Routinely polishing to death

[KeithP]

@Vetracer

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Sprezzatura!,

As i say, you’ve had a satisfactory result, and thats illustrated in the photo you’ve posted here - nice job, with nice clean lines.

But, many others don’t look like that after an RSC polish.

Look in the real world out of the thousands of full RSC services with full polish done each year for many decades by Rolex and there affiliates,perhaps a few are not satisfactory. Then some owners broadcast this on the varies forums mainly by very OCD owners.Have look on this forum with owners posting huge scratches they have done, which in the real world are very minor scratches.

[Sprezzatura!,]

Originally Posted by padi56

Look in the real world out of the thousands of full RSC services with full polish done each year for many decades by Rolex and there affiliates,perhaps a few are not satisfactory. Then some owners broadcast this on the varies forums mainly by very OCD owners.Have look on this forum with owners posting huge scratches they have done, which in the real world are very minor scratches.

I agree with much of what you have mentioned there, but I think statistically those that are carried out unsatisfactorily may be a little higher than you may think, despite the ‘bad’ jobs being broadcasted on forums such as these.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Sprezzatura!,

I agree with much of what you have mentioned there, but I think statistically those that are carried out unsatisfactorily may be a little higher than you may think, despite the ‘bad’ jobs being broadcasted on forums such as these.

Sorry cannot agree with you I have been on the various watch forum for over 20 years. And of all I have ever seen posted are a very very very tiny amount then mostly highly exaggerated by there owners. Yes some do go wrong but like all things no matter the product, you will always have some that will never be satisfied.

[Sprezzatura!,]

Originally Posted by padi56

Sorry cannot agree with you I have been on the various watch forum for over 20 years. And of all I have ever seen posted are a very very very tiny amount then mostly highly exaggerated by there owners. Yes some do go wrong but like all things no matter the product, you will always have some that will never be satisfied.

Ok, thats fine. As i said, it’s all subjective.

[Fanofsteel]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

Like this here, absolutely destroyed, look at the crown guards. I saw this today and had to take a picture. Not only was it the most expensive 116610LN I have ever seen, it is also the worst condition.
This is what can happen when someone whose job it is polishes a watch that does not belong to them.. Some poor soul will probably buy this in ignorance and pay well over 50% over retail for a watch that is compromised.

Yet, there’s a good chance the person who buys this will simply not have an eye for the fine details that we OCD/connoisseur types would, so he’ll enjoy his watch, as will many who keep the pre-owned market humming along.

[BROG]

I bought a 14060 from my buddy who bought it brand new and wore it everyday for 20+ years, it was hammered! I ended up sending it into the RSC and they put on a new bracelet, crystal, full service, and polish. It looked great when I got it back. When I reflect on that watch, and my buddy, I think how much better that watch was when he had it. He wore it everyday and actually wore it upside down. He didn't care about that watch and wore it to use it. When I first asked him about his watch he down played the watch totally, he said "it's just a watch". That was such a cool thing to say! That watch totally fit him and his image. I'm now in the process of getting a new 124060 and I plan to wear it everyday and enjoy all the scratches I put in it over the next 20 years. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it and want the watch to be apart of me and associated with me when friends or family think of me.

[Bxtek]

Originally Posted by BROG

I bought a 14060 from my buddy who bought it brand new and wore it everyday for 20+ years, it was hammered! I ended up sending it into the RSC and they put on a new bracelet, crystal, full service, and polish. It looked great when I got it back. When I reflect on that watch, and my buddy, I think how much better that watch was when he had it. He wore it everyday and actually wore it upside down. He didn't care about that watch and wore it to use it. When I first asked him about his watch he down played the watch totally, he said "it's just a watch". That was such a cool thing to say! That watch totally fit him and his image. I'm now in the process of getting a new 124060 and I plan to wear it everyday and enjoy all the scratches I put in it over the next 20 years. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it and want the watch to be apart of me and associated with me when friends or family think of me.

Welcome to the forum! As discussed in some other related threads, each scratch, nick and imperfection on a watch can tell a story. Some people will leave these alone as it adds character and memories to the piece. I actually am on board with that, short of something major like a broken crystal or ceramic bezel.

If I got your buddy's 14060, I think I would have left it alone and only have the movement serviced if needed. Essentially, you erased the many years of history of that watch if that had any meaning to you. If not, then the full rebuild/service/polish was the right choice. If you don't mind me asking, how come your buddy didn't want to keep that watch? Sounds like he really liked and enjoyed it.

[OYptL]

I go with the every 4 day warm Dawn and water route. Keep’em clean and no polish necessary.

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by padi56

Think some of you guys would of had a heart attack if you seen my 16600 SD after 5 long years working as a real tool watch with well over 600 hours underwater. Well used and sometimes abused its been serviced and polished by 3 different RSC world wide yet now 20 plus years old still working and looking good today.

^^^^^Yes^^^^^. This is shows that you don’t need to worry about actually wearing your watch in life. Todays watches will never see 1/2 of what a working dive watch will see in abuse.

[cascavel]

I don't see the advantage in ever having any of my own watches polished and I always ask not to have them polished when serviced. I don't expect my watches to look like new after I've worn them for a few years and my experience has been that when I want to sell or trade them whatever I've done or not done works against me. When you're selling a watch it's either over polished or scratched and needs a polish.
And you can never un-polish a watch. RSC did a terrific job of making a 1680 that I'd worn for 20 years look like new and only slightly smaller, but managed to remove the oxidation from half of the bezel of a 16520A that I sent in for service while rounding all the edges off the case and bracelet. When I traded the 16520 to a dealer he, of course, criticized the polishing of it while, at the same time remarking on the number of scratches on a 16610 that I was trading to him.

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Vetracer

Hello All

As a watch enthusiast I've spent many years collecting and trading watches which I enjoy wearing and which I'm proud of. I'm fortunate to have received most of my twenty watch collection from AD's and being the original owner, I've opted not to polish any of my watches, even the ones I've owned since 2001. The fact I'm subscribed watch forums, I'm already confessing to having an unusual obsession for watches so please hear me out.

Prior to the spike in interest of watches (when watches were readily available and weren't items of speculation), I used to see unpolished examples for sale and cases were sharp and lugs were sharp and fat.

My observation now is that the big grey market dealers are each polishing watches routinely as part of their preparation process before sale. I've been disappointed when looking at watches which are only up to five years old. The cases and lugs are rounded. This is extremely evident to me because I have unmolested examples of most models at home. I guess unless you see an untouched watch you may not be able to see the extent to which the shape has altered.

After speaking to a couple of grey market dealers about this, they claim that they are giving buyers what they want and that the watches fetch better money when refinished. The problem is though, the rate at which watches are being worn and flipped now, it won't be long before watches are polished to death as each piece is repeatedly, routinely polished.

You wouldn't polish a Paul Newman Daytona so why does every watch which goes up for sale need a polish?

The irony is that if I presented any of my watches to a grey market dealer for sale, they'd attempt to lowball and then advertise my watches as "unpolished" for a large premium on top of the market price.

I understand that not everyone is carful when wearing their watches and that accidents happen but unless you have dents and damage to watches (which probably need to be laser filled), can we not just live with hairline swirls on the case and bracelet for the longevity and enjoyment of our passion?

This is an excellent thread OP. If it’s ok with you I’d like to interject.

We Rolex aficionados are a quirky bunch and we rarely agree on the polish versus unpolished debate.

One has to understand that 99% of the used watch buying public isn’t actually us. I mean that 99% of used watches sold are to people who have no understanding of the intricacies of watches. They’re, therefore, simply looking for a watch that looks as it did when it was originally sold, and the closer the better. Grey dealers cater to this market (so not the 1%), namely, not to obsessive horological experts or closet auction house appraisers. Why would they? A hairline scratch that most on this forum would actually wish to be present (indicating no polish) could either reduce the desirability, or worse, adversely reduce the eventual sale price of a given piece. So, hell yes, the grey dealer is going to remove the scratches and any signs that the watch was ever worn. Furthermore, they DO NOT care, because as I have reiterated “thats what 99% of today’s buyers want”.

When members on this forum finally comprehend that we’re the huge minority 1%, these threads bemoaning polished watches will vanish.

[Fabi2000]

Originally Posted by Gab27

Most used watches are polished because most buyers don't want to pay $10,000 for a scratched up watch.

agree.

Originally Posted by Gab27

I think if you posted a picture of a brand new watch from an AD and asked if it was over-polished that half the people on watch forums would probably say yes.

probably true ;)

[BROG]

Originally Posted by Bxtek

Welcome to the forum! As discussed in some other related threads, each scratch, nick and imperfection on a watch can tell a story. Some people will leave these alone as it adds character and memories to the piece. I actually am on board with that, short of something major like a broken crystal or ceramic bezel.

If I got your buddy's 14060, I think I would have left it alone and only have the movement serviced if needed. Essentially, you erased the many years of history of that watch if that had any meaning to you. If not, then the full rebuild/service/polish was the right choice. If you don't mind me asking, how come your buddy didn't want to keep that watch? Sounds like he really liked and enjoyed it.

Initially I thought he sold it because I offered more than what he paid for it years ago. However, now that I look back I think he sold it because he saw how excited and enthusiastic I was about his watch. He came to work for the railroad late in life, and me being a lot younger and being there for 15 years, I took him under my wing and really took the time to explain how the yard/railroad works. Anyway, I should have left the watch alone and enjoyed it the way he did. Lesson learned.