Found a wonderful polish for your Rolex!

[biggums]

I just got my GMT II Ceramic and am so impressed at this watch I am amazed. It came to me minty used M model but it has a few little scratches on the clasp. I decided to go out into the garage and grab my old metal polish standby: SEMICHROME POLISH.

I used to polish my aluminum Harley wheels and engine cases with this stuff and found it to be the best for that application.

Semichrome is made in Germany and is a fine or maybe the finest metal cleaner that is advertise on the tube to be used for any chrome, silver or aluminum or any metal.

With a few swipes the scratches were gone and the finish was absolutely a mirror finish. I ended up doing the whole center band and the watch appears brand new. No more sending in the watch for the $100 plus polish jobs.

I think it acts both chemically and with the finest grade abrasive but not sure of the abrasive content.

Here it is:









If this ruins the finish of your Rolex I will not be responsible. Use at your own risk!

[Rolex Lover]

Do you think it wouldn't take out any layers from the steel????

[biggums]

It is a pink cream with the feel between the fingers of a fine lotion. It does have a chemical oder cleaner type oder. When you rub the metal like I did on the band you almost get a immediate black rub color on the fine rag. I used a very soft cloth.

I'm not sure of the amount of surface it is removing but I would think it is negligable on SS. It is so creamy that it just seems to do magic to the finish. It costs about $5.00 US a tube and might be worth a try for Rolee lovers. I will continue to use it on mine. I am impressed with the results on SS. The good thing is it acts fast so you feel your not rubbing the metal down.

[nikhsub1]

It is an abrasive polish... for a truly NON abrasive polish try Flitz...

[biggums]

I'll look into Fritz. Where do you find it?

[Lion]

Flitz can be found at hardware stores such as Ace!!!
Also there is a polish called Renaisance Wax which I use on my SS Case knives. Bet this would help as well!!!

[biggums]

Thanks Lion! I will look for these. I think my Semichrome is good but might be agressive to Gold or used too often on steel. Not sure though as I am amazed at the results of todays test. It took scrapes out of a SS link at the clasp in minutes leaving a mirror finish just like new.

[WatchSmith]

Flitz will not remove scratches nearly as well as Simichrome (spelled SIMIchrome). Flitz is fine for objects that require freshening up and can be damaged by polishing (thin jewelry, plated items, etc). Simichrome is the best choice for SS and it will remove fine scratches.

You will not have to worry about removing any steel. Ain't gonna happen.

[fmalloy]

Originally Posted by Triplock

You will not have to worry about removing any steel. Ain't gonna happen.

I thought that to polish any metal you have to remove some (albeit a very, very small amount). How can you take out the scratch without removing a micro amount of the metal around it?

[WatchSmith]

Originally Posted by fmalloy

I thought that to polish any metal you have to remove some (albeit a very, very small amount). How can you take out the scratch without removing a micro amount of the metal around it?

Ok, let me rephrase that. Yes, it does remove metal, but not even an amount you can realistically measure when using Simichrome to freshen up the finish on Rolex SS bracelets.

[tudorman8276]

Originally Posted by Triplock

Ok, let me rephrase that. Yes, it does remove metal, but not even an amount you can realistically measure when using Simichrome to freshen up the finish on Rolex SS bracelets.

...using it for decades and does a WONDERFUL job!

Stan.

[Dom]

Cartier does a watch polish set that my dealer was nice enough to give me. Nothing from Rolex available I presume ...

[Whiskey]

The black stuff that is coming off on the cloth as you polish this stuff off your watch is actually dirt and tarnish.

I use a similar paste on the chrome dual exhaust coming out the back on my Mustang as well as some other billet parts.

Although it is nice and creamy, it is an abbrasive.

Anything that is a polish is abbrasive.

Even the auto-polish called "Nu-Shine" which is used on oxidized/faded auto-paints is an abbrasive. Nu-Shine works great though. Before I re-painted the Mustang, I tried this stuff on the black paint as it was all dull and life-less.

I polished the car twice and it made a big difference. So big that had the car not needed some metal work due to rust, I wouldn't have needed to paint the car at all.

[tjs3023]

Originally Posted by biggums

I'll look into Fritz. Where do you find it?

Oddly enough I've found Flitz at Sports Authority in the gun accessories section. And it works great.

[yannis]

Hey biggums thanks for sharing with us buddy!!! I may try that some time in the future!

[Widows Son]

I've used simichrome on blued firearms which have rust and pitting. It actually lifts the rust our of the surface. Your rag will have a brown residue on it. I've found theat Mothers Mag Polish works well on my Harley aluminum. With enough rubbing the aluminum shines like chrome.

[PeterT]

Simichrome is actually great on the gold parts too. Anything that removes a scratch must be removing the metal around the scratch to get it to the same level.
A couple of weeks ago I posted about removing the scratch on a gold link I had going spare. If you use Simichrome with a lens cloth on the end of a cotton bud you can return the gold back to the factory finish. As most delicate jobs you have to be careful and keep looking for a clean piece of the cloth. I think it does a better job than Cape Cod. The Cape Cod left micro scratches behind.
It is my polishing product of choice.

Peter

[bmackinlay]

Where, can I purchase SIMIchrome?Bill

[biggums]

Do a search on the net and there are many suppliers. i just picked one here:

http://leonuniform.com/Simichrome.htm

Man 9.95 is steep. i think I bought mine for $3.95 at Kragen or one of the other auto supply stores.

[Alcan]

This also works well. I bought it originally to polish motorcycle parts many years ago.

[The Mantis]

Thanks for the tip...works like a charm!

[gregdolley]

I hate to say it, but all these "hand" polishers (i.e. ones used by hand as opposed to on a professional lathe) - they all leave micro-scratches. The finish will look fine in the shade, but go into a bright room, or in the sun, and you'll see a ton of little scratches as the light reflects off of the surface at certain angles. They're especially noticeable under white fluorescent light (found in offices, stores, etc.). It looks disgusting IMO - I'd rather have a few regular sized scratches than a million thin scratches.

I know I'm coming from the other side of the fence here, but I'm probably the most pickiest person in the world when it comes to scratches. I wasted a lot of money on these supposed "quick-fixes" - from polish pastes, to waxes, to special cloths. They all never did near as good of a job as a professional would do who is skilled in the art of buffing. Either they'd leave micro-scratches, or simply clean the surface making it just look shinier. So a long time ago, after a ton of frustration I decided to find someone who was really good at professional buffing and learn from them how they did it. I learned from a few different people, but to make a long story short, I have the tools and expertise to buff anything from plastic to metal - the same way they do it at the RSC.

So my point is guys, and I hate to say it, but there's no quick-fix for scratches. I wish there was. Either way, you're going to have to remove metal. Some of those "non-abrasive" polishing pastes just fill in scratches instead of removing them.

That black stuff you see when using an abrasive paste is very small particles of the metal being removed. The majority of metals look black when in powder form. When you see pics of buffing wheels in a factory or polishing shop this is why they all have that black edge.

Btw, those $100+ polishing jobs on stainless steel are cheap! You should see the work they need to do when buffing stainless. It's a pain! When I'm doing a stainless watch, I'll put it through four different kinds of buff wheels with four different compounds. I'll also need to do some sanding beforehand if there are "pits" in the case or bracelet. To end up with a really good result, looking like just came from the factory, takes hours. It's pretty boring work, there are many repetitive tasks, and it can get pretty messy too (black specs getting on your clothes, face, in your hair, etc.). If a jeweler tells you they can do a full buff of your watch in 45 minutes, run! Sure, they'll do it in 45 minutes, but they'll give you a sub-standard finish where it may look fine in the shade, but it'll look like crap in the sun or whenever light is reflecting off of it (btw, another TRF member, Terry Newton, had his watch ruined this way). What they do is simply use only one or two compounds on stainless, shortening the time required, but not really finishing the job. You can get a reasonable mirror finish with just the first compound, but it'll only look good when there's not much ambient light; otherwise you'll see streaks from the buffing wheel (which are actually scratches mixed with wax). The second compound gets rid of the streak marks from the first, but also adds it's own streaks, just finer. The third compound (typically chromium oxide) will get rid of these finer marks, but again will leave its own trail behind. However, at this point any marks from the third buffing wheel will be so fine that they'll be barely visible under any lighting conditions. Since I'm a perfectionist, "barely visible" won't do it for me. I go to a fourth step and use an even finer compound until a perfectly polished mirror surface is left under _all_ lighting conditions.

Buffing _gold_ on the other hand - 10 minutes? No problem! Easiest metal in the world to buff, and fun too! Why can't everything be gold?!

-Greg

[Rolex Lover]

Very good information, follks!!! But, I don't know if I can find Flitz in Egypt, or not??? May be our Egyptian friend Youssef has an idea about fining it....

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by biggums

Thanks Lion! I will look for these. I think my Semichrome is good but might be agressive to Gold or used too often on steel. Not sure though as I am amazed at the results of todays test. It took scrapes out of a SS link at the clasp in minutes leaving a mirror finish just like new.

Yes, it will be too aggressive for gold. Most polish pastes are too aggressive for gold and will leave many more micro scratches than they would on stainless. I've tried them all (see my previous post).

I highly doubt you could use it too often on steel. You're applying it by hand as opposed to a high speed buffing wheel where you do less strokes per hour than a buff wheel could do in one second.

Of course, keep it away from the brushed finish. After a very long time you would eventually start removing the brushed surface.

-Greg

[aelvin]

will pick one up tomorrow.... thanks for the info guys

[Porsche]

Thanks Greg.. I was tempted to raid the garage for the autosol chrome polish tube that has been gathering dust in the back of the shelf for the last 20 years... until I got to your post!!! Made me realise I would probably just trash my Rolx...

Would I use the same polish on my Rolex as I use on my exhaust pipe? I think NOT, I think I'll just "live" with the scratches until service time in a few years...

Maybe I'll just stick with a gentle wash with a soft brush and polish dry with my microfibre cloth every week or so...

Thanks

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by Porsche

Thanks Greg.. I was tempted to raid the garage for the autosol chrome polish tube that has been gathering dust in the back of the shelf for the last 20 years... until I got to your post!!! Made me realise I would probably just trash my Rolx...

Would I use the same polish on my Rolex as I use on my exhaust pipe? I think NOT, I think I'll just "live" with the scratches until service time in a few years...

Maybe I'll just stick with a gentle wash with a soft brush and polish dry with my microfibre cloth every week or so...

Thanks

Glad I saved you! I've always said: if you want professional results, you need to use professional tools. Amateur tools = amateur results.

A gentle wash is fine once in a while, but if you're using regular tap water, keep the pressure low on the faucet. All tap water has mineral impurities which can causes little "pits" to develop and, of course, can cause fine scratches. I use pure H2O from a bottle, pour it into a big bowl, do the washing, then rinse under low pressure tap water.

I think every week is a little excessive. I wash mine once every few months. In between, I simply use a soft microfibre cloth every few days to get the dust and fingerprints off.

-Greg

[jrwerner57]

Ive used a product called crystal clear I bout it on the bay probably 6 or 7 years ago. It works well on crystals and metals.

[feudallordcult]

very good thread.

i tried using capecod cloth a few months ago on one of my omegas. ended up with more fine scratches. in the end, i had to send it to the service centre.

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by feudallordcult

very good thread.

i tried using capecod cloth a few months ago on one of my omegas. ended up with more fine scratches. in the end, i had to send it to the service centre.

Yup, I tried Cape Cod a long time ago too. But I tested it on a piece of scrap metal first. Lucky I did! Made the metal look worse.