Hi Kyle! Gold plating is when an entire piece is made of a base metal and then a very thin coating of gold is applied. The point is, that the electroplating process was first used in the 1840s.
So very old electroplated pieces can be found and often with misleading marks. Because the piece is old though, if it is gold plated you should be able to detect it by close examination with your jewelers loupe or magnifying glass in the places that get most wear, because the coating of gold is thin.
If you zoom in (Command & +) for Mac users, in the right hand corner of photo, can we detect the tell-tale signs of gold plating? If you still aren't sure, for your own peace of mind, take the watch down to your local jeweler for him to examine. Whether the piece is plated or not, besides the price of gold, (if it is solid gold) you still have the antique store of value to consider.
