I have two Model 11 cases. My question is why is the one pictured on the left so much darker in hand? Would this differnce be simply from wear? Both appear to be rarely used. These only came in YGF to my knowledge, not a rose gold.

Maybe the darker case was exposed to a lot of tobacco smoke. If that's so, a solvent bath should clean it off.

Greg,

The case on the right has a haze/film on the back lid (notice the difference in your reflection)... A light polish would probably bring it more inline w/ your other case (which looks like it has already received a polish)

Nice watches

There are opposing views on polishing cases but I clean and polish any watch that I purchase. I don't pull them out every month and polish them but they definitely get one cleaning. I use a toothbrush and do the inside of the ring along with other nooks and crevices. I use silver polish to get the tough stuff off then follow with a bath in normal jewelry cleaner. Dry and use a blow dryer to get any hard to reach areas and put them away in a cloth bag that are on available on ebay and other places.

Claude - I had someone suggest that I use MAAS polishing cream on my watch cases. I have a tube of it that I have used in the past. Is that still good stuff to use?

Greg, I like MAAS polishing cream. I am a clean and polish the case person but there is something to be said for the silver cases with some blackening of the detailed parts. Your question as to color interested me because I have a difficult time with telling green gold from yellow gold on cases. I have listed a Sangamo Special on ebay with what I believe is a green gold filled case but my son thinks it is yellow.

Yellow goold isn't yellow gold or colours may differ !

Simplified explanation:

Gold alloys are made from pure gold and the so called composition.
The caratage determines the ratio of pure gold and composition.

Take 14K --> 58% gold 42 % composition.

The metals and their ratio in the composition determine the colour of the alloy.

For yellow gold the composition cold be 14% silver + 28% copper (= 'deep dark rich gold') up to 28% silver + 14% copper(= 'light pale lemmon gold'); both are 14K yellow gold !

Regards
Gerald

Hi Greg
Gerald has a very good explanation about color differences in two watches that are the same karat of gold.
As far as MAAS polishing cream, it is a very good product but I would be VERY CAREFUL using it on pocket watches. It consist of a really strong chemical cleaning agent-it is not so much the abrasives as the cleaning agent. If you insist on using it, use a very small amount with very light pressure with a Kleenex or tissue. The MAAS is simply polishing away your gold.
Best Wishes,
Tim

Tim that's good to know! Maybe I will just live with the color difference.

Tim thanks for the tip. I use MAAS only on cases that really need cleaning but never realized the chemical situation. Back to toothpaste!

Hi All,

Richard I am not insinuating that you were wrong by any means because I have used MAAS myself on pocket watches. I just wanted to say that MAAS is some pretty stout stuff and you have to be careful with the amount you use and the pressure used.

I have found that the waxes containing Carnauba or Brazil waxes are really good to use on watches because they don't contain any abrasives. They are really mild waxes. I try to stay away from anything that has the word polish because they have abrasives and that is exactly what they do is "polish" away the gold.

Best Regards!
Tim