Solid Gold

How can I tell if a 1908 Elgin pocket watch is solid gold?

I have a 1908 Elgin pocket watch that I have been told is solid gold. Also, I have a Howard and Waltham I believe are as well. I can find no wording on them to indicate that. Is there a mark or lack of marks that will indicate this? Any ideas? I have no acsess to chemical tests.

Remove the case back. Most commonly, the case back either screws on, or it is hinged, and is pried open. The other alternative is a "swing out" case, in which you'll need to remove the bezel(either screw off or hinge off), click the crown out, and swing the movement out of the case.

In any case, you need to look for markings on the inside of the back.

A gold case will be marked with the gold content(usually either 14K or 18K), the case maker, and the case serial number. Sometimes, they may say "Assayed".

If the case says "warranted" or "guaranteed", it's probably not solid gold. If it's marked "guaranteed 20 years" or something like that, it's definitely not solid gold. Cases such as this are "gold filled" meaning that they have a thin layer of gold-about the thickness of a piece of paper-over a brass base metal. The year guarantee refers to how long the case is guaranteed to wear without showing brass.

Generally, a watch in a gold filled case will be worth more than an otherwise identical movement in a base metal("silveroid") case. It's worth far less, however, than one in a solid gold case.

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