Just finished reading Harry's topic: First Year Rockford which brought up a question or two in my mind that I have been wondering about.

What is gold flashed, and what is glided, and how where those finishes applied to watch movements?

Also, What material are plates, cocks, etc. fabricated from; brass, nickel silver, or steel that the nickel, gilding or gold flashing was applied to?

Thanks, Joe

Hi Joe, Another Cornhusker is always good in the Watch fraternity. To me gilt when speaking of watches, means the gold is not bright. In the early days the gilt was applied with the use of mercury which is very toxic. The gold flashed means bright work where a fine electroplating process results in a very thin layer of gold over base metal. I read somewhere that an ounce of gold would be sufficient to gild 200 watches. Don't know if it is true but it would take very little to do the gold flashing.

"Flash" refers to thicknesses less than 7 millionths of an inch.

Gilded- applying fine gold leaf or powder to a surface to give a thin coating of gold

Francesco

Gold "Flash" is actually Gold Plating which is done as an electrolytic process similar to Copper plating where the plate is briefly dip[ped in a Gold infested bath and the Gold is attracted to the plates by an electrical charge.

"Gilding" was a very toxic method; "An amalgam of gold (and Mercury) is applied to metallic surfaces, the mercury being subsequently volatilized, leaving a film of gold or an amalgam containing from 13 to 16% of mercury. The surface to be gilded is cleaned with nitric acid. A deposit of mercury is obtained on a metallic surface by means of quicksilver water, a solution of mercury(II) nitrate, the nitric acid attacking the metal to which it is applied, and thus leaving a film of free metallic mercury."

Thank you Deacon (Go Big Red), Francesco and David. I always wondered why gilt plates had a dull finish, now I know.

Now for the second part of the question, what material are watch plates fabricated from; nickel silver, brass or steel?

And a related question; I hear the term 'nickel plates', does that mean nickel plated or fabricated from solid nickel silver or other nickel alloy?

I know that Gilded plates were made of brass.
I also know that at least some of the lower end 16s Elgins were nickel plated.

Deacon,I read the samething about the ounce of gold deal I think it was in the BIG BOOK.

Tim you are probably right, I just cannot remember where I read it. AGE! As to the plates question. Plates were often made of brass and latter steel. They were also made of nickle alloy or German silver and actually could be made of about anything desired including the famous Waltham Rock Crystal models, solid gold and platinum and aluminum. I believe the nickle plate would have been a nickle alloy. To a substantial degree cost would have been the deciding factor and another major factor would have been the ability to work the plate. It is harder to work aluminum than brass for instance.

Deacon,me too...of all the things I lost,I miss my mind the most.