I successfully goldplated the applewatch!

[zmunkz]

Since this boom is short-lived I'm guessing profits outweigh quality. I'm afraid this thread will turn ugly as time goes on and watches fade/rub etc...

That will really be the decisive factor. Nobody has been happy with the response time, but when they finally get the watch back, all but 1 post I've seen has been thrilled enough to move past that initial discomfort. The question that remains is how long this will last, and what support we might get as it starts to fail. I was strongly drawn to the thicker coating he was offering, and wrote off the lower price as an introductory thing / his equipment was meant for larger sorts of components rather than what a jeweler might have. Hopefully that didn't lead me astray.

In any case, he would be smart to make a point of providing support in the event of issues, even outside his posted warranty period, because a huge portion of his business is going to be repeat customers for gen 2, 3, etc. If he leaves us all hanging, then his business will be dead in the water. I guess we have to trust he understands that when it comes down to it.

 

[EriCKY]

Another thing that bugs me quite a bit was that I remember him (or some other plating company... I don't wanna bad mouth watchplate if I'm wrong) saying that additional bands would be plated for free because it was no additional labor on his part.

Now it's a pretty big additional charge just to have an extra sports band plated which has so little parts that can even be plated....

That along with the 6, 60 dollar scandal is pretty shady to be honest and makes me quite upset.

I am getting my watch back tomorrow though so hopefully it looks so good that I forget all about this

 

[UFG]

Another thing that bugs me quite a bit was that I remember him (or some other plating company... I don't wanna bad mouth watchplate if I'm wrong) saying that additional bands would be plated for free because it was no additional labor on his part.

Now it's a pretty big additional charge just to have an extra sports band plated which has so little parts that can even be plated....

That along with the 6, 60 dollar scandal is pretty shady to be honest and makes me quite upset.

I am getting my watch back tomorrow though so hopefully it looks so good that I forget all about this

How does the watch look? Mine is supposed to ship out today, but they still haven't sent me anything regarding a shipment notice.

Also, how long did they take to plate your watch? It's been more than a week now for me.

 

[zmunkz]

Milanese loop 5 weeks in... I wear this band about twice a week. This is the side against my skin... Just like my earlier post with the sports band, the gold against the skin is quickly fading.

The outward facing side looks great still, but as before, I am increasingly anxious about longevity here. Watch body is still perfect both sides.

 

[Brookzy]

Without wanting to sound like Captain Hindsight, we now see the issues that arise when a company starts selling in unmanageable quantities what they claim is a high quality product with no more than a few days' testing.

Glad I dodged a bullet. Was almost drawn into the plating craze.

I hope everyone's issues are worked out eventually.

 

[zmunkz]

Without wanting to sound like Captain Hindsight, we now see the issues that arise when a company starts selling in unmanageable quantities what they claim is a high quality product with no more than a few days' testing.

Glad I dodged a bullet. Was almost drawn into the plating craze.

I hope everyone's issues are worked out eventually.

Yeah, I think we all knew this would be a little murky territory.

I will continue posting progress over the next weeks and months so we can all get a good sense of how this process plays out over time. This far, at least, I am still absolutely loving the look -- so much so that I would still consider repeating this for gen 2. It will 100% come down to how the outward facing and watch body hold up. So far those look great, but it is clear that it does not take much to wear it down, if 10 uses or so have half cleaned my milanese where it touches my skin.

The risks were definitely calculated from the outset, and hopefully non of my fellow early adopters of watchplate.com went in assuming it would be a perfect result. For anyone less willing to roll with it, it would definitely be wiser to stay back let this play out before considering it for second gen. And by "this" I also mean how Apple responds to it when someone (hopefully not me) need to get some kind of service or repair. Lots of variables.

 

[dacreativeguy]

I'll say it again.

Hope OP is smart enough to consult a lawyer before embarking on this. Aside from drawing interest from Apple, he'll also need to protect himself from liability of voiding warranties and other problems involved with people sending him their $500-$1000 watches.

 

[zlin9596]

i guess the 30 days warranty won't cut it lol

 

[EdisEdward]

Milanese loop 5 weeks in... I wear this band about twice a week. This is the side against my skin... Just like my earlier post with the sports band, the gold against the skin is quickly fading.

The outward facing side looks great still, but as before, I am increasingly anxious about longevity here. Watch body is still perfect both sides.

Highly doubt this was 35 microns to begin with

 

[mrex]

Milanese loop 5 weeks in... I wear this band about twice a week. This is the side against my skin... Just like my earlier post with the sports band, the gold against the skin is quickly fading.

The outward facing side looks great still, but as before, I am increasingly anxious about longevity here. Watch body is still perfect both sides.

it is fading way too fast. i wonder if the preparation before the gold plating is done correctly. it is the key element for a long lasting plating. if it is done wrong, the plating wont last long either.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

just thought id share:

I purchased an Apple Watch for my wife recently and badly wanted to get it gold plated for her. I received my watch last week and came back to this feed to see how everything with watchplate has been going before i placed my order and was surprised to see some frustrated customers. A little bit worried, i did further research and came across purelyplated.com ... I placed my order with them, got my Apple Watch back in 4 days and it looks unbelievable. Exactly like the edition. purelyplated does it for $349 and offers a 1 year quality warranty if the watch shows any sign of fade. i found this better, and more promising than watchplate. They also had great customer service and service over the phone which was a plus. More than pleased. Just thought id share!

View attachment 562879 View attachment 562880
Left is my wives gold plated watch from purelyplated and right is a image from their site.

This company undercuts the competition by $50 and provides a full year warranty on the gold plate; however, much of the information on this website appears to be lifted from watchplate's site (see the FAQs on both for example). Both make the unsubstantiated claim (without any actual testing) that the thickness is 35 microns and that it isn't certain whether or not plating the watch will void the standard warranty.

IMO, a honest company would not claim a certain thickness without actual testing and would be straightforward with customers that the gold plating WILL void the standard warranty (at least until it's removed). We have seen time and time again that Apple refuses to warranty iDevices until aftermarket modifications are removed or reversed. It is specifically stated in Apple's internal documents that "counterfeit or third-party parts and unauthorized modifications" are ineligible for service.

 

[Adam Sofa]

i got mine today and I'm satisfied. i had a really crappy day so this was my highlight.

theres a few missed plating marks on the inside where the band attaches to the watch but I'm not tripping about it. its a contact area that plated or not it was going to get worn and weird. i don't plan on wearing this watch every day maybe once every week or 2 so i bought a charging stand at work for super cheap (yay employee discount) so its more of a display piece lol.

hope everyone else's order goes smooth and those with problems get them sorted out.

 

[EriCKY]

Made an awkward review of my watch here:

essentially, despite the pretty crappy customer service, i really like the outcome of my watch.

 

[friends1287]

Hello All,

Some years ago, I was not a fan of Apple products but then I once accidentally landed in a group of Apple fans. You all guys have similarities. You all are generous, love innovations and accept the change. I stay here in Germany, here are people different and very secretive. I cannot imagine that you guys out of a post made a business idea and actually told the guy how much he should make...awesome.

Because of this attitude of Americans, I have started telling my husband to start looking a job in USA.

You all rock. Hats off to you.
Love you, Palak

 

[zlin9596]

Made an awkward review of my watch here:

essentially, despite the pretty crappy customer service, i really like the outcome of my watch.

wow really good review thanks for sharing

 

[lg251]

Has anyone purchased this kickstarter? anyone received the kits yet?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/638741610/plate-your-steel-apple-watch-with-24k-gold

 

[colecheck1000]

Hey all,
I got my 42mm with black sport band plated with purelyplated.com also. It was a 4 day turn around time. Great quality, very pleased overall.

 

[SHNXX]

What happens when you take this gold plating off?
Can it look like the original?

 

[msaghirmd]

UPDATE: WATCH IS ALREADY TARNISHED. I wore it every day and did not excercise in it at all This "plating " lasts about 4 weeks. That's why this guy has a 30 day policy. That's about how long the plating lasts.

Looks like the edition is a good deal after all. WHAT A JOKE. All you people bad mouthing me will do a total 180 in 4 to 8 weeks when your watch tarnishes. I didn't actually read any posts after mine but I assume Rian has turned the tide for now. The negative reviews will start pouring in soon I'm sure.

This entire experience has made me want to save up and purchase an actual everose rolex. I feel like such phony baloney with my poorly plated watch (which you can now see stainless steel through). Ugh how pathetic.

 

[zlin9596]

UPDATE: WATCH IS ALREADY TARNISHED. I wore it every day and did not excercise in it at all This "plating " lasts about 4 weeks. That's why this guy has a 30 day policy. That's about how long the plating lasts.

Looks like the edition is a good deal after all. WHAT A JOKE. All you people bad mouthing me will do a total 180 in 4 to 8 weeks when your watch tarnishes. I didn't actually read any posts after mine but I assume Rian has turned the tide for now. The negative reviews will start pouring in soon I'm sure.

This entire experience has made me want to save up and purchase an actual everose rolex. I feel like such phony baloney with my poorly plated watch (which you can now see stainless steel through). Ugh how pathetic.

i really want to see the pictures can u post them please

 

[EriCKY]

UPDATE: WATCH IS ALREADY TARNISHED. I wore it every day and did not excercise in it at all This "plating " lasts about 4 weeks. That's why this guy has a 30 day policy. That's about how long the plating lasts.

Looks like the edition is a good deal after all. WHAT A JOKE. All you people bad mouthing me will do a total 180 in 4 to 8 weeks when your watch tarnishes. I didn't actually read any posts after mine but I assume Rian has turned the tide for now. The negative reviews will start pouring in soon I'm sure.

This entire experience has made me want to save up and purchase an actual everose rolex. I feel like such phony baloney with my poorly plated watch (which you can now see stainless steel through). Ugh how pathetic.

wow

can you post pics? this hasn't happened to me yet. crazy how ryan is 100% mia off of here since his last post.

 

[noobinator]

A good business model is ell something in mass quantity while it is hot and stick around just long enough until the problems start. By then, you should have plenty of money to hide out on an island in the Caribbean.

 

[Vgm1987]

UPDATE: WATCH IS ALREADY TARNISHED. I wore it every day and did not excercise in it at all This "plating " lasts about 4 weeks. That's why this guy has a 30 day policy. That's about how long the plating lasts.

Looks like the edition is a good deal after all. WHAT A JOKE. All you people bad mouthing me will do a total 180 in 4 to 8 weeks when your watch tarnishes. I didn't actually read any posts after mine but I assume Rian has turned the tide for now. The negative reviews will start pouring in soon I'm sure.

This entire experience has made me want to save up and purchase an actual everose rolex. I feel like such phony baloney with my poorly plated watch (which you can now see stainless steel through). Ugh how pathetic.

What really bothers me is that they claimed to have long lasting plating with extra microns, which was the reason why I decided to go ahead and plate mine since i wanted to workout with it. Ofcourse after seeing all this im even affraid of sneezing over my watch. This picture I attached is just so fake. There is no way the watch would hold it for very long under these working conditions.

 

[KateKelly]

lovely!

 

[mbapple]

Just got my watch back from WatchPlate and it is sooooo disappointing.

I did not even wear it once. I sent it straight to WatchPlate after receiving it from Apple. You can see in the photos all the scratches. It looks a mess.

Issues:
Huge areas of missing plating on the back (all 4 corners on back have no plating)
Crown is stuck, had to rotate it a bunch to get it to scroll.
All scratched up (you can see in the photos - I have NEVER worn it)
Black stuff is rubbing off onto the white band
The white Apple box was all dirty along with the white case
The plating is streaking on the band pin
Scratches on the band pin
Uneven plating on the buttons

Just a CRAZY ****** job for $400.

I'm following up with them and I hope they make it right. How frustrating.

I will say, the coloring of the gold is beautiful. I'll give them that.