Best way to plate white gold over my clean gmt?

[jpereira88]

Ive basically done everything to my clean pepsi 126710 gmt to make it look like a gen Rolex GMT-Master II White Gold Meteorite Dial 126719 even went as far and had a very nice custom meteorite dial made which matches the rolex gen version pretty damn accurately, and full gen 116710ln bezel assembly, click spring, retaining ring, crystal gasket, crystal, hytrel ring, crown guard etc. my question is whats the best way to make it white gold now? Have someone plate it? Someone suggested white gold heat treatment, which I’m not sure exactly what that is?

 

[StreetFighter]

Not sure about the plating in WG never heard of it done, you hear plenty about YG plating but never WG.. someone will advise I'm sure. You say you did everything, did that include hallmarks?

 

[Cadows]

Rhodium plating is what you need. Just search who is doing it.

 

[MJH89]

I would be interested to hear more about the best treatment route to understand exactly what is required and what it does (other than heating the metal up obviously)

 

[jpereira88]

Not sure about the plating in WG never heard of it done, you hear plenty about YG plating but never WG.. someone will advise I'm sure. You say you did everything, did that include hallmarks?

no marks but considering the rep ones look nothing like the real nor would anyone be looking behind the watch as its on my wrist. But i may not even do the white gold and just keep it as a custom 126710.

 

[lytnin]

Someone here did a heat treat on a daytona bezel in the sales section. If you don’t mind me asking where did you get the meteorite dial and approximate cost. I do have a source, but it’s quite expensive.

 

[oldtools]

Rhodium plating is what you need. Just search who is doing it.

Yep, Rhodium is what you want

 

[Karlus]

Rhodium plating is what you need. Just search who is doing it.

Rolex does not Rhodium plate their watches. They use something called "gray gold" that is solid all the way through and uniform. Has a very faint hint of bronze color in it.

 

[jpereira88]

Someone here did a heat treat on a daytona bezel in the sales section. If you don’t mind me asking where did you get the meteorite dial and approximate cost. I do have a source, but it’s quite expensive.

i had 50 made, some gmt, some daytona, and 3 41mm day dates. Most are sold now to jewelers i know in nyc. And of course one was for me. Real meteorite, top quality parts along with the switzs superlume adds a high price, vietnam printing, etc. mine were $600 shipped. Please no messages to buy theyre all gone and this isnt the place to buy and sell anyway. The company i used only does batches not singles. Even buying 50 they were still pretty expensive but i did use very good parts no alibaba crap.
ill have to check out this heat treat, mind you my watch is stainless as its a 126710 so idk exactly what they do to make it look or put white gold on it.

 

[Cadows]

Rolex does not Rhodium plate their watches. They use something called "gray gold" that is solid all the way through and uniform. Has a very faint hint of bronze color in it.

Rolex is making solid metal watches they dont plate at all.

 

[StreetFighter]

no marks but considering the rep ones look nothing like the real nor would anyone be looking behind the watch as its on my wrist. But i may not even do the white gold and just keep it as a custom 126710.

OK. Just when you said you 'basically done everything' to make your 116710 look like a 116719, really all you have done is swap out the dial. Also, interested where you got the gen crown guards from, I need a few sets of those.

Ref the hallmarks again: 'considering the rep ones look nothing like the real' This is at odds with my findings. I have a hallmarked 18k VSF watch here and the marks are perfect.

 

[andyc]

Nikz19 is your man

 

[jkrw247]

Nikz19 is your man

Nikz19 gold plating expertise will meet your needs well. He is based in Italy.

 

[grillbrill]

Or maybe flying-tommy .

 

[Karlus]

Rolex is making solid metal watches they dont plate at all.

No plating.

 

[StreetFighter]

I think he refers to the fact alot of white gold jewellery is rhodium plated. Thing is, they do that to make the dull and slightly tinted white gold more white or silver in appearance. That would defeat the purpose here.

 

[Karlus]

I think he refers to the fact alot of white gold jewellery is rhodium plated. Thing is, they do that to make the dull and slightly tinted white gold more white or silver in appearance. That would defeat the purpose here.

Exactly. I see this "plate steel with WG" thread come up from time to time. The color of Rolex WG is not near Rhodium. It's also not like other WG you see on jewelry. They have their own foundry which has its own mix of metals to make their own version of white gold.

It's different: see below

Here are different alloys:

 

[Yogibear]

Ive basically done everything to my clean pepsi 126710 gmt to make it look like a gen Rolex GMT-Master II White Gold Meteorite Dial 126719 even went as far and had a very nice custom meteorite dial made which matches the rolex gen version pretty damn accurately, and full gen 116710ln bezel assembly, click spring, retaining ring, crystal gasket, crystal, hytrel ring, crown guard etc. my question is whats the best way to make it white gold now? Have someone plate it? Someone suggested white gold heat treatment, which I’m not sure exactly what that is?

Don't do the heat. It's a stupid suggestion.

Rolex White Gold isn't plated with rhodium so rhodium plating the watch doesn't make sense either. They use an expensive process of literally pouring palladium and rhodium into molten gold to create solid White Gold. It will never turn YG like traditional WG jewelry does.

There is other options like Stullers x1 white Gold. It would be closer to Rolex WG since it doesn't need rhodium plating due to its crazy white alloy appearance.

If you decide to plate it with just rhodium then it's gonna look chrome like. Rhodium reflects back like 80% of light.

It's a long boring process because you have to polish the watch so the surface blemishes don't show up.... Plating won't conceal them..... Now you gotta activate the metal to adhere to the watch surface. So then acid gold strike to cover the watch in metal to get the adhesion. Then add bright nickel of 15 microns before the final rhodium flash. Nickel also gives corrosion protection.
If the rhodium is too thin then surface tarnish will form quick because rhodium is porous.

This won't last long since it's a watch and takes a beating when we wear it so expect yearly replating if it's an everyday watch.

My opinion would be to keep it SS and say it's a custom build.

 

[jpereira88]

OK. Just when you said you 'basically done everything' to make your 116710 look like a 116719, really all you have done is swap out the dial. Also, interested where you got the gen crown guards from, I need a few sets of those.

Ref the hallmarks again: 'considering the rep ones look nothing like the real' This is at odds with my findings. I have a hallmarked 18k VSF watch here and the marks are perfect.

id like to see the dog hallmark then lol. Or the 750 hallmark etc. everyone ive ever seen when actually compared to a gen rolex look like ass but it is what it is. Regardless itll be on my wrist and thats if i even end up doing white gold as multiple people have told me white gold plating on the case ends up good but the bracelets look bad, are multiple colors etc, i mentioned this and 4 diff ppl messaged me advising against getting white gold plating because it doesnt look good in the end or even. And these 4 ppl had 3 diff ppl who plate watches from here do it and all said the same thing pretty much, the case looked good but the bracelets didnt.

 

[StreetFighter]

Any good?