# How to remove "gold" plating on SS watch



## Watch Noob

I am trying to clean up and repair a little citizen watch for the gf. I'm replacing the crystal which was busted and the battery. The style is gold and steel alternating band, and then a Gold bezel. My question is how hard is this to remove? I would love to turn the whole thing brushed but if I can just remove the gold for now it would really clean up the look. So much of the plating has already worn off, and it just looks beat up. Thanks.


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## Somewhere else

GP is generally removed by professionals with reverse galvanism and the remaining plating by bead blasting.


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## Watch Noob

Somewhere else said:


> GP is generally removed by professionals with reverse galvanism and the remaining plating by bead blasting.


For a beater watch I'm not going to pay for a pro to do it. Since it isn't real gold, and obviously isn't on there very well, my hunch is that it isn't that hard to get off.


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## bjohnson

All you have to do is sand it off. The corners can be troublesome.

Start with checking whether it is GP on SS because most GP watches that I've seen are on brass (not SS)


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## Watch Noob

bjohnson said:


> All you have to do is sand it off. The corners can be troublesome.
> 
> Start with checking whether it is GP on SS because most GP watches that I've seen are on brass (not SS)


Would they make a watch with both SS and gold plating on brass or would the silver look be plated as well? I'll research if further, thanks for the info.


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## Somewhere else

bjohnson said:


> All you have to do is sand it off. The corners can be troublesome.
> 
> Start with checking whether it is GP on SS because most GP watches that I've seen are on brass (not SS)


Gold plating on Stainless is extremely common, in fact, almost the normal. Brass cased watches are only used on lower priced economical watches.


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## Roland Ranfft

Hi ladies,

strange suggestiones here, except sanding the layer off.

The last to be removed by "reverse galvanism" is the gold. First you'll get holes where
the plating is gone, and if you use low voltage, you can remove the whole case, and 
only the gold is left over.

Bead blasting works for very soft materials like lacquers, and for hard but brittle materials
like rust. But a gold surface will only be hardened by blasting, an before you get it off, 
the case will have lost its contours or even its whole shape.

Today in fact some cases are made from gilt stainless steel. But the majority of gilt 
cases have brass or similar nonferrous alloys as base material. It is easy to find out: 
The text "stainless steel back" or "fond acier inoxydable" indicates almost always that 
nothing but the back is made of steel. All steel cases (gilt or not) are designated 
without the words "back" or "fond". And it is simply nonsense that gold on brass is only 
common for cheap watches, except you regard brands like Omega as cheap.

@Watch Noob
If you want to restore a gilt case, there is no need to remove all gold.Simply sand the
case beginning with coarse paper step by step to finest, then polish it, clean it, and 
plate it - sounds easy, but needs lots of effort, time, and knowledge.

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## Beau8

Refinish the whole watch by either; having a brushed finish or beadblasted finish applied to the entire watch~Cheers!


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## mars-red

Watch Noob said:


> I am trying to clean up and repair a little citizen watch for the gf. I'm replacing the crystal which was busted and the battery. The style is gold and steel alternating band, and then a Gold bezel. My question is how hard is this to remove? I would love to turn the whole thing brushed but if I can just remove the gold for now it would really clean up the look. So much of the plating has already worn off, and it just looks beat up. Thanks.


Most of this kind of gold plate is incredibly thin - I would be tempted to try some cerium oxide powder mixed with water or fine oil to polish it right off. My guess is you won't need anything nearly as aggressive as sandpaper.


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## blueoval

I used a dremel with a buffing wheel on one of my cheapo watches. If you use low speed and keep it moving it will come out decent. Don't spin it to fast or stop moving or you will likely go past the silver plating.


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## James Haury

To remove GP just Sweat on it a lot.OR Take the other suggestions .I am out of line telling you to sweat on it a lot.


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## Outta Time

We used a buffing wheel and blue compound, and it cleaned it all off no problem.


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## lysanderxiii

Base metal cases are nickel plated first to keep the copper in the brass from migrating through the gold plate.


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## diaby2afc

any successful methods to this?

i read:
- soaking with ajax solution
- buffering with dremel and some blue compound
- soaking with denatured alcohol and boric acid


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## xzqt

For the bezel, some sanding and autosol polishing compound should do the job.
for the band, think its more economical just replacing a new one or use leather strap. Just my 2 cents.


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## kontai69

I would try using a polishing cloth of some sort. I used both Cape Cod polishing cloth as well as Sunshine polishing cloth on my fiance's old two-tone gold-plated stainless steel watch. The gold plating came right off. You can find both cloths on eBay. Wrap the cloth around a toothpick for more control.


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## jimmyjay

Watch Noob said:


> I am trying to clean up and repair a little citizen watch for the gf. I'm replacing the crystal which was busted and the battery. The style is gold and steel alternating band, and then a Gold bezel. My question is how hard is this to remove? I would love to turn the whole thing brushed but if I can just remove the gold for now it would really clean up the look. So much of the plating has already worn off, and it just looks beat up. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jacob Thompson

A dremel works perfectly for this typre of thing. mount the dremel to something to hold it still, use a medium to low speed, and control the watch/bracelet in your hands. Don't bother trying to use the hand piece. its easier to mount the tool, then move the watch around with both hands. Hope that helps.


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## pithy

Jacob Thompson said:


> A dremel works perfectly for this typre of thing. . . . . .


Insert <face palm emoticon> Here

Please, not in the watchmaking forum.


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## Chicawolverina

Roland Ranfft said:


> Hi ladies,
> 
> strange suggestiones here, except sanding the layer off.
> 
> The last to be removed by "reverse galvanism" is the gold. First you'll get holes where
> the plating is gone, and if you use low voltage, you can remove the whole case, and
> only the gold is left over.
> 
> Bead blasting works for very soft materials like lacquers, and for hard but brittle materials
> like rust. But a gold surface will only be hardened by blasting, an before you get it off,
> the case will have lost its contours or even its whole shape.
> 
> Today in fact some cases are made from gilt stainless steel. But the majority of gilt
> cases have brass or similar nonferrous alloys as base material. It is easy to find out:
> The text "stainless steel back" or "fond acier inoxydable" indicates almost always that
> nothing but the back is made of steel. All steel cases (gilt or not) are designated
> without the words "back" or "fond". And it is simply nonsense that gold on brass is only
> common for cheap watches, except you regard brands like Omega as cheap.
> 
> @Watch Noob
> If you want to restore a gilt case, there is no need to remove all gold.Simply sand the
> case beginning with coarse paper step by step to finest, then polish it, clean it, and
> plate it - sounds easy, but needs lots of effort, time, and knowledge.
> 
> Regards, Roland Ranfft


It's not real gold though, in this case it's ubiquitous cheap-watch, faux-gold plating, how do you remove that? You should know better!


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## gear1box

Chica/OP --

i am not a watchmaker, nor do i play one on TV . . . but i do know a thing or two about modern aerospace industry finishes. The titanium nitride deposits from physical vapor deposition (PVD) finishes -- now widely used as "gold" watch finiehes (although there is no gold in them) -- can be (depending on application) remarkably tenacious and durable. These coatings were developed fifty years ago for jet engine turbine blade applications so are potentially extremely tough finishes. Also, being both extremely hard and extremely thin, it usually "peels" off in flecks or flakes. 

In fact PVD coatings are almost always harder than the material on which they are applied, so those flakes usually are incurred over spots where underlying base metal is deformed by impact, etc. i have seen this on, for example, a bezel's protruding exposed edges. 

The PVD coating's quality can vary a lot: that said i have several gold toned Tissot dress watches with three to five years of, granted, dress watch wear but absolutely no visible scratches or wear. 

i suppose buffing with an appropriate grit would do the trick, but if you aren't getting anywhere don't be afraid of a more aggressive grit.

-- gary ray


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