What is the ruling on plating a watch with gold? And is the material usually used for plating gold, or is it another chemical substance unrelated to gold?

The questioner : What is the ruling on plating a watch with gold? And is the material usually used for plating gold, or is it another chemical substance unrelated to gold?

The Shaykh : What I know—and this is not within my area of expertise—is that the plating of watches, or "coating," is sometimes done with a non-gold material, which is the yellow color, and sometimes—and this definitely exists—with a golden material. This material is sometimes very thin, to the point where it is not worth mentioning in terms of value, and sometimes it is a shell, and this shell can be thickened or made heavier according to the desire of the one who wants it.
My opinion on the matter is that if the plating is of light weight, I do not see that as a barrier, unless it leads those who see it to think that this watch is made of gold. In that case, the one who plates his watch with light gold exposes himself to being suspected of deception, and this is not something a Muslim should put himself in a position to be accused of. The clearest example of this suspicion is if one wears a silver ring and plates it with gold; no one would doubt that it is a gold ring. In this case, one should not fall into such a matter in order to ward off the accusation from himself. And "May Allah have mercy on the man who conceals his faults from himself." This is, of course, not a hadith, but a piece of wisdom.
Yes.