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Difference between gold filled and gold plated?

Syrte
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dx009 dx009
Here's an example of a gold capped watch. The case is gold except for the inner side while the inner side of the lugs and the case back are stainless steel.

r7.jpg
This looks really nice, solid and chunky--I wouldn't mind something like that at all.馃憤

(But it also seems stainless steel backs are routinely found on gold plated cases-- a lot of cheap looking gold colored watches are found with stainless steel backs. Of course that'll be visible on the side view of the watch as the "mid-case" or whatever's in the middle will be the same gold hue as the front part).
 
AveConscientia
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Archer Archer
Although gold filled and RGP (Rolled Gold Plated) watches have far less gold than solid gold watches do, I'm not sure I would say the amount of gold present is always ignorable. I once put some old gold filled pocket watch cases I got in a lot sale in with my goldsmith buddy for melting, and was surprised to receive over $800 back after the melt was done. This was maybe 6 or 7 cases for 10 and 12 sized pocket watches. Mind you this was when gold was near it's peak, but gold is gold - even in small quantities it has value.

Put enough gold filled wrist watch cases together and it no longer ignorable. Just sayin...

Cheers, Al
Rest in peace pocket watches
 
Archer
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AveConscientia AveConscientia
Rest in peace pocket watches

Movements were already gone, so these were just cases...no great loss I can assure you...
 
Canuck
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In North America at one time, rolled gold plate meant 1/30 of the total weight of the RGP case (not including a steel case back) is a layer of solid karat gold (usually 10 k or 14 k) fused to the base metal of the case. Gold filled meant 1/20 of the total weight of the GF case (not including the case back) is a layer of solid karat gold fused to the base metal of the case. RGP and GF are probably not used any longer. They have been replaced by PVD and CVD plating done in an atmospheric furnace (no oxygen).
 
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