Expert: Dan Gendron - 10/4/2006

Question
how can it be testing as solid gold? thank you
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Followup To

Question -
My question is for the meaning of 14k guarantee. does the word guarantee refer to the workings or the watch case? the watch in question was just bought on-line and i haven't received it yet. the seller tested the watch as solid 14k gold. the watch is a elgin pocket watch and says 14k guarantee 25 years. also  have seen the words u.s. assay on pocket watches what is the meaning of these words?

Answer -
In the 1890'ies the congress put an end to marking like that
Watch case mfgs used terms like
Silverene
Silverode
German Silver
Mexican Silver
Warrentied
Guaranteed

ETC.

The silver markings mentioned above are all nickel metal not silver

14kt warrentied or guaranteed are all gold filled.

The means that the outer surface of the case was gold but the inside of the case was brass.

Most of the time the meant that the case was
1/20th of the marked gold content.

If the case weighed 1 ounce the gold content was 1/20th of an ounce or one penny weight.

Hope this helps


Dan Gendorn
www.watchfix.com


PS US assay without the warrentied or guaranteed
is real 14kt gold.

There is a good book for this if you work in it much
The Complete Price Guide to WaTches.
You can get if from amazon.com for around $20  

Answer
Because the outer surface of the case is solid gold.
You would have to get below the surface to find the
brass.

Look at it this way, have you ever had a chocolate covered cherry?

The outside of the candy is chocolate the inside is cherry.

Gold Filled is the same as the candy.

Gold on the outside, brass on the inside.

As I told you there were many ways of tricking people with false markings.
ANYTHING THAT SAYS WARRENTEED OR GUARANTEED IS NOT SOLID GOLD IT WILL ALWAYS BE GOLD FILLED.
What we do to determine what the metal is we scrach the case deep they test it with acid, if it bubbles green thats brass
if it just gets a slight brown stain its gold.
But without putting a real deep scrach into the case there is no way to know for sure.
But is is stamped warrenteed or guaranteed it is always
brass in the middle and gold on the outside only.

Dan