Polish or not?

[andrewjb88]

Hi all,

I'm getting married in just over two weeks,I am going to wear my late fathers 16203 as pictured below, I had it serviced back in 2019 but insisted it wasn't polished at all as it was my dads watch and wanted to keep all the marks on it that dad had made!





I was chatting to a bloke in a shop the other day who had a more modern version of the watch and naturally the watch was a lot shinier and popped more which made me think that my watch needs/deserves a bit of a polish up.

Should I or Shouldn't I give it a quick polish up with something like a cape cod? nothing mad just a light rub on the gold sections for a few seconds?

I dont have time to send it anywhere now or just leave it?

[Calatrava r]

I would leave it alone. It looks great as it is. If at some point you want to have it polished, have it done by a professional. Your Dad probably liked it the way it looks. Each scratch has memories.

[omar-rye]

Just leave it. Cape cod can turn disastrous

[Auto16610]

Leave it to Rolex by experts. You can't undue mistakes. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

[Hardtimes]

Professionally YES!

[Jefferyasher]

I recently had my Sub serviced and opted out of a polish and here's why - you take off metal to eliminate scratches to just add more scratches with less metal.

[Airkingchnr]

No one need get a professional polish when there is JOOLTOOL
How about JOOLTOOL at the tradeshow. Daytona polish
She is so good she doesn't have to remove the bracelet ... A Rolex service center could not do a polish like this
Watch from 20 minutes in the see the perfect bracelet and daytona bezel polish ... enjoy.

https://youtu.be/21DrOx3RjDA?si=O4ewgxpUfCCM14dE

[omar-rye]

Originally Posted by Airkingchnr

How about JOOLTOOL at the tradeshow. Daytona polish
She is so good she doesn't have to remove the bracelet ... A Rolex service center could not do a polish like this
Watch from 20 minutes in the see the perfect bracelet and daytona bezel polish ... enjoy.

https://youtu.be/21DrOx3RjDA?si=O4ewgxpUfCCM14dE

Hard to detect the sarcasm but I hope you’re being sarcastic

[andrewjb88]

Think I will just give it a quick clean and leave it as is.

[Nav01L]

I have nothing but good things to say about Poland but I’m pretty sure that one is Swiss.

[996marty]

I’d leave it as it is they are made to be worn and scratches are a part of it

[Andad]

Originally Posted by omar-rye

Hard to detect the sarcasm but I hope you’re being sarcastic

He is joking.

Or a



He has posted about this watch abuse.

[travisb]

I would not touch it with a Cape Cod. If you want a proper polish, take it to a professional watchmaker or RSC.

[Airkingchnr]

Originally Posted by Andad

He is joking.

Or a



He has posted about this watch abuse.

Joking .. showing the opposite to the professional yes comment
There's professional.. yes and
This abomination..... no. No way ... never
Always get the best if you want a watch polished...

[joli160]

The center links look dull indeed.

Use a sunshine cloth and tape off the brushed area. Don’t worry about removing material or changing the case lines. It will take a month of 24/7 polishing before you remove so much material that you can even measure it.

Half hour would change the appearance enough to bring back the shine

[padi56]

Today there is a anti polish syndrome gods knows why, my working tool 16600 SD has been polish now by 4 different RSC world wide. And it had a very hard life as a real working tool watch underwater, now almost 25 years old still looks good today.

[omar-rye]

Originally Posted by padi56

Today there is a anti polish syndrome gods knows why, my working tool 16600 SD has been polish now by 4 different RSC world wide. And it had a very hard life as a real working tool watch underwater, now almost 25 years old still looks good today.

Not against polishing, but against doing it yourself with Cape Cod.

[1William]

I would not but if I did it would go to a professional to do the job.

[rmlovett1]

Sentimentally, I’d leave it as is.

[karleone]

Do not listen to people telling you polish it.


I always ask my watch not to be polished during service and made it written. Why? Because my watches are either unpolished or repolished but very well done so I don’t want to take the risks Rolex messing up with polish. Whatever people who are fan of polishing says a repolished watch would never look as good as a factory unpolished Rolex. Especially on 4/5 digits Sub/SD/GMT/Explo 2 where the case have bevels/ chamfers most of watches after a repolish lose these bevels/ chamfers that were originally there when the watch left the factory. It’s very common to see as well rounded lugs, lug holes surface not sharp, rounded crown guards, lug holes too close from bevel/ chamfer if still there etc. An additional problem is lugs not being V brushed as it supposed to be on 4/5 digits or with a grain different from Rolex factory finish. People saying a Rolex will come back as new after RSC are just not enough knowledgeable. On a 4/5 digits best case your watch has been repolished by an expert like Rolliworks or LAWW or someone very qualified at RSC and it will look decent / great (but not 100% orignal factory finish). Worst case your watch has been polished not by an expert (and it happens a lot even by Rolex RSC) and your watch has no more scratches so form a non expert looks new but someone who know about polish / repolish will be able to say watch has been repolished and it won’t look as good / not as sharp as initially

[pk552502]

Originally Posted by karleone

Do not listen to people telling you polish it.


I always ask my watch not to be polished during service and made it written. Why? Because my watches are either unpolished or repolished but very well done so I don’t want to take the risks Rolex messing up with polish. Whatever people who are fan of polishing says a repolished watch would never look as good as a factory unpolished Rolex. Especially on 4/5 digits Sub/SD/GMT/Explo 2 where the case have bevels/ chamfers most of watches after a repolish lose these bevels/ chamfers that were originally there when the watch left the factory. It’s very common to see as well rounded lugs, lug holes surface not sharp, rounded crown guards, lug holes too close from bevel/ chamfer if still there etc. An additional problem is lugs not being V brushed as it supposed to be on 4/5 digits or with a grain different from Rolex factory finish. People saying a Rolex will come back as new after RSC are just not enough knowledgeable. On a 4/5 digits best case your watch has been repolished by an expert like Rolliworks or LAWW or someone very qualified at RSC and it will look decent / great (but not 100% orignal factory finish). Worst case your watch has been polished not by an expert (and it happens a lot even by Rolex RSC) and your watch has no more scratches so form a non expert looks new but someone who know about polish / repolish will be able to say watch has been repolished and it won’t look as good / not as sharp as initially

I agree with this guy. I bought a couple rolex early in my collecting journey and didn't fully know what to look for in terms of case condition. A couple of my watches have a soft case and now that I know the difference, I get more enjoyment out of my unpolished or nicely polished watches. To me, it's always safest to just leave it alone.

BTW, you mentioned you saw a newer rolex model and it popped more than yours. It may be because the newer models have a high shine finish on the top of the lugs, while your watch has a matte finish and they are meant to be different. I prefer the matte/brushed lugs anyway.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by karleone

Do not listen to people telling you polish it.


I always ask my watch not to be polished during service and made it written. Why? Because my watches are either unpolished or repolished but very well done so I don’t want to take the risks Rolex messing up with polish. Whatever people who are fan of polishing says a repolished watch would never look as good as a factory unpolished Rolex. Especially on 4/5 digits Sub/SD/GMT/Explo 2 where the case have bevels/ chamfers most of watches after a repolish lose these bevels/ chamfers that were originally there when the watch left the factory. It’s very common to see as well rounded lugs, lug holes surface not sharp, rounded crown guards, lug holes too close from bevel/ chamfer if still there etc. An additional problem is lugs not being V brushed as it supposed to be on 4/5 digits or with a grain different from Rolex factory finish. People saying a Rolex will come back as new after RSC are just not enough knowledgeable. On a 4/5 digits best case your watch has been repolished by an expert like Rolliworks or LAWW or someone very qualified at RSC and it will look decent / great (but not 100% orignal factory finish). Worst case your watch has been polished not by an expert (and it happens a lot even by Rolex RSC) and your watch has no more scratches so form a non expert looks new but someone who know about polish / repolish will be able to say watch has been repolished and it won’t look as good / not as sharp as initially

Each to their own but myself being around Rolex watches for well over 50 years and over those years had many watches polished and never ever had a bad polish by any RSC.Expect Rolex service and polish thousands of watches each year and a very very very tiny proportion have any real big problems.My own working 16600 SD tool watch from the around 1999.It had a very hard life seen more use than today's pampered watches will see in 10 life times.Yet it has been serviced and polished by now 4 RSC world wide 25 years old still looking good today.

[ChronoHunk]

I wouldn’t polish it. Those dings and scratches are the etchings of memories your father made whilst wearing the watch. Keep those memories with you on your special day. Add to them.

Congrats on the wedding!

[andrewjb88]

I didn't touch it in the end, simply just gave it a quick clean with water and soap.

[Apdl]

Originally Posted by andrewjb88

I didn't touch it in the end, simply just gave it a quick clean with water and soap.

Absolute perfection

[Turpentine]

what's going on with these end-links?

[majidessa]

I think the watch needs a polish at Rolex service center once service is due as I'm of the opinion that 2 tone and precious metal watches do not look good if not polished while SS models are more of a tool pieces that can do without polish if they are in a good cosmetic condition but either way no point in wearing a scratched up and poor looking watch unless it is a rare peice that is highly collectable which 99% of modern Rolexes aren't.

As for not polishing the watch in order to keep your dad's memory, it is the watch it self what it matters and not the dings and scratches, by maintianing the watch in a good shape you will enjoy wearing it more while staying connected to your father memory.

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by majidessa

I think the watch needs a polish at Rolex service center once service is due as I'm of the opinion that 2 tone and precious metal watches do not look good if not polished while SS models are more of a tool pieces that can do without polish if they are in a good cosmetic condition but either way no point in wearing a scratched up and poor looking watch unless it is a rare peice that is highly collectable which 99% of modern Rolexes aren't.

As for not polishing the watch in order to keep your dad's memory, it is the watch it self what it matters and not the dings and scratches, by maintianing the watch in a good shape you will enjoy wearing it more while staying connected to your father memory.

Agreed with this.

It is a lovely watch. You honor your father’s memory by wearing it on your wedding day. The dings and scratches are a subjective thing. If you like them, keep them. If you don’t, get the watch professionally polished to look new, and create your own memories with your father’s watch.

Congratulations!

[aboutime]

Congratulations to you and your partner on the wonderful day. A lovely datejust that your father owned. I think it looks perfect the way it is but do what suits you. No one else is wearing it.

[Cambo]

A beautiful reference and congrats! Personally, I would polish the watch.
Edit…I see I’m late to the game but I still would have it polished.