VII.    Rust and plating color fading

Q: Will gold plating fade?

A: Gold plating is usually very thin and is micron-sized. After long-term use or friction, the coating will wear, the golden color will change, and the length of time, wearing and maintenance are also directly related to it. Do not rub frequently, especially some corners, and avoid contacting with chemicals that are more corrosive (e.g.: Alcohol, gasoline, cosmetics, perfume, paint, etc.), and try to keep the watch dry and clean; don’t let the sweat erode the watch for a long time, otherwise the gold plating layer will be damaged and directly affect its beauty and service life.

Q: Why is the gold-plated watch faded?

A: There are two main types of gold plating, one is chemical gold plating, the other is ion gold plating, and the two gold plating coatings are all micron-sized. They are not guaranteed to never fade. Reasonable maintenance will make gold plating last for a long time. The following points are reasonable common sense on maintenance:

1.    When the watch is worn, the length of the bracelet should be suitable for the wrist, which cannot be too loose, and the watch should be secured on the wrist to avoid frequent friction.

2.    The composition of sweat secreted by the human body is very complicated, and the composition of sweat secreted by different people is also different. Therefore, always wipe the watch with a soft cloth to keep the watch clean and dry, and avoid sweat and dirt accumulation for a long time.

3.    If during the use the watch is in contact with alcohol, gasoline, or cosmetics (for example: Do not spray perfumes and other chemicals directly onto the watch), sprays, water solvents of pharmaceuticals, and mercury after the thermometer is broken, paint, etc., the watch coating will suffer from discoloration, decay, and even delamination. Therefore, please avoid contacting with the abovementioned chemicals, so as not to damage the appearance of the watch and affect its use.

4.    Do not keep the watch in a poorly ventilated closet with perfume and mothball.

Q: Why does the stainless steel case go rusty sometimes?

A: Under normal circumstances, all steel watches will not go rusty, but everything is relative. There are many types of stainless steel. The material used for the case is mainly stainless steel containing nickel, chrome, titanium, while nickel and chromium are prone to strong acid and alkali corrosion. The sweat discharged from the human body contains hydrochloric acid; if worn on the wrist, the watch eroded by sweat for a long time or have the accumulated acid and alkali salts not removed, the case will gradually go rusty, especially the lower area of the back cover. Therefore, you should pay attention to the maintenance of the watch, and often wipe off the dust, sweat and so on of the case. In addition, it should be avoided to wear the watch in the case of strong acid, alkali and other occasions.