White Gold Pitting?

[Daytona88]

Just received a 5124G - beautiful watch BUT there is a small area on the case that is a different color (slightly yellowish) and "pitted" with black spots.

Any idea what the situation could be?

The dealer is highly respectable with an unconditional return policy. He will also repair and stated that his watchmaker "believes it to be a defect in the Rhodium plating Patek uses to make the White Gold case that very white high shine finish. It can be fixed and a new Rhodium finish applied back to the case"

Sorry for the difficult to see photo - was limited to low resolution due to image size restrictions.

Input appreciated.

[Vasco]

Hi, congratulations for your new watch :)

I think Patek's recent white gold isn't plated anymore (since the 2000's?).

The 5124 family seems not that old (the 5024G was still produced in 2005/2006 if I'm not wrong), maybe a call to a Patek Salon to know about early Gondolos?

Is it the salmon dial? In which case it is one of the first 5124s but still...

I would call to figure it out.

It could also have been hit by something "yellowish", leaving a black spot from the object?

[Daytona88]

This one is actually a blue dial 5124G from about 2017. I also thought that Patek stopped rhodium plating pre 2010 but my research is suggesting otherwise and that some of their white gold pieces are homogenous while others remain rhodium plated for the brightest finish.

[Vasco]

Indeed, the 5124G Blue is very recent.

It's interesting what you said about some cases are still rhodium plated... (someone on the forum was also mentioning his 2016 5205G was plated). I'm very surprised and will try to ask a Salon if I can.

[Megalobyte]

Everything I’ve read indicates all modern WG pateks are no longer rhodium plated.