What is the color of the State alchemist pocket watch? So in my re-reading of the Fullmetal Alchemist series I remember them describing the State Alchemist issue pocket watch as being golden in color. But then in the both of the animes they show the pocket watch as being silver. Why is this different? and what is the true color of the pocket watch?
The correct color of the watch is silver.

A popular fan scanlation of the manga (volume 1, chapter 3, page 19) incorrectly states that the pocket watch is gold in color.


Third panel down on the left: "The president's crest! The hexagram gold watch!"

The correct color is in fact silver, according to the raw version. Here is the same panel, taken from the raw manga (volume 1, page 117).



The same panel as above reads:


  大総統｛だいそうとう｝紋章｛もんしょう｝に六芒星｛ろくぼうせい｝の銀時計｛ぎんとけい｝！！


Specifically here, the term 銀時計｛ぎんとけい｝ (gintokē, lit. "silver watch") refers explicitly to 銀｛ぎん｝ (gin, lit. "silver"); as @Memor-X mentioned, it is similar to 金｛きん｝ (kin, lit. "gold"), which most likely led to the confusion.