Plating a gold capped case?

[ign03]

Hi everyone!

I have a lovely gold capped Girard Perregaux that I intend to restore. The gold layer has been damaged and the stainless steel can be seen through it in certain places. As far as I understand, gold capping is the process of taking a layer of gold, forming it in the shape of the watch case and then placing it on top. This layer is usually 200um or more.

The only thing I could do as a hobbyist is to remove that thicker gold layer and gold plate the case. What’s your opinion on that? Am I ruining the watch?  Is it better to apply a new uniform gold plating even though it will be 10 times thinner?

Cheers!

[ign03]

The more I read the more I realize that I won’t be able to remove the gold cap since it’s bonded to the SS. If that’s the case, what is the best way to cover the areas where the SS is visible?