How to know if a watch is polished or not?

[jerrychan23]

Hi Guys,

I am going to meet a seller tomorrow for a 14060M, how can I know if the watch have been polished or not?

Moreover, can I test the time adjustment direction to make sure the movement is right? For example turn the crown CW and the hand with move CW etc...

Last question is I got a brand new 114060, but the reason i want a 14060M is because I have a small wrist and the 14060M is smaller and fit me better, I think the 14060M will become a classic vintage Rolex for years to come,which i thin is sooner then the 114060, and the 14060M is more easy to change the insert by yourself and I am planing to get a vintage blue insert with silver mark to make the 14060M special.

Want to get all your great opinions!

[joli160]

Buy from a reputable source only to avoid a big disappointment.

[Beelzy]

Pay close attention to the lugs, lugholes, and crownguard for nice sharp edges.

[El-Duderino]

First, just ask if it has been polished. Most reputable sellers will be honest. Second, check for sharp edges and to see if the direction of the grain of the watch looks different.

However, since it’s an older piece, if it isn’t showing pretty substantial wear at this point, it’s probably a safe bet it’s been polished. If it isn’t noticeable, then I don’t know if I’d worry too much about it.

[csaltphoto]

I would say find some examples on a seller website or here of unpolished version and print them out and take them with you for comparison. There are still very clean and unpolished versions out there. Box and papers versions are more likely to be clean if for no other reason the person might have bought it, wore it for awhile then put it back in the box and forgot about it. Or it was bought by a person who is more of a collector and they save that stuff and the watch was in rotation with other watches so saw less wear.

[jerrychan23]

Originally Posted by El-Duderino

First, just ask if it has been polished. Most reputable sellers will be honest. Second, check for sharp edges and to see if the direction of the grain of the watch looks different.

However, since it’s an older piece, if it isn’t showing pretty substantial wear at this point, it’s probably a safe bet it’s been polished. If it isn’t noticeable, then I don’t know if I’d worry too much about it.

Thanks for your help. Also want to hears some opinion on 14060M vs 114060