This Hurt

[ROLEXROLEXROLEXRO]

yes ouch because it was avoidable.

How much tension did you put on the spring bar? That must have been a bullet of a spring bar! This is not a scratch.

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by Daveclock

Sorry to hear, but even by my OCD standards that is a small blemish - I think it would later polish out and not be seen.
Certainly invest in the "proper" Bergeon tool for spring bars, even Rolex use it in their agent tools kits.
The spring bar comes out like a spring loaded centre punch when it is released - hence the "hammer" like damage it inflicts.
See below for the "cribbed" scale of softness of metals.

The Mohs Scale of Hardness for Metals

Here is a list of the hardness grades for some of the metals that you are most likely to come across in your everyday life, especially when dealing with jewelry:

Lead: 1.5
Tin: 1.5
Zinc: 2.5
Gold: 2.5-3
Silver: 2.5-3
Aluminum: 2.5-3
Copper: 3
Brass: 3
Bronze: 3
Nickel: 4
Platinum: 4-4.5
Steel: 4-4.5
Iron: 4.5
Palladium: 4.75
Rhodium: 6
Titanium: 6
Hardened steel: 7-8
Tungsten: 7.5
Tungsten carbide: 8.5-9

Why It Is Important to Know the Hardness of Metals

When the German geologist Friedrich Mohs devised the scale of hardness that we use today, he used a simple principle to determine the grade for each material: Which materials can scratch it, and which materials it can scratch.

For example, platinum, which has a hardness of 4-4.5, can be scratched by all materials that have a higher Mohs grade (such as topaz, which is graded 8), and it can in turn scratch any material that is graded lower (e.g., gold, which has a hardness of 2.5-3).

Rolex should make their watches out of tungsten carbide, nothing can scratch it then.

[Deepseadog]

I've done this with a couple of Sinn EZM's. All sport watches should have drilled lugs.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Deepseadog

I've done this with a couple of Sinn EZM's. All sport watches should have drilled lugs.

It still happens with drilled lugs, which only make it easier for removal, not replacement. It's when replacing the band that the springbars can overshoot the holes and pop out the dial side of the case, causing nicks like the OP made.

[sfbatman007]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

It still happens with drilled lugs, which only make it easier for removal, not replacement. It's when replacing the band that the springbars can overshoot the holes and pop out the dial side of the case, causing nicks like the OP made.

You are spot on! I highly doubt rolex cares. They don't want us messing with our own watches anyways

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[Brian Page]

ouch

[pickettt]

That sucks, but it could’ve been worse. It’s still a terrific watch.

[Bladeshot]

All can be fixed. I’ve done some similar things. Great watch BTW. I love mine and hope you enjoy yours as much as I am mine.

[sfbatman007]

Thank you, gentlemen

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[tkc324]

Now do the same to the left lug to even out the look... jk, all good man, give it character...

[cvo]

Ouch! It can be polished at some point.

[ndrs63]

This the first. More to come, don’t worry


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[lixhampton]

So sorry


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[donas]

Yup, the most painful ones are the clearly avoidable ones. I hit my smurf on a dumpster throwing trash in when it was only a couple months old. I put a good size ding in it and wasn't too happy with myself.

[214270Explorer]

Too bad you nicked that lug. You could have done a lot worse.

Just be glad you did not take it to a particular dealer <remaining unnamed> near me. They would have badly damaged the lugs and then hoped you would not notice. Devious!

OF is a bad design. They should have included notches for spring bar access. Cannot for the life of me understand why they did not.

[Thuilln]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Those spring-loaded steel pins are not flimsy. Such damage happens to stainless steel lugs too (especially 904L). Seen it many times here.

I’m quite surprised by that.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Thuilln

I’m quite surprised by that.

I guess that's why it happens, people don't expect it and get careless. We had a thread here a few weeks ago with similar damage. The guy didn't even realise he had done it, and was going to send the watch back to Rolex because he thought the case was somehow faulty.