GF bracelet question

[Led-Time]

Are the P2 GF bracelets 10k or 14k gold and how thick is the original plating, if worn through could they be re-plated then given the brushed finish again, and the clasp clip.

[clockace]

gold filled and gold plated are 2 entirely different things. gold plate is just that, gold plated[usually electroplate] is a plating of gold in various karats on a base metal. usually brass. it can be from a whiff to 40 microns in thickness. gold filled is actually a bond of gold [again in various karats] to a base metal. usually brass. a plate of gold is fused[soldered] to both sides of the brass. it is usually 40 to 80 microns thick. enough to notice a significant depth where it has worn through. then the part is made into a case, link, bracelet, whatever. you could never gold plat the wear thick enough to match the worn gold fill. i have seen jewelers use gold solder to fill the wear and then grind it smooth, but you need to be very skilled to do this. hope this answers your question. peter

[retroleds]

Just a slight add to this topic.. the gold soldering is not like electronics soldering, it's actually more like brazing. Requires a good hot torch with a pin-point flame - propane isn't generally hot enough to do it, you need acetylene. The gas is super cheap, but a proper setup will run you a few hundred USD.

An excellent discussion of the thicknesses, methods and measurements is here(I have just requested permission to reprint their page, with links of course,permanently here).

http://www.artisanplating.com/articles/ ... comparison

[Led-Time]

Thanks for helping guys...

Interesting reading in the link...

Gold plated items are not easily repaired or re-polished. Often re-plating will need to be done if the repaired item has to be welded or soldered. However, gold plating can be used over gold filled items to conceal repairs or to impart a uniformity to a surface or texture.

That’s exactly what I'am looking to do I need to cover-up the worn through edges of the bracelet and clasp clip, unless that is I can find a totally mint or NOS GF bracelet for my P2.

Does this sound feasible, fully re-brush the bracelet as it is get it flashed over with gold plate then very gently brush the new surface to get the desired finish on the gold.

And for plating this company is local to me - Gold platers

But as I'am always up for a bit fiddling about how about this - Gold plating kits

[clockace]

thanks for that page on gf/gp ed. i was pretty close, going from my aging memory. peter

[Bad Juju]

Does this sound feasible, fully re-brush the bracelet as it is get it flashed over with gold plate then very gently brush the new surface to get the desired finish on the gold.

And for plating this company is local to me - Gold platers

But as I'am always up for a bit fiddling about how about this - Gold plating kits

Klippie, did you ever decide on a solution to "re-golding" your GF bracelet?

[retroleds]

Are the P2 GF bracelets 10k or 14k gold and how thick is the original plating, if worn through could they be re-plated then given the brushed finish again, and the clasp clip.

Both 10k and 14k were available.

80 microns is about the thickness of a thinner, human head hair.

For gold plating over some base metals and stainlesses, a super thin layer of nickel is needed before the gold.

[Led-Time]

Klippie, did you ever decide on a solution to "re-golding" your GF bracelet?

The company I found seems to have gone out of business but I've managed to find another so hopefully I'll be able to check them out in a few weeks.

[Bad Juju]

I hope you'll keep us updated. I have a GF P3. I plan on re-satinizing the watch body but I am debating what to do with the bracelet (hollow type). I may just remove the tarnish and leave it.

[bruce wegmann]

Just a numerical answer to the original question....goldfill on the case was 80 micron = .0032 inch. On the bracelet, 20 micron = .0008 inch, less than a thousandth of an inch. It might just be practical to re-brush and put 20 microns of gold plate on the surface, but as was mentioned, an intermediate plating of nickel aids the bonding of the gold. The best system of all for steel is 5 microns of nickel, followed by 5 microns of copper, followed by the gold. Nickel bonds to iron, copper bonds to nickel, gold bonds to copper. Direct goldfill may have been simpler, after all... And if you do replate the bracelet, you'll run into the "carpet matching the drapes" problem...getting the color of the case and bracelet to precisely match. The color of the 14K yellow gold on the P2s is different from that used on the P3s, for example. You have to get the alloy exactly right, and then, I'm told the exact parameters of the plating process can have an effect on the color of the plating...I begin to understand now why nobody even attempts to do this...only workable answer sees to be, do the case and bracelet together, and with gold now above $1200 an ounce, reduces the practicality even more.