then it is not permissible to cover it with gold, unless there is a fear that it will break or decay, in which case it is permissible.

Issues:

First: Is it permissible for a man to wear a watch ornamented with silver or gold?

The answer is that, according to the stronger view, it is permissible to wear a watch ornamented with silver, because the basic ruling concerning silver is permissibility.

As for wearing a watch ornamented with gold, that is not permissible, because gold is prohibited for men.

However, if the watch is gold-plated, and the gold is merely a color, then it is permissible. Nevertheless, a person should not wear it for two reasons:

The first reason is that people may think badly of him, assuming that he is wearing a gold watch, since people do not know.

The second reason is that others may follow his example, for people imitate one another.

Thus, we say to a person who receives a gold-plated watch as a gift or the like: it is better not to wear it; but if he does wear it, there is no blame upon him.

However, the scholars stipulated that, in a gold-plated item, the gold must not have any tangible substance—that is, an actual coating—such that something of it would come off if it were scraped or exposed to fire. As for mere color, there is no harm in it.

If someone were to say: What if the watch is neither gold nor gold-plated, but contains some gold in its internal mechanisms—is it permissible?