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Pricing · build an estimate

Watch Gold Plating Pricing and Estimates

What it’ll run.

Configure your piece for a live estimate. Numbers are a guide; final price is confirmed on review once we see condition and scope. Tracked return shipping is included.

Every number below assumes the watch comes apart first: movement, dial and hands out, bezel, case-back and crown off, the bracelet taken apart, each part plated on its own, inside and out. See why it costs what it costs ↓

All prices in USD. Every estimate is built on our house cobalt-hardened 18K deposit. See how it’s done →

Brand
Case size
Scope
Bracelet
Protective topcoat (+$40)
Silk bracelet treatment · silicone grease injection (+$40)
Water resistance + pressure test to 5ATM (+$40)

Larger or heavily worn pieces, two-tone, and gem-set cases are priced individually on review. For polishing, chamfering, mods and lab work, switch to Advanced above or see all services.

Why the number could be higher.

Not a markup, a different job. A common approach is to plate the watch roughly as it sits, movement still in the case and bracelet still on the lugs, gilding only the faces you can see. That is a few hours of work and a fraction of the gold. Here the watch is disassembled first, and every part is plated on its own.

Plated assembled · common approach
Fully disassembled · here
Teardown
Movement, dial and hands left inside the case; sometimes even with the bracelet left on the case.
Movement, dial and hands out. Bezel, case-back and crown off. Bracelet taken apart. Each part plated separately.
Coverage
Visible outer faces. Case interiors, undersides and lug slots masked, shadowed, or missed.
Every accessible face of every part, including the surfaces you only see with the watch off your wrist.
Gold content
Less surface plated means less gold laid down. That saving is the whole business model.
The full surface area of every component, at a quoted thickness. Considerably more gold in the job.
Bench time
A few hours, start to finish.
Days: teardown, prep cascade, racking, plating, QC, hand reassembly.
The baths
A whole assembled watch carries oils, old grease and residue into the solution, contaminating the bath for every watch after it.
Parts arrive at the bath already stripped, degreased and activated, so the chemistry stays clean and predictable run to run.
Underlayer
Nickel: cheap, levels well, common contact allergen, sits against skin once the gold wears through.
Precious-metal barrier layer, harder than the gold above it. Several times the material cost of nickel. No nickel underlayer intentionally applied.
Colour verification
Eyeballed under whatever light is handy.
Spectrophotometer capturing full reflectance curves, reporting objective CIELAB readings, plus visual check under standardized D65 daylight. Every scan logged to a proprietary colour library.
Process validation
Trust the timer and hope the bath is still good.
Quarterly independent XRF at an accredited lab confirms thickness. Gravimetric verification (mass before/after) shared with every customer. Diagnostic tile calibration before every colour session.
Hardness
Soft 24K flash. Looks good for a week, scuffs on a desk edge.
Cobalt-hardened hard gold at 234 HK. Palladium/white gold finishes at 394 HK. Proven on camera.

We are not competing on price. The aim is the best quality work on the market, and this is what that costs. See the full process →

For reference

Example builds.

Case only

Datejust 36

Bezel & case plated, bracelet left as-is.

from $264
Full watch

Submariner

Case, clasp & full Oyster bracelet.

from $385
Full watch

Daytona

Chrono case, pushers, clasp & bracelet, with satin nano-ceramic topcoat.

from $453
On review

Two-tone, mods & lab

Masked work, aesthetic mods & diagnostics, quoted individually.

quoted

Lock in your estimate.

Submit your piece and a $25 deposit holds your place. We confirm the final number on review before any work begins.

Start your intake → Read the terms →