Why does anyone polish watches?

[BLACKHORSE 6]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

As for me I would never polish any of my vintage watches but don't see harm of a light polish to modern watches by RSC. If you want to polish your watches go for it as they are yours so do as you wish!

Aren't the modern watches of today the vintage watches of tomorrow? I certainly intend to keep my 116520 long enough for it to qualify as vintage.

My watch was a gift from my wife and has special meaning. Based off of my age, I could own the watch for 40 years or more and I want to take care of it. If I have it serviced by RSC as per their recommendation, that's a lot of polishing. I'm not worried about resale value and just want to take good care of my watch. If I have it polished with every service, will it significantly wear down the bezel and bracelet 20 or 30 years down the road?

Maybe someone who has had a watch that's been polished a few times could post some pictures.

Thanks.

[mm99]

I'm in the market for a Rolex, and have been exploring the used market. Looking for a current watch, either a Sub or a GMT.

One thing that irks me is that it is that most of the watches posted by reputed sellers seem to have been polished. The pictures always seem to show no scratches, even though they are months or sometimes even years old.

Only the minority of watches for sale seem to be unpolished.

[Rolexitis]

I stopped brushing my teeth because it was removing enamel and I want them to look vintage one day. ...hahaha.

My polish consists of the underside of my t shirt to knock the smudge off and keep moving or a soft cloth. Not a wheel or a buffer for sure. Shower with it or wash with old tooth brush and soap and it looks perfect. I do care about how my watch looks to me but nobody else. It's a personal thing with most of us because we spend allot of money on these things.

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[Rock]

Like Blackhorse I DID wonder whether several RSC services would result in loss of the crisp edges - in particular on bezels where wear is very noticeable.
I guess bezels and bracelets are not much of a problem as they could be replaced upon request when the owner thinks they are starting to look a bit worn.
The nice crisp edges on the lugs are a different story but I suppose they could receive special attention at the RSC if needed.

[polarinda]

cant compare polishing watches to brushing teeth.
noone sells their teeth even if for cash.

[polarinda]

cant compare polishing watches to brushing teeth.
noone sells their teeth even if for cash.

polished or not affect sale values obviously.

[Bangel]

Why do some people polish watches?

Because people enjoy their watches in different ways.

Some people experience an intolerable life crisis at the sight of a scratch, to others it might not matter so much!

[FlyingMoose]

Originally Posted by Rolexitis

I stopped brushing my teeth because it was removing enamel and I want them to look vintage one day. ...hahaha.

Funny you should mention that. I joked with my hygienist about getting my teeth cleaned every day. She said it would wear off the enamel because the toothpaste the dentist uses has coarser grit than regular toothpaste.

[SixPak]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

I own vintage watches and although at times the selection isn't very wide (for more unique models) if I have the choice I prefer to go with a scratched and dinged watch than something polished (or over polished). I prefer to keep the natural look of a watch that aged and was fully enjoyed by its previous owner(s).

Having said that, it remains a matter of opinions and tastes. Some like to see scratches, others don't. C'est la vie!

Well said, Carl. It all comes down to personal preference whether to polish or not. Also there's a difference between lightly polishing a watch and grinding or maiming it as stated by the OP.

[Cc1966]

Well I polish mine every few years (lightly) and not the vintage pieces. Get a lot of joy out of the whole affair and the results.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by BLACKHORSE 6

Aren't the modern watches of today the vintage watches of tomorrow? I certainly intend to keep my 116520 long enough for it to qualify as vintage.

My watch was a gift from my wife and has special meaning. Based off of my age, I could own the watch for 40 years or more and I want to take care of it. If I have it serviced by RSC as per their recommendation, that's a lot of polishing. I'm not worried about resale value and just want to take good care of my watch. If I have it polished with every service, will it significantly wear down the bezel and bracelet 20 or 30 years down the road?

Maybe someone who has had a watch that's been polished a few times could post some pictures.

Thanks.

Will they the same as vintage today? No never IMHO. People today with internet know better and keep watches complete and mint. There are also boat loads of supply of modern watches vs. many vintage references and particularly minty examples. No Sub today for example will ever rival a 6200, 5510, or 6538 let alone a Swiss only underline 5512. It is a totally different game! As for polishing modern watches--again do as you wish. I don't polish mine but that is personal and my choice. Again a light polish on a modern watch is not a big deal IMHO. So do as thy wish as it's your watch.

[m j b]

To me, you keep a watch clean by washing it, and a very light polish every few years, done properly, is just fine. It's when they are too aggressive with the polish that it's a problem. I had a Breitling that I sent to Breitling for service, and when it was returned they had polished the back of the case so aggressively that the serial number was barely visible any more.

It's like caring for a car - you need to keep it clean to help reduce further damage from built-up dirt, and because it looks better. Cleaning it will lightly scratch it, so after a while you need to do a buff & polish. Nothing wrong with that. But if you polish it too aggressively, you'll start removing paint to the degree that you can damage the car.

It's all about moderation.

[gpfps]

My view is leave it alone, keep the factory finish and lines, and ENJOY.

[Rolexitis]

Originally Posted by polarinda

cant compare polishing watches to brushing teeth.
noone sells their teeth even if for cash.

Dude. Seriously? It was a joke

[polarinda]

Originally Posted by Rolexitis

Dude. Seriously? It was a joke

;)

[hsfrank]

I for one will only polish my watch when it goes in for service. To me there is a certain amount of joy that comes from looking at a watch that is brand-new or just appears brand-new. That being said I believe it is futile and dangerous to over polisher watch. I do take care of my watches by washing them frequently with soap and water and occasionally in ultrasonic bath (never the head).

[tedscott3]

What a ridiculous post. Not everyone who owns a Rolex looks at them as a collector piece, or a piece that they will pass down for generations. A polished watch looks better to 99.9% of the general public, that is why people polish them. If you want your watch to show character and not be altered at all then by all means don't touch it. Not everyone wants the perfect "example" as they say.

[viper9669]

Originally Posted by kilyung

Because watches aren't investments or even collectible (excluding vintage) so why not polish it for our own enjoyment?

I agree

[rmfnla]

Originally Posted by gpfps

My view is leave it alone, keep the factory finish and lines, and ENJOY.

"leave it alone, keep the factory finish" = your ENJOY

" I polish mine every few years " = another person's ENJOY

[tedscott3]

[QUOTE=rmfnla;4478209]"leave it alone, keep the factory finish" = your ENJOY

" I polish mine every few years " = another person's ENJOY

[JoelUlrich]

Why do people wash and wax their cars? So they look nicer and shinier.

[QuasPrimas25]

I'm a watchmaker and work only on Rolex, so I thought I'd share some thoughts on this.

1. Watches vs. Coins

Coins are valuable for their great age and rarity, and condition is especially important because they are easily damaged, and there are so few of them which have not had their markings seriously effaced by continuous rubbing for years in pockets against other coins. Their markings are also very fine, so wear affects the overall appearance of the coin, which is more interesting in proportion to the completeness and crispness of its markings.

Watches, on the other hand, are designed, if designed well, as Rolexes generally are, to age gracefully -to continue to look good and interesting as they wear. They are also comprised of fewer intricate details, because these do tend to wear quickly, and would detract from the watch's appearance significantly when worn. You can buff a day-date and it still looks like a day-date, only shiny again. Buff an ancient Roman Solidus however (a solid gold coin, from whence we derive the descriptor "solid") and it will no longer look like a Solidus, but simply a flat and more-or-less round piece of gold.

2. Why Rolexes Are Polished

Watches are intended as jewelry and ornament, and therefore usually most people feel serves this purpose and looks better when it is neatly kept -the shiny parts shiny, the brushed parts brushed, matte parts matte, crystal clear and free of scratches, bezel of vibrant and unfolded uniform color, etc. Very few people do not want their watches polished, and when they do make this request, 99% of the time it's because they attach sentimental value to the watch, as in "that ding came from when my dad banged his watch up against the cliff when he and I were camping together when I was 9 years old" type of thing.

Some Rolexes have become very collectible and, assuredly, are worth more in pristine condition, which would mean as little polishing as possible. But it's a toss-up as to whether a super rare old chronograph would actually be worth more if it could be proven to never have touched a buffing wheel, or less if it appeared too nice to really be 60 years old, etc.

3. Wear From Polishing

Wear is a reality. Every time you have your watch serviced and polished, you do indeed remove some metal from the watch. However, in most cases, the amount removed is infinitesimal compared to the amount removed by the abrasions and scratches inflicted by the owner in daily wear. Sometimes, in older watches, this polishing visibly reduces the case somewhat. What usually happens is that a customer will put a really deep dent or ding in their watch, and insists that the case be refinished to as-new. Rolex will not refinish a case this way -they'll polish it, but won't try to remove really deep scratches, because this removes too much metal and can make a five year old watch look 35. You notice it when you look at the widths of the ends of the lugs, especially.

Bezels on Rolexes are especially prone to getting scratches, because they are typically highly polished, which shows more, and most Rolex owners beat their watches up, since they have been known for years as the quintessential tough sports watch. Sub and GMT bezels can take polishing and come out with dignity and function intact, so they are usually polished to remove most of the scratches and dings. YachtMaster bezels can only be minimally refinished in most cases because the matte surface can only be restored by sandblasting with very painstaking masking beforehand, and most ADs have neither the equipment nor time to do this. Datejust bezels are impossible to polish without rounding the facets somewhat, on fluted bezels. Domed bezels are better in this regard because they can be refinished to like new with no visible change in the appearance. Typically, I will only use the lightest touch for the briefest time to shine up a fluted bezel, and will leave all the scratches, because in my opinion a scratched fluted bezel which retains its original flat and mirror like facets is still flashier and prettier than one which has been rounded down. However, at some point this changes and the accumulated nicks make the bezel look bad when the rest of the case and bracelet are immaculate, so I will polish them as little as possible to clean up the appearance. If a fluted bezel has already been polished and worn down, however, I have no hesitation about removing all but the biggest nicks, because the damage has, so to speak, already been done.

Rolex manufactures the watch cases by machine, but when the watch is sent to an RSC, it is refinished by hand. I have toured the Lititz, PA service center when I was at Rolex for training, and have seen the rooms where this is done. They do have a jig that can be used to restore the bevels on the lugs of professional models. This can be done by hand but it is very very painstaking work, and is never as perfect as from the factory. They usually just polish the lugs flat on the sides, as nearly all watchmakers do.

*whew* that was a long post... Hope someone finds it interesting!

[motoikkyu]

Maybe it's safer for me to come home after a long day of having to look them all in the face and try to be polite to them while they assault my damaged eardrums with inane comments and questions that no one needs to hear, maybe it's just better for me to pull the ol' Dremel from where I keep it tucked between the stained mattress on the linoleum and the wall, and fire it up with just a little bit of abrasive, just a little, to kind of "take the edge off" my day. Instead of alcohol or mass murder, I get just a little bit of the good toothpaste, the tartar-control kind, and mix in some manicurist's pumice, and buff that Submariner, just a little. It feels good. It makes the voices stop screaming. People have all kinds of reasons for polishing. Sometimes it's not the destination, it's the journey.

[Survivor]

There's polishing and over polishing. Getting a watch polished, once every 5-7 years (when you have it serviced) is great......when you get it back, you feel as if you bought a brand new watch. Obsessing about scratches, particularly on the bracelet (ridiculous), and constantly polishing, is just plain silly as your watch will get scratched if you wear it....that's just how it goes.

As one previous poster mentioned, scratches to the bezel or case are the bothersome ones for me...........scratches on the bracelet are a non-issue.

[bigrustypig]

I like my watches to look good as long as possible. Deep scratches and dings bother me thus once every 5 years, I bring it to RSC and get them to bring it back to as pretty as it can once again be.
When buying a pre-owned watch, I prefer it to look as good as it should. The superficial loss of metal from a good RSC polish doesn't bother me in any way whatsoever. I have bigger concerns to bother me.

[T.S.Eliot]

Originally Posted by motoikkyu

Maybe it's safer for me to come home after a long day of having to look them all in the face and try to be polite to them while they assault my damaged eardrums with inane comments and questions that no one needs to hear, maybe it's just better for me to pull the ol' Dremel from where I keep it tucked between the stained mattress on the linoleum and the wall, and fire it up with just a little bit of abrasive, just a little, to kind of "take the edge off" my day. Instead of alcohol or mass murder, I get just a little bit of the good toothpaste, the tartar-control kind, and mix in some manicurist's pumice, and buff that Submariner, just a little. It feels good. It makes the voices stop screaming. People have all kinds of reasons for polishing. Sometimes it's not the destination, it's the journey.

maybe a chill pill is due

[jjnd08]

Great info in the posts above by the watchmaker! Thanks!

[crowncollection]

There is polishing and over polishing. Vintage watches are best left alone for resale reasons. Modern watches I polish because it looks new and they are made in such high numbers they will never be rare like old models. Most customers when you flip appreciate a polished watch I find.


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[DennisJ]

Ok, my take on this is. Many "vintage" watches are in reality more scrap than jewels. You see so many pictures of vintage Submariners (from the 50s or early 60s), where the bracelet is so stretched (worn out) that it will fail if you sneeze, and dials and hands that are impossible to read as they seem to be one solid brown blur, bezel pearls that are missing or in best case cracked. I agree, a renovation of these with modern parts would not bring it back to it's glory days. Therefoe, I cannot understand why some people are paying silly money for such a peace. Why not up the game and only consider vintage to be old AND well preserved. Lume aside, a watch can be kept in as new order if well looked after...

[DennisJ]

Originally Posted by crowncollection

There is polishing and over polishing. Vintage watches are best left alone for resale reasons. Modern watches I polish because it looks new and they are made in such high numbers they will never be rare like old models. Most customers when you flip appreciate a polished watch I find.


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Even modern watches could become rare, especially if most people reasoning as you (and we all do), that they will never become rare. This makes them consumables and most will either be disposed or over polished

So what to do, take care of your watch, stay ahead of the bunch and avoid ending up in a situation that will require polish. I'm sure you will find your self in posession of a highly collecable peace in 30-40 years if my advise is followed.