To Plate or Not To Plate

Submitted by WildThng on July 29, 2019 - 3:05pm

Anyone have opinions on replating cases?

I am considering setting up a small plating station to replate mostly yellow cases.

Geoff Baker
Posted July 29, 2019 - 10:25pm

I have never had a case replated Jim - I do not have an opinion.

Andersok
Posted July 30, 2019 - 7:17am

I've had a couple of chrome cases replated, but never a gold one.

I currently have a white gold case that could use some plating work. I occasionally get a yellow gold case that has too much wear.

neurotone
Posted August 28, 2019 - 3:02pm

In reply to by Andersok

Andersok, sorry I don't mean to go off subject, but I saw that you restored a 1959 Bulova 23 "XW" when you pick your crystals how do you go about it? I just put a new crystal in my XW. It looks good, however, your crystal in your XW looks perfect! I don't know if it was original or a replacement on you XW.

Andersok
Posted August 28, 2019 - 4:05pm

In reply to by neurotone

That was some time ago and I know it was not the original, but I do not recall how I found the replacement. I'm not aware of a reference for the round crystals of the 50s models. Sometimes the model reference shows up in a crystal reference chart, but often it is just going through my various inventory to find the one that fits best.

Kathy L.
Posted August 7, 2019 - 10:33am

Let us know how it goes if you do some.  Would love to see photos of before and after.

mybulova_admin
Posted August 9, 2019 - 10:12pm

I have a 1970 chrome case done a few months back. Didn't cost much $20 and came out looking brand new. I want to try a gold plate case next to see how it goes fixing wear points.

neurotone
Posted August 28, 2019 - 2:38pm

In reply to by mybulova_admin

20 bucks that's not bad at all and here I was looking at YouTube on how to do it myself because I was thinking it was going to be expensive. If you don't mind me asking where did you get this done?

Reverend Rob
Posted August 28, 2019 - 4:02pm

Electroplating lays down a very thin layer of the metal being electroplated. If there is too much base metal loss, the case will still look distorted and worn, even after plating. . 

The materials and equipment for electroplating gold, platinum or rhodium are expensive, I looked into it some years ago and decided it was a specialty road I didn't need to go down. 

I have heard good reports about these guys:

http://www.replateit.com