Dings Nicks and Scratches...

[captain_NEMO]

Originally Posted by TheRolexKingofLV

Dings, Nicks & Scratches....sounds like a great name for a band!

Or a fly-by-night law firm.

[Rolex fan 61]

The first scratch is the worst it REALLY hurts!!!!!

[JnmEaton]

I have to admit, seeing the oyster band, it gets worn looking quickly IMO. The pres band and jubilee look to be much more "Dings, Nicks & Scratches" friendly. Must be the "curved" shape of the links that don't have a lot of surface to mess up.

just an observation.

[TK-710]

Originally Posted by rushca01

After owning my brand new Sd4k for a little over a week its incredible how little nicks start to show up. I am by no means tough on my watches but I do wear them but I am surprised how quickly they developed...kind of sad but such is life.

I haven't done anything with it other than daily wear and I have been sleeping with it on, wonder if that's what it is...? I wonder if it's also the lack of chamfer on the case edges, that's where I see them. My 10406M doesn't show near the marks on the case edge bevels.

My SD4K has a couple tiny nicks in the same place. I barely notice them anymore. I do agree that a chamfer would probably reduce them.

I wear mine 24/7 as well and I'm pretty sure what I do during my day is far harder on it then whatever happens when I'm sleeping. I think the way I fling my seatbelt off at work is the culprit but I'm not changing that routine.

I picked the SD4K because I knew I was hard on things and I knew it could handle a beating. I'm sure now that it's discontinued some will keep theirs pristine but imo that's not the point of owning one. Besides a lot of those vintage subs look like they been through hell and they look awesome and always fetch a decent price.

You have a great watch; wear and enjoy

[slide13]

I was kinda glad after my first real scratch was out of the way. I'm not a collector, more a one watch guy, and I plan to wear my Sub for many years and I really don't want to have to worry about a little nick here or scratch there.

First night I owned it I scuffed the clasp but that didn't both me a bit as it's inevitable. Couple weeks later though I noticed some gunk on the side of the case while at work....maybe some soapy water splash from washi my hands. Anyway, grabbed a microfiber cloth I had in my desk drawer (unrelated to watch stuff, just somehow ended up with it) and wiped my case off. Well, turns out there must have been a small particle in that cloth because it left a very fine inch long scratch down the side of my case from about 9 o'clock to almost the no of the lug. Stung at first, but quickly got over.

Now, another week or two later, I'm actually kinda glad it happened. Got the first one out of the way and now I'm wearing my watch the way I want to without being overly concerned about a scratch here or there. Makes me happier. In another few years I'm sure it'll be just one among many small marks.

[denmanproject]

When my BLNR was brand new I cringed at every single scratch or knick and though how I couldn't wait until service time to get them all cleaned up, now after 1+ years there is no way I'm polishing anything, I like it the way it is, mine

[slide13]

Originally Posted by denmanproject

When my BLNR was brand new I cringed at every single scratch or knick and though how I couldn't wait until service time to get them all cleaned up, now after 1+ years there is no way I'm polishing anything, I like it the way it is, mine

Agree! Definitely have no plans to polish mine either.

[locutus49]

Too true. I wore my Sub all night and the wife made the bed, with extra pillows, so it took several months for me to realize that the worn off stain on the headboard (a thick line about 2 feet wide and 2" wide) was due to the Sub hitting the headboard while I was thrashing.

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

If you're a restless sleeper, you may want to leave it off at bedtime.

As much as I thrash around, that's what makes me nervous about sleeping with a nice watch on.

[antbkny]

The answer to your prays lol

[No SUBctitute]

Originally Posted by rushca01

After owning my brand new Sd4k for a little over a week its incredible how little nicks start to show up. I am by no means tough on my watches but I do wear them but I am surprised how quickly they developed...kind of sad but such is life.

I haven't done anything with it other than daily wear and I have been sleeping with it on, wonder if that's what it is...? I wonder if it's also the lack of chamfer on the case edges, that's where I see them. My 10406M doesn't show near the marks on the case edge bevels.

What are we talking bout here? Lets see some pics.

[1William]

It goes with ownership. Enjoy your watch.

[Minimalist]

Originally Posted by G'ed

Wait till you wear an AP SS model. OCD will drive you crazy.

This is me lol. Annoyingly somehow the bezel got a small ding right on the edge where the polished side meets the top brushed side. The most annoying part is I don't know how it happened and even more annoying is that of all my watches this is the most expensive and it had to happen to this one. That's when I learnt that Rolex is built like a tank and I can wear them carelessly. I guess that's when I decided to buy my Seiko skx007 as a daily beater. I've worn it while cutting lumber etc etc and nothing!!!

The more you try to baby something the more likely it is to get scratched/dinged it seems, such is life though

[brandrea]

I must be the only guy on the forum who doesn't have this problem

I wouldn't say I'm overly careful with how I wear my watches, but can honestly say, its pretty rare that I develop any serious nicks or scratches.

[mjclark32]

They happen

[NoVaSubowner]

PP Aquanaut, LNIB in Feb.... 2 scratches on the bezel and a small pinprick ding on the 1:00 side lug at the end of May....

BLNR, BNIB in April. Already light scratches. One tiny fleabite ding on the bottom of the 9:00 side of the case.

I can account for one of the marks on the PP. No idea on the rest. I just wear and enjoy my watches. Service will clean them up when needed.

[nektar]

Stop thinking about that.. and the marks will disappear :)

[MJaber]

We will never be able to enjoy ownership if we worry about scratches and feel the need to baby them. Unless its a Complicated Lange or PP i don't mind beating the hell out of it.

[Longhorn02]

Scratched my GMTIIc just a couple days ago on a pot while washing the dishes. I was annoyed, I'll have to admit, but the funny thing is i haven't tried to be more careful with it since. I bought a watch that is supposed to be worn and exposed to the elements of day to day life and it surely will get that exposure (just hopefully not too noticeably!)


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[davidgilmore]

I think we sometimes wear a less expensive "beater" for rough use and perhaps that causes us to be less careful when wearing our Rolex. I try to treat both the same to avoid dings but they are inevitable. A professional hunter I spent time with in Botswana used to say "scars are the best souvenirs". He had quite a collection of scars and not on his watch! Kind of liked that sentiment.

[MyDadsAirKing]

Originally Posted by michaelodonnell123

Not sure why your watch is getting nicked up, I have had my Tudor BB on almost everyday for over a year now and no nicks on it. I would think your Sd4k would be made of a superior steel and should be able to hold up better than a Tudor.

Scratches and scuffs on the bracelet, case sides, and clasps are inevitable and do not bother me. Scratches on the crystal and bezel would. As do dings on the case edges. I have been wearing a BB for a couple years in a rotation with an SD4K, which was acquired about 3 months ago. I was surprised to see a a tiny ding on the edge of my SD4K case. I have never dinged a case on any other watch that I've owned, hence my surprise. Now, after reading this thread, it seems like it is not uncommon and it seems that is due to the case edges not having a chamfer. The BB does, which is why it is going to be harder to ding. It's a bummer that the SD4K case doesn't have a chamfer!

[123Blueface]

Originally Posted by MyDadsAirKing

Scratches and scuffs on the bracelet, case sides, and clasps are inevitable

Not true.

[Brookbond]

Originally Posted by Bob Kendall

Wear it, enjoy it, look after it, but don't pamper it. You will have years of fun together, always remember the good times.

Yep...and after you get it back from service it will be like new all over again and you can start dinging from scratch....


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[RolexComplex]

Originally Posted by 123Blueface

Not true.

This just made my day!

[RolexComplex]

When I first got my DJ with the Oyster bracelet, I couldn't understand where all the scratches and nicks were coming from, as I'm not at all rough with my watches. Then I noticed a bunch of nicks and dings on the side rail of my bed frame. Yep, I was swinging my arm around while I slept and slamming the watch against the rail. I don't sleep with it anymore.

As others have said, the first few cuts are the deepest, then many scratches form a patina I just love.

[Reinhard in SA]

Originally Posted by kauffee

I ran across a tech podcast a few years ago and the hosts were discussing whether or not to use a case on your iPhone. The host said something like, "One scratch looks terrible. But a thousand scratches looks like the Millennium Falcon."

Brilliant!

[MCO1]

I know what you mean...I have been wearing my Daytona C a little over a week and there they are.

[sawhornsoff]

This is what mine BLNR bracelet looks like over 3 years. Impossible to keep a watch scratch free with young kids and work. Even if you keep it under your shirt, you will develop micro scratches and hazing on all the polished surfaces.

[rad87gn]

Congrats! I love my life scruffs, dings, and scratches!

[sea-dweller]

It's a unique "feature" of your watch.

[Peter99]

There is no doubt the stainless steel Rolex use on the SubC and Exp 39mm cannot be
referred to as being of a hard type, that is compared with the stainless used even by other watch makers.

My experience is that even with quite a sendentry lifestyle, light scratches & scuffs will be picked up.

I have cheered myself up no end by applying with a degree of care and trial by using two items:-

1)For the matt stainless steel surface: A worn piece of scotch cloth as used in the kitchen.
2)For the polished stainless steel surface: A polishing cream called: 'Autosol' as supplied in a tube.

Those 'in the trade' will no doubt throw their hands up in horror but for me the above two items have proved to be as good as it gets!
'Autosol' is good enough to polish chrome and will polish Rolex stainless steel to a standard as good as the original surface as supplied.
I cannot tell the difference.
So all is not lost, unless of course you are a purist believing that watches must not be polished, but must be in their original 'as worn state'.
But not for me!