I have a couple of apparently white gold reps. to me they look pretty much like polished steel.
What are the subtle tells? And if there is none, why bother??
What are the subtle tells? And if there is none, why bother??
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White gold and steel - How do I tell?
- Thread starter mbjoer
- Start date
Go look at a Datejust with a white gold bezel and you'll be able to see the difference quite easily.
i think he means what are the tells between a polished ss 'white gold' rep and a genuine white gold watch.
And my answer to that is it is quite hard to tell just from looking if a watch is polished ss or white gold, however if you have the two side by side you will notice the white gold to have a creamy sheen to it.
Just look at the new sub rep (the blue one from baselworld) and then look at a genuine pic, it is very hard to distinguish the two metals.
And my answer to that is it is quite hard to tell just from looking if a watch is polished ss or white gold, however if you have the two side by side you will notice the white gold to have a creamy sheen to it.
Just look at the new sub rep (the blue one from baselworld) and then look at a genuine pic, it is very hard to distinguish the two metals.
On jewelry there is usually a stamp 14k, 22k, 24k if its real gold. Do gold watches have a similar stamp on them somewhere?
JoeKo said:
Every one I've owned, which hasn't been many, has had a stamp. Usually inside the case back. Also on the clasp if it's a gold bracelet.
White gold is creamier-looking. Polished white gold does look like ss though. A softer look to th gold is the key to noting the difference.
White Gold DD OysterQuartz
White Gold Bezel [TT DJ in WG/Steel]:
White Gold ladies DJ:
White Gold case/crown and steel bracelet [Cartier Baignoire]:
White Gold Bezel [TT DJ in WG/Steel]:
White Gold ladies DJ:
White Gold case/crown and steel bracelet [Cartier Baignoire]:
As far as a creamy tone is concerned I guess that must depend on which metal is used with the gold, platinum or nickel. I have tried to compare my Vacheron Constantin Malte Chrono to polished steel, and I still cannot see it.
@ guanaco, these pictures are very sharp and clear. But I wonder if you can see things when you hold the watch which does not show up on my screen? Especially on the Cartier the 2 metals look quite the same to me.
@ guanaco, these pictures are very sharp and clear. But I wonder if you can see things when you hold the watch which does not show up on my screen? Especially on the Cartier the 2 metals look quite the same to me.
This has been very informative. Many thanks.
I just hope that my plated and polished white gold reps in fact are polished steel. In that case I guess they will age better as the colour of the steel presumably would show through (even if very silghtly) when worn.
I just hope that my plated and polished white gold reps in fact are polished steel. In that case I guess they will age better as the colour of the steel presumably would show through (even if very silghtly) when worn.
What you see is not really white gold at all. It's electro plated rhodium on top of the gold, which has a bright metal finish (it's in the same family as platinum). Real white gold is actually a pale yellow colour - 10k is whitest, 18k is yellower (because of more gold in the mix, of course). There used to be real white gold, but it had so much nickle that it was a problem for allergy sufferers. Now it's all rhodium plate, which wears off just like any other plating. Palladium gold is a compromise, it uses palladium as an alloy mix for a whiter colour, but it still has a yellow tinge and needs rhodium for the final finish.
Kinda funny that people buy "white gold" without realizing they are just getting an electroplate finish over a gold filler. And then when the rhodium wears off in 6 months they are totally puzzled as to how their jewellery mysteriously turned yellow.
Kinda funny that people buy "white gold" without realizing they are just getting an electroplate finish over a gold filler. And then when the rhodium wears off in 6 months they are totally puzzled as to how their jewellery mysteriously turned yellow.
desmoquattro said:
This is pretty much right although, in my experience, the color of white gold is very grey. This is why it is rhodium plated. It never looks very nice in its natural state.
White gold came into being during WW2 when platinum was needed for the war effort. It became illegal to use platinum for jewelery.
The rhodium plated white gold imitates platinum. Rhodium plate is much harder than gold plate but will eventually wear off.
desmoquattro said:
Interesting, so what you are are saying is that the white gold bezel on my Rolex is really Rhodium?
Hmmmm? Interesting. But I'm not buying it until I hear it from a jeweler.
KBH said:
I've been a manufacturing jeweler for over 20 years. I don't know what reps makers do, but ANY white gold in the trade is Rhodium plated.
I guess as reps are not gold, the bezel could be polished steel or rhodium plated steel.
Probably the latter if they want it to look like the gen.
I'll edit this to just add a couple of things, seeing as folks seem interested in this topic.
Firstly, white gold (unplated) does not look very nice. It is a dull grey. It was only ever "invented" as a platinum substitute. Platinum is by far a superior metal. It also costs twice as much and there is more expertise and equipment required to work it. (especially to cast it.)
White gold is made in two basic ways. The first is a nickel alloy. This is hard, cheap and I don't like working with it because of the hardness. ie. not as malleable. This is the more common alloy because of cost.
The better alloy is with palladium and silver as alloying agents. Much more malleable. Slightly better color. Preferred because it is more workable. Also more expensive due to the palladium.
SOME jewelers reckon you do not have to rhodium plate the palladium alloy stuff. Although the color is a little better than the nickel alloy, most jewelers would disagree and rhodium plate any white gold. See what your jeweler says.
desmoquattro said:
In that case why plate gold at all? It seems that you would get the same effect by plating steel, only it would be less obvious when it wears off?
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mbjoer said:
Because it would be even more difficult to justify the cost of an over priced watch. And because folk with more mony than sence want "gold" watches.
Personaly I'd be quite happy to take my PP/DJ in plated SS (or just plain polished SS for that matter).
Col.
trailboss99 said:
True. And it goes back to the fact that white gold is a jewelry material. Brides are hardly going to want Steel wedding rings. Personally I have no time for white gold. For me, gold is yellow, or maybe rose. If I want "white" I'll have Platinum thanks. (as long as I'm not paying for it
)