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Old 4 February 2020, 05:15 AM   #1
gatpants
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Polishing platinum DD

Hi
Slightly unusual issue.
My dad has a pt DD40 which he has worn daily for >10 yrs.
He has scratched the hell out of it.
Is this saveable ??

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Old 4 February 2020, 05:20 AM   #2
SearChart
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It is doable but it will definitely soften up edges.

Platinum is very difficult to polish, I'm very very glad that I'm not the watchmaker who has to polish that watch.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:20 AM   #3
macrowatch
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100% savable. But...why erase the memories? =)
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:23 AM   #4
gatpants
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100% savable. But...why erase the memories? =)


That is a very good point - but a different one!
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:26 AM   #5
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Wow. Is your dad a mechanic? I take my hat off to him for enjoying the watch over prizing it as a trophy. The scratches add a lot of character and depth to say the least. Not sure what the price tag would look like, but certainly RSC can bring it back to its original luster. Shouldn't be hard to get a quote for service.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:27 AM   #6
BrianSims
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extremly cool piece will be classic IMO if they do a proper job in polishing
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:28 AM   #7
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It can be but I don’t know that I would. I think it’s awesome that he’s clearly worn it and enjoyed it.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:39 AM   #8
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I wouldn't refinish it. That looks awesome.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:39 AM   #9
datejustrms
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What grit sandpaper has he been wiping the watch with?
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:46 AM   #10
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Wow I'm curious as to what does he do. I wear my watches but I don't think all of them combined has as many scratches.

To answer your question, yes it should save the watch. The edges won't be as sharp.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:47 AM   #11
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I would love to see more pics of this watch, especially a little further back for better context.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:50 AM   #12
kieselguhr
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Since it’s platinum, wouldn’t it just look like that all over again 6 months after a polish?
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:56 AM   #13
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Yes - It can be polished.

No - don't do it.

Maybe... do it if its for resale to make it pretty but if its an heirloom then keep the history.
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Old 4 February 2020, 05:56 AM   #14
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That will come up brand spanking new after a competent watchmaker works on that.
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Old 4 February 2020, 06:01 AM   #15
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I'd get a quote from Rolliworks - or whoever is of that level in the UK if you're not comfortable shipping internationally. I'm positive that anyone of that caliber would be able to keep the watch sharp whilst making it look new.
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Old 4 February 2020, 06:15 AM   #16
gatpants
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Ha ha. Funnily enough he’s a doctor!!
He’s had a habit of wearing the bracelet really loose so I guess this is a case of extreme desk diving.
I have looked on in horror over the years as it has been gradually bashed up lore and more.
He’s passed it on to me (lucky me) and I’m debating whether to polish or keep with “patina”.......
Looks pretty cool tbh - so far under the radar.....

He’s 75 and got a bit of arthritis so the weight of the watch is too much for him




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Old 4 February 2020, 06:33 AM   #17
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Keep it that way
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Old 4 February 2020, 06:36 AM   #18
Steerpike999
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That looks Awesome.
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Old 4 February 2020, 06:44 AM   #19
gatpants
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I’m kind of halfway to.....




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Old 4 February 2020, 06:45 AM   #20
gatpants
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That looks Awesome.





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Old 4 February 2020, 07:01 AM   #21
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If it was mine, I would certainly have it refinished, I would say this is beyond “polishing” and it should look just great. Platinum can be hard to work on so I would give it to someone who has done extensive platinum work before. Either an RSC or a watchmaker.
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Old 4 February 2020, 07:02 AM   #22
thewatchnoobie
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You can get it polished, I recommend asking them not to try and remove deep scratches or dings to maintain the look of the watch, their will be some scars left but the watch should look great again
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Old 4 February 2020, 07:07 AM   #23
bp1000
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Never seen anything quite like that before on a plat

I actually quite like it. I’d keep it that way. I never repair my dads watch either. It’s a nice reminder how he wore it and all those dents and scratches happened through his life
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Old 4 February 2020, 07:10 AM   #24
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A decade of saving lives. Wouldn't polish a thing. Resize and rock it

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Old 4 February 2020, 07:11 AM   #25
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I'd have it refinished. Make sure you send it to someone well versed in polishing platinum.
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Old 4 February 2020, 07:22 AM   #26
BobDyl
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I’m generally in support of refinishing but this is so consistently scratched up it looks amazing. I’d leave it. Rock it, as someone else said.
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Old 4 February 2020, 07:34 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kieselguhr View Post
Since it’s platinum, wouldn’t it just look like that all over again 6 months after a polish?
Why would that be; it's roughly the same hardness as steel. It's considerably harder than gold.
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Old 4 February 2020, 07:51 AM   #28
Abarth90
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keep it like this! patina looks great and the watch can and will tell a story! :)
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Old 4 February 2020, 08:03 AM   #29
Nikrnic
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Thats a Beauty the way it is. I'd probably be to tempted to getting it back to as new if it were mine.

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Old 4 February 2020, 08:07 AM   #30
garyk
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I appreciate what the purists are saying here, ordinarily i would totally agree to not touch the patina on a watch, but in this case, I think I would want it to be a brand new looking watch. You only go around once in life, do whatever you want and don't worry about what any of us are saying here!
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