Mining broken watches

[borg]

I collect watches, and it is killing me to see so many nice looking, fully functional classic timepieces being destroyed for their cases. Sad indeed. However, broken watches, or those with damaged cases I agree are fair game.

Most metal hunters I'm sure already know the main pm sources from watches. The cases, bezels, crowns, and bands. That many older or better brands have solid silver(or gold) dials. That some vintage watches have solid gold gear trains. The silver oxide batteries in quartz watches. Etc.

But there are a few things that I am curious to know if anyone here has ever explored. Like gold watch hands? Or applied gold numerals and markers.(The type that are held onto the dial by tiny pins and can be removed.) Or possibly the modules from earlier digital watches, as you can see the gold in many of them when you open the cases. Are these things worth accumulating?

 

[borg]

I guess from the lack of replies that no one has bothered with these items before. My curiosity remains though, so I've decided to experiment with it myself to satisfy it. I'm accumulating applied numeral/marker dials, balance wheel screws, and hands. Going through my parts I've got a few grams so far. Anyone who has some to swap off or contribute to the experiment?

 

[Ptman]

This is my first post as I have been lurking and absorbing all the excellent information provided here.

I too have been collecting old Swiss quartz movements and the gold traced circuits from them for a while now.

I disassemble the movements while watching TV and the image below are some of the results so far. I have used a Sulfuric Cell to deplate the gold from them but still have a few more to go before I do a clean out and see the powder results.

I am throwing the circuits into my AP finger pile. There is not enough gold to process by themselves.

I also have a few pounds of old gold plated bracelet links that I am going to run and see what I end up with.

I am not sure how to embed the images so I can going to just attach them.

 

[borg]

Nice. Please do post when you get the results. I go through a lot of watches, and am always looking for ways to recoup money from the busted or non-collectible ones. A few that you may want to look for are Accurate watches (I have found these marked 22k gold plated, case and bracelet), some CSI brand watches have 23k gp dials and 5 micron cases, and Ecclissi watches are .925 solid silver(many times case and bracelet are, and can be pretty heavy).