When were Base Metal Watch Cases 1st used?

November 15, 2008, 17:38

Ernie Loga

I looked up the definition of Base Metal and it consisted of a metal that is not considered to be a precous metal such as gold, sterling, silver, nickel, and etc. Most base metal cases were plated in chrome.

I did some research on older posts and have concluded that base metal watch cases first showed up in the late teens after WWI and early 20's. However the 30's showed a big insurgence of base metal cases as the gold cases were sold off for melt value and the old movements were put in new Base Metal cases.

Does anyone have any other information?

Ernie

November 15, 2008, 19:03

Enzo Liguori

Ernie,

just as marginal note chrome plating only started around the mid last century.

Early plating consisted in nickel-silver or nickel processes or other precious metal deposits.

By examining the process applied it is possible most of the times to date the period of making the item.

It requires a little knowledge of the processes but it isnt difficult and there is a lot to read on the web.

Also several special watchmaking alloys were developed early last century for the manufacture of watch
cases to imitate precious metals such SILVEROID etc and cases often have that tradenames stamped
somewhere.

rgds

Enzo

November 16, 2008, 09:42

Ernie Loga

Enzo thank you for your post.

According to Wikipedia, Chrome plating started in the 1920's. Prior ro that plating was done in nickel, gold or zinc. The following link to Wikiedia explains the types of plating:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plating

The type of base-metal I was asking about in this initial post was that with chrome plating. I believe that chrome plated watch cases didn't hit the market until the last 1920's and 1930's. Therefore, if you have an older watch in a chrome plated case it was perhaps recased after the late 1920's.

What do the rest of you say?

November 16, 2008, 13:52

Lindell V. Riddle

Ernie,

I was slow to realize exactly how you interpreted "Base Metal" but agree that most marked that way are chrome plating over brass as Enzo pointed out above.

From advertising and examples found all my information and experience dovetails with what you found. During the 1920s nickel cases faded from favor and "Base Metal" chrome plated cases became the popular choice as a lower cost alternative to solid-gold or gold-filled. About that same time we find the emergence of "rolled-gold-plate" over brass in cases and jewelry items. So I would agree with you that any movement in either "base metal" or "rolled-gold-plate" were placed during the latter part of the 1920s or later. If the movement is substantially earlier that is usually a sure sign of a replacement case

Parenthetically, the automotive and other industries went from nickel to chrome during the same time 1920s frame. But back to cases, most later military cases are either nickel or nickel-chromium plating over brass, where earlier ones will be solid-nickel, often called by other names such as "Silveroid" or "Silverine" or other such trade-marks. During WWII a shortage of brass and chromium actually caused the use of silver in some watch case applications as silver was not considered vital to the war effort.

Today gold-layering over brass or preferably over stainless-steel has become popular.

Lindell