Gold Plated v Stainless Quandary

This question may have come up before, but I think it is interesting. Whenever I look through all the vintage wristwatches on E-Bay, the majority are gold-filled/plated. Very few are straight up stainless or solid gold. I know stainless was not really mainstream in the early days, but does that mean the majority of "base metal" watches were merely used and broke down with wear? Those who stepped up to buy gold or gold plated took better care and the watch lasted? Kind of reminds me of some of the 1970's Mercedes in Orange, Mustard, and other strange colors. Often when you see them, at least here in the Pacific Northwest, they are almost always a rolling time capsule. Thirty to fourty year old cars that look like they just rolled off the show room floor. So what happened to all the white, silver, and black cars? Were they all "used up?"


Most of us here prefer stainless over gold plate, but if we were enthusiasts 50 years ago, would we be getting platted? I personally have in plated and would love a solid watch, but that will take time.


Maybe the oxycodone is talking. . .

I think we all collect "in our era..."

Back then GOLD was as a symbol of wealth, power, etc...

Now it seems most of us are TOOL collectors, big, sturdy, STAINLESS watches...

That said, I would not mind having that gold Breitling I posted yesterday...

This is extremely interesting to think about Chris ! I think we probably
would be getting gold watches if we were watch enthusiasts 50 years ago.
That was just the way things were, and it was what was in style, popular,
or extra cool at the time. Not that gold watches aren't cool today either,
but I guess years ago they were even more popular. It's hard to figure out
why at times there seem to be different shifts and cycles within this hobby,
but it's still fun to notice and talk about ! ..Honestly think Alan nailed all of
the reasons above here ! ..Now I wonder how watch enthusiasts will look
back on the watches we like today, 50 years from now !

I collect vintage and modern....but I just go with what I can find that is in a style I like. Solid gold, rolled gold, gold filled and gold plated are fine with me, but so is stainless....it's part of the charm of wearing vintage pieces. If the plating is extremely worn I usually pass, though. Even chrome plated brass and base metal are OK as long as it has a stainless back, and is in good shape. If they were exactly like todays stuff there would be no reason to collect them.

Great points guys. I think the thing I was wondering about was, were "gold watches" special in that they were more treasured, people saved for them, were as Alan said "symbols of power," and hence, there is a higher concentration of them now available as the "standard" watches were used to serve their purpose.

The link with my Mercedes analogy above is that people who went out of their way to get Avocado and Baby Poop colored cars either, really, really wanted them and saved for them, or valued them more heavily than more standard colored cars that were used.

Great discussion by the way!

"Back then" I might have had gold since that was more common place. Now that I have a choice, don't really care for gold as far as looks go...........as far as value, sure, I'd love gold for the value but, not to wear!

I am now 62 and love the look of gold trimmed watches...have 2 or 3...a vintage 1974 Seiko and a 1987 Omega preBond quartz two toned champagne dial...and a vintage beater Chinese auto.
Just read last Thursday in Time or Newsweek that BLING is back. Last year it was despised haha! The economy had something to do with Bling being less attractive.

Noah mentioned Brown suits ! haha! Well, I also read in the summer that Brown was the new Black in color fashion!
Toolish watches and large sized watches is still trendy, espcecially here in Japan where large watches amongst the under 40s set is trendy. Rose gold plated watches are becoming more and more trendy!

In the USA, the prior to last year, it seemed that Americans hated the multi-colored G Shocks, but now, on WUS G forum you read how they are crazy for the great bright colored Gs!!! How times and generations change!

Seiko 1974 2 toned dress watch, auto, handwinder and hacking and hibeat..



seiko 1974 gold plated Bellematic auto....


gold Bellmatic from Lew by thianwong1, on Flickr


Omega 1987 two toned gold Champagne dial version....


Seamaster Pairs by thianwong1, on Flickr

I've got two gold plated watches.
Solid gold was not affordable, for me, then, or now.
For me, they appear more dressy than plain SS or (more commonly) chrome plated brass.
"course, I am old fashioned.

noahfuller wrote:

A little bit more popular then than now ....

Hi Noah!

Well, IN FACT, the Seiko SPECIAL does have a faceted crystal!!! hahaha! I found it in my usual store and the wife bought it for my Xmas gift! hehehe!

True, we do not see this faceted crystals in modern watches much! too time consuming to make? In anycase, this particular find of 2 tone and faceted crystal caliber 5216 is rare....in this great shape.