فيضعها في يده وقال ﷺ: أحل الذهب والحرير لإناث أمتي، وحرم على ذكورهم فتمويه الخاتم، أو تمويه الساعة بالذهب يعتبر ساعة ذهب، خاتم ذهب؛ لأن العبرة بالظاهر، نعم.»
English translation (unreviewed): A man is forbidden gold and silk; he may not wear silk or gold. If the watch is gold-plated or the ring is gold-plated, he may not wear it; this is for women. The Prophet ﷺ said about gold and silk: “These two are lawful for the females of my nation and forbidden for its males.” And when he saw a gold ring on a man's hand he threw it away and said: “One of you goes to an ember of fire and puts it on his hand.” And he ﷺ said: “Gold and silk are made lawful for the females of my nation and forbidden for its males.” So plating a ring or a watch with gold makes it a gold watch or a gold ring, because what counts is the outward appearance. Yes.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Ruling on a man wearing a watch or ring plated with gold
Title of the original page (Arabic): حكم لبس الرجل للساعة أو الخاتم المطلي بالذهب
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him