# ? Gold Plating



## remb1000 (Jan 17, 2012)

Hello,

Im trying to find out when they started gold plating watches.

To be more specificly antique pocket watches. (1800's - 1900's era)

Or even if this was practised on watches at that time?

I found some info suggesting that gold plating was pretty much revolutionized in the late 1800s in Germany for industrial use's.

Ionizing processes etc. . .

Thing is I cant find out precise and direct information wheter or not pocket watches were gold plated at this time.

If someone has any informaton I would realy appreciate your sharing of this.

Thanks.

Robert


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## Julian Latham (Jul 25, 2005)

Quick 'Google' using "history of gold plate" scored a number of hits. For example : http://inventors.abo...ctroplating.htm

For a more complete picture you could replace ' Gold Plate' with 'Gold Filled' & 'Rolled Gold".

Happy hunting.


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## remb1000 (Jan 17, 2012)

Thanks for the link, cheers mate


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi, remb.......I'll just pass on what I have learnt from this site... before modern electro plating became the norm, back in the 19th century, rolled gold was all the rage! Basically you took a sheet of brass, and put a sheet of gold (9, 10, 14, 18ct etc.) either side of it, and under heat and pressure, between rollers, the two became one. The quality depended on the thickness of the gold plates applied. You will have seen pocket watch cases made by Aaron Luffkin Dennison designated 'Star', 'Moon', 'Sun'. These were cases guaranteed not to wear through to the brass for (respectively) 10 years, 20 years, and top of the range 25 years. Try to find a guarantee that long today! The plating on a 'Sun' case was so thick as to allow hand engraving without penetrating to the brass plate of composition. Modern electro plating is at best a few microns thick...engraving is not an option...even wearing in a pocket will rub the microscopically thin layer away fairly quickly. A lot of people seem to deride 'rolled gold' as inferior to modern plated gold, but as the former contains infinitely more gold than the latter, rolled is the way to go, as I see it.


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## remb1000 (Jan 17, 2012)

Hello Roger,

Cheers for your reply.

Interesting paragraph of information.

My reason for concern is that I have a nice pocket watch en route from abroad.

And the seller doesn't know if it gold or not.

For that matter nor do I.

Bit of a risk I know.

So I was just trying to figure out if gold plating was practised back in the 1900's.

This in turn would give me an idea whether or not my watch is gold plated or solid gold.

As you pointed out rolled gold was a common practise in those days, so this new watch of mine could very well be rolled gold.

The thing is it the watch has engravings on it so might have either a thick layer of rolled gold,

or might be solid gold.

Only time will tell. I will take it to jeweler to be tested some time next week.

As you said when rolled gold casing were used they would give either 10 or 15 even 25 year gurantee.

But didn't they use to write this on the casings?

I seen some of theese examples on old British style pocket watches.

Mine is coming from France so hopefuly it is solid.

Make it worth that bit more.

Well in gold scrap value anyway.

The movement is still yet to be identified.

Thanks for your message

Robert


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

remb1000 said:


> Only time will tell. I will take it to jeweler to be tested some time next week.
> 
> As you said when rolled gold casing were used they would give either 10 or 15 even 25 year gurantee.
> 
> ...


Indeed they did, Robert. Here's a pic of the inside of my Waltham that has an ALD case. It is clearly marked with the gold carat value (14ct) and has the 25 year guarantee as you can see. This is inside the curvette or dust cover. The main cover has the trade mark of the three initials ALD and the symbols for star, moon and sun in the form of a triangular pictogram. The one relating to the case in question is always at the top...in this case, Sun. You will often see these cases referred to as 'gold filled'.



















Generally, a solid gold case will have hallmarks somewhere which will give the date, the assay office used and the gold carat value, if assayed in Britain. A foreign piece may just have a carat value marked...my wife has a ladies pocket watch that is just stamped 18 karat inside.


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## remb1000 (Jan 17, 2012)

Hello Roger,

Cheers for your reply.

Thats a nice pocket watch, it looks in immaculate condition.

The problem with mine is that it has is no hallmarks or stamps at all onit so all I can do is take it to a jeweler to be tested with stone and nitric acid.

I did read an article saying that not all pocket watches ae stamped and can still very well be gold.

I hope this is the case with mine.

Regards

Robert


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi, Robert...looking forward to some pics when it arrives!


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