Scratches

[Paddydog52]

Located 7 or 8 scratches on various areas of the bracelet, the rest of the watch is in immaculate condition, that is the condition I intend to keep the watch in until the time comes to sell, never worn and won’t be worn but obviously can’t present it as in immaculate condition so looking to get rid of these scratches as even if I don’t sell for years or may never sell it, irrespective of that I don’t like looking at scratches, would any reputable watch repairer be able to buff out these small blemishes without polishing the whole bracelet? I’m guessing it wouldn’t be a major job costing much? Anyone had a a similar repair carried out? Should it only take a few hours? The watch is a 2021 Rolex submariner 126610LV, will add images to show the scratches within this post or a following post. Thanks all

[brandrea]

You’re going to get a variety of responses here, everything from:

Leave it alone it’ll just scratch again
Cape Cod DYI
RSC polish bracelet
AD polish bracelet
Independent polish bracelet.

Ultimately it’s your choice. It’s not terribly expensive depending which of the above you choose use.

I’m in the leave it alone camp

[Neil McCauley]

You intend to keep the watch in immaculate condition, yet you want to keep wearing the watch? Good luck with that.

When you come to eventually sell the watch, if you have it polished, it will be a "polished" example, not immaculate. It will never be immaculate, because you've worn it. It's a worn, second hand watch no matter how you spin it.

Just get it polished if the scratches bother you. Forget about selling it, don't let that cloud your decisions now, unless you're selling it next week. If you're going to keep wearing it, you will scratch it again.

[Bazil]

Look at the watch polisher on Instagram , he comes highly recommended , and I’ll be honest Hatton Garden has many watch dealers that do touch ups to take out surface scratches ..

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Neil McCauley

You intend to keep the watch in immaculate condition, yet you want to keep wearing the watch? Good luck with that.

When you come to eventually sell the watch, if you have it polished, it will be a "polished" example, not immaculate. It will never be immaculate, because you've worn it. It's a worn, second hand watch no matter how you spin it.

Just get it polished if the scratches bother you. Forget about selling it, don't let that cloud your decisions now, unless you're selling it next week. If you're going to keep wearing it, you will scratch it again.

I've never worn the watch and don't intend to ever wear it

[sgt10p]

Most grey dealers touch up bracelets so contact one close to you and get it done. Then lock it away and don't touch it. Otherwise you may as well wait until you're ready to sell it and sort it then.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by brandrea

You’re going to get a variety of responses here, everything from:

Leave it alone it’ll just scratch again
Cape Cod DYI
RSC polish bracelet
AD polish bracelet
Independent polish bracelet.

Ultimately it’s your choice. It’s not terribly expensive depending which of the above you choose use.

I’m in the leave it alone camp

I'm confident that I it won't occur any further scratches as I will only remove it from the box intermittently to give it a wind, was just wondering how it works with regards to the removal of the scratches if the whole bracelet would need to be polished or would a light polish over the scratches only be required, fair enough if there were lots and lots of scratches then may as well have the whole bracelet done but in this case I wasn't sure if with it being 7 or 8 of them that they could just be done and the rest of the bracelet be left alone.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by sgt10p

Most grey dealers touch up bracelets so contact one close to you and get it done. Then lock it away and don't touch it. Otherwise you may as well wait until you're ready to sell it and sort it then.

Yes, will probably have to do the first one you mention as even though I'm not selling anytime soon or maybe never at all once you see scratches you can't unsee them and kind of gets into your head a bit, sounds pathetic in a way but it's just not pleasant to look at!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by brandrea

You’re going to get a variety of responses here, everything from:

Leave it alone it’ll just scratch again
Cape Cod DYI
RSC polish bracelet
AD polish bracelet
Independent polish bracelet.

Ultimately it’s your choice. It’s not terribly expensive depending which of the above you choose use.

I’m in the leave it alone camp

Have to agree watches when worn will get scratched that's a fact,but all normal wearing scratches easily rectified at normal routine service every 5-10 years.

[Mystro]

It can easily be touched up but let it go if you are wearing it. Knowing this should remove any pressure for you to continue wearing the watch.

FYI: It would take me 15 minutes to totally erase those with a green scotchbrite pad and other “techniques” to get a factory finish.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Mystro

It can easily be touched up but let it go if you are wearing it. Knowing this should remove any pressure for you to continue wearing the watch.

FYI: It would take me 15 minutes to totally erase those with a green scotchbrite pad and other “techniques” to get a factory finish.

I havnt worn it and don’t intend to wear it, can anyone recommend the best place to get this done in and around the Colchester area? Found the polisher on instagram, anyone used him? Just to get an idea of what the process is? Bit reluctant to be posting the watch off

[nighthawk77]

I’d leave it alone. If I’m buying a used piece, I’d prefer unpolished but with a few small blemishes rather than a watch that’s received a polish.

I also think you should wear the watch rather than keep it locked in a safe…

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by Paddydog52

I havnt worn it and don’t intend to wear it, can anyone recommend the best place to get this done in and around the Colchester area? Found the polisher on instagram, anyone used him? Just to get an idea of what the process is? Bit reluctant to be posting the watch off

Then please don’t polish it as you can’t state “Never Polished” and that means more to me than those spots touched up if I were buying it. That’s not just me but any grey market dealer.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

First, take some better pictures. Second a green 3m Scotch Brite pad judiciously applied does an excellent job of replicating the brushing on an oyster bracelet. But then the scratches may be gone but the watch still isn’t immaculate. So choose your preferred obsession. If it was me I’d leave it alone.

It seems as if this free watch brings you nothing but distress.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

I’d leave it alone. If I’m buying a used piece, I’d prefer unpolished but with a few small blemishes rather than a watch that’s received a polish.

I also think you should wear the watch rather than keep it locked in a safe…

The thing is it is in immaculate condition bar these scratches, if and when I sell it it will be to a dealer so I want it to present as being in immaculate condition as opposed to them knocking down any offer due to it looking like it’s in used condition, if someone competent touches up the scratches then will it be indiscernible to any dealer that the bracelet has been touched up? Or is it one of these things that would be obvious to a dealer? Obviously the whole point of the touch up is that the bracelet looks like it’s just left the factory.

[77T]

If you haven't worn it you sure got the scratches too easily maybe wait until it is time to sell it or you could acquire new ones by accident or mishap and have to do it again at additional cost and risk of damage during the polishing before selling it just my 2¢ and for the record I never used a period in this post except this one>.


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[nighthawk77]

Originally Posted by Paddydog52

The thing is it is in immaculate condition bar these scratches, if and when I sell it it will be to a dealer so I want it to present as being in immaculate condition as opposed to them knocking down any offer due to it looking like it’s in used condition, if someone competent touches up the scratches then will it be indiscernible to any dealer that the bracelet has been touched up? Or is it one of these things that would be obvious to a dealer? Obviously the whole point of the touch up is that the bracelet looks like it’s just left the factory.

From experience, if you sell to a dealer then they may deduct £150-£200 from the value of the watch if they deem it needs a polish. It’s not going to make or break the value of your ‘investment’.

You’ll probably spend that getting it done yourself and run the risk of it not being done properly.

If you do get it polished, then whether or not it’s indiscernible when you come to sell it, you should advise any potential purchasers that it’s had a polish. I’m not an expert on polishing, but suspect a good dealer may be able to tell if they look close enough.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Mystro

Then please don’t polish it as you can’t state “Never Polished” and that means more to me than those spots touched up if I were buying it. That’s not just me but any grey market dealer.

Interesting take, I presumed that the grays would get the bracelet touched up before selling it on anyway, especially with these modern models? As they want to present these newer models in as an immaculate state as possible so I would just be doing what they would have done anyway

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

From experience, if you sell to a dealer then they may deduct £150-£200 from the value of the watch if they deem it needs a polish. It’s not going to make or break the value of your ‘investment’.

You’ll probably spend that getting it done yourself and run the risk of it not being done properly.

If you do get it polished, then whether or not it’s indiscernible when you come to sell it, you should advise any potential purchasers that it’s had a polish. I’m not an expert on polishing, but suspect a good dealer may be able to tell if they look close enough.

I think I was maybe taking too much notice of the function where you check on that watch charts site where there is a fairly big discrepancy between the value of a pre owned or new one of this model:

New:

Estimated Value: £12,602

Lower Bound: £11,972

Upper Bound: £13,232

Pre owned:

Estimated Value: £12,148

Lower Bound: £11,540

Upper Bound: £12,755

Surely there are degrees though of pre owned condition, just seems a bit arbitrary, I guess poor condition they will off around £11, 540, obviously there are variables involved at any given time, sometimes they may not really be interested in the watch so won’t want to pay anything near that for one that’s in excellent condition

[Calatrava r]

The photos are not sharp enough for me to see the scratches.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

From experience, if you sell to a dealer then they may deduct £150-£200 from the value of the watch if they deem it needs a polish. It’s not going to make or break the value of your ‘investment’.

You’ll probably spend that getting it done yourself and run the risk of it not being done properly.

If you do get it polished, then whether or not it’s indiscernible when you come to sell it, you should advise any potential purchasers that it’s had a polish. I’m not an expert on polishing, but suspect a good dealer may be able to tell if they look close enough.

A touch up isn’t the same as a full polish though, unless due to the fact that some polishing has occurred it is deemed polished? I realise it seems like a game of semantics in a way

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Calatrava r

The photos are not sharp enough for me to see the scratches.

The photos I take originally are fine but for some reason this site won’t upload them in that size and I have to bring them down to 1250 x 1250 which makes them poor, not sure why it won’t allow me to upload the original ones but maybe I’m doing something wrong or using the wrong format or something else but it’s very frustrating having to keep scaling down each image until it will upload

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Paddydog52

A touch up isn’t the same as a full polish though, unless due to the fact that some polishing has occurred it is deemed polished? I realise it seems like a game of semantics in a way

Just received a response from a local AD who arnt currently offering polishing but hope to within the next 12 months but apparently they polish the whole bracelet:

“The polishers would only polish the full bracelet to continue the continuity of the whole bracelet“

So not sure if independents do more of a touch up job but Rolex themselves polish the whole bracelet.

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by Paddydog52

Interesting take, I presumed that the grays would get the bracelet touched up before selling it on anyway, especially with these modern models? As they want to present these newer models in as an immaculate state as possible so I would just be doing what they would have done anyway

Actually many won’t touch them as “No polish” carries a lot of weight now than it did a few years ago. It would be up to their discretion per case.
It’s kinda like it’s either “virgin” or it it isn’t. Many grey dealers will describe those marks as “ handling or display” superficial marks.

For my eye when looking over a watch, the bracelet is a wear item for me when I own a watch and I easily touch it up as an owner but a case with a dent, pin prick, or polishing mark is a major issue when purchasing.

I macro photo my watches a lot and it will show everything beyond what my eye can see.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Mystro

Actually many won’t touch them as “No polish” carries a lot of weight now than it did a few years ago. It would be up to their discretion per case.
It’s kinda like it’s either “virgin” or it it isn’t. Many grey dealers will describe those marks as “ handling or display” superficial marks.

To be fair mine are just from handling more than anything, handling too much, checking this or that, I can accept a couple of hundred quid being knocked off for the 7 or 8 scratches just wasn’t sure if it was going to be like £4,5,6,£700 difference between immaculate condition and everything immaculate bar the 7 or 8 scratches which to be fair can’t really be seen unless you’re really looking up close, from what you say it seems that these scratches arnt really a big deal with regards to the offer I would receive if and when it comes to selling which is reassuring!

[-dustin]

I imagine "not new" carries more weight than superficial scuffs.

[Neil McCauley]

Shame the watch is going to spend most of it's immediate life locked away, only to be bought out to be wound now and again.

If you're going to get it touched up/polished anyway at some point, you may as well wear it.

It's not like it's a car that gets miles put on the clock. It's already out of its 'unworn" state, so you may as well enjoy your "investment", otherwise it may as well be money sat in the bank instead, just my 2p.

[Paddydog52]

Originally Posted by Neil McCauley

Shame the watch is going to spend most of it's immediate life locked away, only to be bought out to be wound now and again.

If you're going to get it touched up/polished anyway at some point, you may as well wear it.

It's not like it's a car that gets miles put on the clock. It's already out of its 'unworn" state, so you may as well enjoy your "investment", otherwise it may as well be money sat in the bank instead, just my 2p.

Not even sure if any sort of polishing will be beneficial over leaving it as is, seems to be what some think on here, the best course of action could be no action in this case, although the wind will probably change soon as then will my thinking but hopefully not as the less messing around with changing anything the better

[Paddydog52]

It seems that this steel does scratch super easily though

[fsprow]

Suggestion:
- Sell the watch and purchase one you will use.
- If not, keep in storage except remove it without looking and wind it in the dark, so you won’t be disturbed by scratches.