Gilt Plate Cleaning Query

Waltesefalcon · 2026-10-15T17:19:50-0500

I have a question for the brain trust. I dabble in some rather old watches, like this 144 year old Bunn. And, some of these old gilt movements have quite a bit of verdigris on them when I find them. Sometimes they clean up nicely, sometimes they retain some staining even after cleaning. What are some of your methods for dealing with badly stained and corroded plates?

Before:

After:

Canuck · 2026-10-15T18:31:13-0500

What ever experimenting you do, practise on scrap movements. Or practise on the underside of a gilded plate. You’re likely dealing with electroplating, and trying to improve a tarnished plate might make the finish worse. You might consider possibly electroplating discoloured plates. Just remember to remove all steel parts.

Waltesefalcon · 2026-10-15T18:57:46-0500

For now, I am content with cleaning a watch, even if it doesn't look bright and new when done.

I do have a few parts Illinois Model 1 and Model 2 movements that I could mess with. I may experiment over the Thanksgiving break from school.

Canuck · 2026-10-15T20:28:12-0500

Seeing as these plates are only electroplated, chances are the dark areas may be where the plating last deteriorated, or disappeared. If that is the cause of the discolouration, I very much doubt you can expect significant improvement, short of electroplating them again. But unless you’re doing the plating yourself, expect great expense.

Gilt Plate Cleaning Query

Waltesefalcon

Canuck

Waltesefalcon

Canuck

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