Poll 2 Pulsars(all models) melted for their gold content.

[retroleds]

Poll 2 - Number of Pulsars, all models, melted for their gold content.

[Diginut]

I notice you say 'all' models !

We need to think about the statistics here becuase I think Pulsar probably made 50,000 to 100,000 watches ( I just dont know the actual overall figure).

The vast majority were probably stainless steel in various finishes.

Maybe 5/10/15% were 10k plated, a few more percent 14k GF.

But I'd hazard a guess that less than 2% were solid 14k gold or 18kt gold.

I suspect that its just not worth melting the plated GF models, as the amount recovered is minimal - unless someone knows better ?


The temptation to melt would have been to do with recovering the solid gold part of a 14kt or 18kt watch.

So asking for a percentage of ALL pulsars should result in a very small number !

[CompuChron]

I guess Ed means all solid gold pulsar.
even if neither 14kt or 18kt are solid but 75%gold at most for the 18kt.

[Greg Ratcliff]

Ed, I know for a fact that my Dad And I sent a couple hundred to Garfield Refining in Philly after we closed down Pulsar Repair Service in the early 80's. Greg Ratcliff These were mostly GF watches and bracelets not Solid Gold.

[Diginut]

Greg - your direct first hand involvment and recollections from that era lend weight to the theory that many pulsars, omegas and others, did indeed meet a liquid end.

We're unlikely to ever establish the real facts behind what happened back in 1980.

In the past 18 months I've bought a few 18k watches from a contact in the middle east. Hes been running the same high-end Jewellers for over 30 yrs. I specifically asked him if he had any recollections of what happened in 1980 in terms of people melting jewellery and watches. He didnt hesistate to say that for a period there was a significant increase in people doing this as gold, along with dollars and gems, were some of the best form of security then, as they are now, although the dollar is having a hard time at the moment.

For me this supports my personal view, and my own memories of 1980, that many watches now held in high esteem did indeed end up in the pot.

I've also posted a thesis (!!) on this on 21st Jan, to be found here :-

http://dwf.nu/viewtopic.php?t=2554

[retroleds]

Diginut - I've seen very few 10k Pulsars and the occasional knowledgable ebay seller will really crow about how rare a 10k piece is.... Seems to me the 14k gold filled was the vast majority, maybe 80-90% of the ones that were gold in any fashion, the rest in 10k gold-fill, and I'd agree, some tiny number like 1-3% were made in solid.

I've stripped one batch of gold-filled items and plan for another - I blast the cases with aluminum oxide grit -several times faster cut/more abrasive) than silica sand. The gold is seperated from the sand.

Nothing wrong with a batch of gold scrap that is of an odd percentage(assay) - they just add gold to bring it up or add the fill metal to bring it down. Since 18k is as high as you generally want to go for jewelry and such, the 25% that isn't gold give the smelter plenty of wiggle room.

I just melted a solid 14k P2 that was banged beyond repair,yesterday. I've melted a number of watches and coins that were crap over the years. You put the blobs in a container and wait until prices are good or you need the money. At current prices a 14k P2 case, minus the magnets, glass,etc. still nets you almost $300 in gold scrap. BTW - gold is soft, but you will never melt it with a propane torch,even MAPP gas or propane with oxygen injection will struggle. Acetylene is what you need.....actually quite cheap if you have a larger tank. Anyone who buys and sells watches or jewelry should be tossing anything gold filled or even just plated, into a bucket for eventual scrapping.

[retroleds]

3 MB of metal melting madness, complete with a few corny sound effects, some jazz music and open and closing screen.
http://www.dwf.nu/images/14k_melt.rm

MAPP gas...it would have been over way too quickly with the acetylene.

[retroleds]

I notice you say 'all' models !
....
I suspect that its just not worth melting the plated GF models, as the amount recovered is minimal - unless someone knows better ?

The temptation to melt would have been to do with recovering the solid gold part of a 14kt or 18kt watch.

So asking for a percentage of ALL pulsars should result in a very small number !

Hopefully you wouldn't melt stainless steel, trying to get gold.

About $40-50 worth of recoverable gold on a gold-filled P2 or Date Command.

You're not really trying to get the solid(I think you meant pure) gold out, even when melting a solid gold item. Pure gold(24k) can be added to bring the mix back up to 75% pure, or 18k. And much of the scrap is used in lower grade mixs like 10-14k. Darn interesting topic considering the current price....