So if you have a vintage watch that's housed in a solid-gold case, consider yourself lucky! But there were some beautiful, solid-gold cases made over the years and some of them have survived intact.

These days, solid-gold cases have become even more scarce because so many of the large gold cases have been sold or melted-down for their gold-value (a practice we abhor and discourage, by the way). in fact, it is estimated that only about 5% of cases produced were solid gold. There were far more gold-filled cases made than solid-gold 'karat cases'. If your vintage pocket watch is in a gold-colored case, odds are pretty good that your case is gold-plated or gold-filled, or even just gold-colored metal.

What metals were commonly used to make watch cases? Is every gold-colored case watch case made of gold? Are all silver-colored watch cases made of silver? Answers to these and many other questions about watch case materials can be found below. We've also seen it at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore in the 'collectibles' section, so you can also check there.Īnother resource is the Pocket Watch Database, an ever-growing online listing of movement grades and serial numbers to aid in pocket watch identification.Pocketwatch 101 ℠ – Learn about Vintage and Antique Pocket Watches Materials Used to Make Vintage Watch Cases How to tell if your vintage watch case is gold or gold-plated? There is extensive information about different makes of watch, along with nice histories about the companies themselves. (ISBN 978-0982948774 for the 2018 edition) for more information about your watch. You might also try looking in the book 'The Complete Price Guide to Watches' by Richard M. These tables are only accurate for the movement serial numbers. Please note there is a difference between the number marked on the movement and the one marked on the case. Remove or open the back cover from your watch and look for a number engraved into the movement this is the serial number for your watch, and by using it, you can find the closest years it was made on these tables. Please use the following tables to help determine the approximate age of your watch.

Fahys watch case serial numbers