How Does Gold Case Plating Hold Up?

[Mardo]

I was wondering what can be the best and worst case scenario for this typw of gold plating?

18K RG Thick Plated (5 mils) on Solid Stainless Steel 316L

What happens if it wears? Does it look stained or does it flake off and look like someone put it through a blender?

Curious because I am debating between a stainless Chopard Grand Tourismo and the rose gold one. I want something that will hold up for a few years and am concerned that the plating will flake off with use.

BTW, I searched plating and could not exactly find what I was looking for, I only got a very general idea.

Thanks everyone!

[freddy333]

A couple things -

For 1 thing, always take what a rep seller says with a huge grain of salt. At best, it is exaggerated marketing hyperbole, at worst, outright lies.

That said, regardless of sellers' claims & contrary to anecdotal reports of (less than $1,000) rep watches being fitted with 'solid' gold links, every rep watch in my experience has been plated or flashed with a very thin layer of a poor quality gold on top of another metal (usually, steel). If the plating is scratched or wears away, the underlying base metal becomes visible. Over time, polishing or just the natural oils from your skin tend to wear the gold away. How long the gold will last depends on a number of variables like the quality of the gold used for the plating, the condition of the underlying metal, how well the underlying metal was prepared prior to having the plating applied, how often the watch is worn, whether the environment is humid or not, how often & with what materials the watch is cleaned and/or polished, etc. I have seen the plating on expensive rep watches begin to wear away in as little as 3-4 weeks or last as long as a couple of years. Because of this, it is generally recommended that if you plan to keep the watch, avoid gold altogether (that includes gold in the form of two-tone watches as well). If you absolutely must have a gold watch, try to avoid polishing it.....at least with anything abrasive & wash it often with a mild (non-abrasive) cleaner & a soft cloth. And keep your fingers crossed (with your hand in your pocket).

[RobbieG]

Yup. What Freddy said. +1...

A couple things -

For 1 thing, always take what a rep seller says with a huge grain of salt. At best, it is exaggerated marketing hyperbole, at worst, outright lies.

That said, regardless of sellers' claims & contrary to anecdotal reports of (less than $1,000) rep watches being fitted with 'solid' gold links, every rep watch in my experience has been plated or flashed with a very thin layer of a poor quality gold on top of another metal (usually, steel). If the plating is scratched or wears away, the underlying base metal becomes visible. Over time, polishing or just the natural oils from your skin tend to wear the gold away. How long the gold will last depends on a number of variables like the quality of the gold used for the plating, the condition of the underlying metal, how well the underlying metal was prepared prior to having the plating applied, how often the watch is worn, whether the environment is humid or not, how often & with what materials the watch is cleaned and/or polished, etc. I have seen the plating on expensive rep watches begin to wear away in as little as 3-4 weeks or last as long as a couple of years. Because of this, it is generally recommended that if you plan to keep the watch, avoid gold altogether (that includes gold in the form of two-tone watches as well). If you absolutely must have a gold watch, try to avoid polishing it.....at least with anything abrasive & wash it often with a mild (non-abrasive) cleaner & a soft cloth. And keep your fingers crossed (with your hand in your pocket).

[Mardo]

Wow freddy, thanks for sharing your knowledge. That is sort of what I was thinking but I never could have put it so eloquently!