Re-plating a bezel

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

Greetings all,
I am wondering if anyone has ceracoated a vintage bezel on which the chrome plating has worn through?
I got a nasty Seawolf as part of a lot buy, and it’s all there and actually running. I have a spare dial, hands can be relumed to match the dial- it’s just the bezel that’s the issue. Physically it’s not in bad shape as it still has deep stamping for the numerals and hash marks- plus the knurling is still fairly deep around the edges- it’s just the top chrome plated surface has worn away.

Replacements are NLA and when a parter comes up with the decent bezel, competition is fierce.
A friend of mine suggest ceracoating as a possibility since it’s done commonly with firearms. It’s incredibly thin so won’t glob up like powder coating.
Curious if anyone has done this.

 

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ConElPueblo

·Dec 3, 2020

...Couldn't you just replate it?

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

ConElPueblo

...Couldn't you just replate it?

I thought about that but don’t know who does chrome plating for a single small item like this (not a boxcar of hubcaps). And after plating, how would I achieve the matte texture that it came it?

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

This is the finish it would need after plating rather than a high gloss chrome

 

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ConElPueblo

·Dec 3, 2020

AFAIK, it isn't the chrome that gives the shiny finish.

A member on a local FB watch group did it to a watch he restored after polishing through the chrome...

https://www.facebook.com/WatchNerdDK/videos/1011968749316246/

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

Holy shit!

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

And for those who don’t have Facebook like me- I found the link directly on YouTube

 

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MoclovFlop

·Dec 3, 2020

Home nickel plating might be your best option. I do it often for a lot of the poor quality stuff I get. It comes in handy SO often.

The finish quality depends on what the finish is under it. So that slightly matte silver would be very easy. It might not be as durable as hard chrome, but it will last you another decade or more with the less intense wear a lot of these vintage pieces get anymore.

Can also do hands, etc.

Edit - Yes if the is a previous chrome coating on the brass you'd need to remove the rest of it. But luckily for you, that's almost already done.

Examples of personal watches I've done:

And this one was gold plated underneath, had some fun with a brushed/polished combo. Shows how the nickel takes the base finish.

Edited: Dec 3, 2020

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

That Lord Elgin jump is insane!

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

I have never done anything like this before - your results look awesome. Do you have a kit or recipe or method you can reccomend? I only have the one bezel that needs to be done, so spending $300 on tools and supplies may be a no-go. I do have a brassy Plated Benrus with which I could experiment.

James

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

I found this video- this looks very fun! @MoclovFlop - is your system like this?

 

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MoclovFlop

·Dec 3, 2020

JwRosenthal

I found this video- this looks very fun! @MoclovFlop - is your system like this?

Yep, very similar. I use the Caswell system, similar to this:

https://caswellplating.com/caswell-science-plating-kit-nickel-plating.html

They also have a Copy Chrome kit but it's nickel based anyways.

Or gold if you want to spend some money!

But that one kit will cover 10sq/ft worth of material. So for watch parts.... it's a lot of stuff. I've had my one kit for a for years now and am still cranking parts out without a problem. Totally worth the $70. paid for itself 10 times over.

Edited: Dec 3, 2020

 

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JwRosenthal

·Dec 3, 2020

I’ve changed the title of the thread to reflect the shift in technique. I think this would be cool for anyone who is dealing with older plated parts.

 

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Engee

·Dec 3, 2020

Great thread

 

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Dimitris

·Dec 3, 2020

I had a recent talk about plating and my watchmaker said most aftermarket platings fade after just months of wearing , but I guess there are many factors to consider as the thickness of the plating , the metal that is being plated , the technique used and most importantly the person doing it .

 

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Helvetia History

·Dec 4, 2020

MoclovFlop

Home nickel plating might be your best option. I do it often for a lot of the poor quality stuff I get. It comes in handy SO often.

The finish quality depends on what the finish is under it. So that slightly matte silver would be very easy. It might not be as durable as hard chrome, but it will last you another decade or more with the less intense wear a lot of these vintage pieces get anymore.

Can also do hands, etc.

Edit - Yes if the is a previous chrome coating on the brass you'd need to remove the rest of it. But luckily for you, that's almost already done.

Examples of personal watches I've done:

And this one was gold plated underneath, had some fun with a brushed/polished combo. Shows how the nickel takes the base finish.

Really good results. I see now how you got the cover of your Helvetia jump hour looking so nice.

I used Replate It in Canada for gold and nickel replates recently but I am tempted to give it a try myself now!

Thanks. Carl.

 

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JimJupiter

·Dec 4, 2020

Have you thought about "Magic Rhodium"? I use it very often to restore hands. The finishing is less shiny than chrome. Not sure if this can work on such a big part.

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/magic-rhodium



Nico

 

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DManzaluni

·Feb 3, 2021

I suppose there is some way of gauging how thick a layer of plating you are applying? is it the length of time the piece is left in the solution?

This method does look suspiciously easy! I do know from experience that with (eg) gold plating, you have to carefully prepare the item by polishing (and sometimes laser welding). Is this not necessary with chrome plating? Or does nickel plating the item first have a similar effect?

 

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rcs914

·Feb 3, 2021

So say you found a gold plated case that was worn through in several areas - do you have to remove the gold plating first or can you just plate nickel over it and create a mostly even layer over the two disparate metals? I'm guessing the latter based on @MoclovFlop's pics above.

 

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MoclovFlop

·Feb 3, 2021

rcs914

So say you found a gold plated case that was worn through in several areas - do you have to remove the gold plating first or can you just plate nickel over it and create a mostly even layer over the two disparate metals? I'm guessing the latter based on @MoclovFlop's pics above.

Gold loves taking the plating and so will the brass under it. You might want to give it a good polish or whatever finish you are going for before plating though. Because there is a chance you'll see the "line" between the two metals if there's not a seamless transition.