Appraiser scratched my new Rolex, advice needed.

[SWISSAHOLICS]

May I ask how long the watch was in their possession while the appraisal was being done?

[AASH]

I would leave it as is

[richard371]

Great job looks good as new and you will get scratches in the future now you know how to fix them. If the watch was bought from an AD they can give you a receipt and appraisal for free without opening the watch. If bought second hand etc you'd most likely have to get an appraisal.

[Casey VP-26]

That sucks, You did a good job . Now put it on your wrist and enjoy the watch. Life goes on.

[mementomori1983]

I wonder how they managed to scratch the watch up that badly.

In any case, you did a great job with the scotch brite!


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[Rentalcarman]

Those look like someone wore it, or as another poster said " may have switched". In either case, whether it will get scratched or not in the future, is not the point. The point is YOU did not cause the scratches and you should be made whole. I am sure you could make a case that when you dropped it off, you would have know there were heavy scratches. If you paid by credit card, you may be able to start a dispute. I would certainly write a letter to a Better Business Bureau or Attorney General and file a complaint. All the scratches on my watch, much as I hate them and they wrk me, I earned them myself. Good luck to you.


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[spandrels]

Your watch now looks shiny & new. Hope you got your refund.

[jhunter3]

Good job with the scotch brite. I don't blame you, I'd be very upset. It's a cautionary tale. Thing is, the guy had you over a barrel...it would be hard to prove they did it, and even if you took him to small claims, your compensation and satisfaction would probably not be worth the time and energy it would take. That kind of business practice and attitude just irritates me.

Someday when it's a funny story (long into the future, I'm sure), you'll probably laugh about the irony of an appraiser actually damaging the watch.

[imperio]

This has been my daily wearer for approx 1.5 years; I work a desk job.



Don't know how some of you guys manage to scratch your clasps up so badly. Do you rub them against the desk on purpose?!


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[richard371]

So you've never scratched the clasp in 1.5 years? Just wow lol.

Originally Posted by imperio

This has been my daily wearer for approx 1.5 years; I work a desk job.



Don't know how some of you guys manage to scratch your clasps up so badly. Do you rub them against the desk on purpose?!


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[imperio]

Originally Posted by richard371

So you've never scratched the clasp in 1.5 years? Just wow lol.

There're very slight scratches that I wasn't able to capture.


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[lhawli]

Originally Posted by imperio

This has been my daily wearer for approx 1.5 years; I work a desk job.



Don't know how some of you guys manage to scratch your clasps up so badly. Do you rub them against the desk on purpose?!

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Hmm! Do you hover your wrist? This is mine and it's not even not a year old SubC Date. Although I do dive with my watches, this has never had an affect on my clasp as much as my desk at work!




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[imperio]

Originally Posted by lhawli

Hmm! Do you hover your wrist? This is mine and it's not even not a year old SubC Date. Although I do dive with my watches, this has never had an affect on my clasp as much as my desk at work!




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I believe hovering is actually the "correct" way to type, but I don't. I just don't rest my clasp on the table. My first subC clasp was just like yours; but I've gotten a lot more conscientious of my watch and the things it comes into contact with. It's a dssd btw so maybe I'm even more careful due to its heft.


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[Syed117]

Originally Posted by imperio

This has been my daily wearer for approx 1.5 years; I work a desk job.



Don't know how some of you guys manage to scratch your clasps up so badly. Do you rub them against the desk on purpose?!


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Depends on the desk and surfaces that the watch comes in contact with.

Plastic, rubber, and smooth glass desktops are not going to scratch a clasp.

A MacBook or other similar metal body laptop will.

[Basque1]

Originally Posted by mistermann

So I had my new sea dweller for 12 days before getting it to my usual appraiser for insurance purposes. Picked it up after 4 days being there and when the owner of the store hands me the watch I confront him about my clasp being scratched to shit. He instantly says, "that didn't happen here." To which I reply, yes it did it was not like this the day I brought it in. He got rude and said not to come back and that he doesn't want my business anymore. On top of it all when I got to my insurance agent with the appraisal, I noticed that it was appraised as a deepsea, not the sea dweller. I honestly have no idea what to do at this point. He offered to buff the scratches out and I said absolutely not. Now being the super anal crazy Rolex person I am, I hate the thought of my now discontinued sea dweller being "polished." I really respect the advice of this wonderful forum and would love to know how you'd handle the situation. I know it's a watch and it will accumulate scratches but every time I see those scratches they are just going to piss me off. Thanks everyone I appreciate your time.

I know that hindsight is 20-20 but before I bring a piece of jewelry or a collector's firearm to have it serviced I have dated photos and I go over the condition of the piece with whomever is servicing it. It happened to me 2 years ago with a high priced shotgun that I brought in for service. The gunsmith scratched and I had my pictures and a statement from him upon receipt, well when I picked it up I checked in front of him and he realized tha problem and it was corrected no questions asked. But you have to be prepared ahead and avoid these pesky problems.

[OpusXIII]

Is this what you folks are using?

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by OpusXIII

Is this what you folks are using?

Try the maroon color if you can find it.

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Try the maroon color if you can find it.

Maroon = 7447 (400 grit). Available at woodworking shops.

Green = 6448 (600 grit). Available everywhere.

[P2725TMB]

That's the stuff...

[OpusXIII]

Originally Posted by P2725TMB

That's the stuff...

For such a simple and inexpensive product, sure seems to do one heckuva great job.

[530ExplorerII]

Man, I might try the scotchbright! Looks great!

[lhawli]

Originally Posted by 530ExplorerII

Man, I might try the scotchbright! Looks great!

When does it end tho? Sure I can do my clasp but a week later I'm going to get swirls and normal scratches all over again. Need to draw the line somewhere and for me, I just grew to learn to love these marks. They tell my story and are part of the patina and character of the watch.

Of course I get the OP situation - I would do the same but for the ones I wear and I tend to keep as my daily rotations - I wouldn't. Heck I even tell my AD not to polish when I service my pieces.


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[Spoonage]

I guess it's different in each area but my AD provides an appraisal with each purchase which includes current value (MSRP), serial number, and other pertinent details.

As far as the scratches. It happens... If you plan on wearing the watch, expect that to happen. Only way to keep a watch pristine is to never wear it. The scratches on the clasp don't look bad to me but again I wear my SubC during military activities, working around the house, in the field, in the water, etc. So I honestly couldn't tell you wear most of the scratches on my watch came from.

[lecorsaire]

My opinion: It sucks that you didn't scratch it yourself but in the end it's not such a big deal. No matter whether a brushed or PCL bracelet nor how much you are careful with desks, doors and clothing, metal bracelets will always scratch especially on the clasps. I would leave it alone but if you can't stand it polish it with the grain lightly with the appropriate grit. They are just surface scratches and nothing serious.

Also in a way scratches are liberating. I tend to overly baby stuff when it's completely mint. After something is scratched it's very liberating and while it hurts I tend to use whatever the item may be a lot more often. In the end you end up enjoying it more. This happens with my guitars, watches, MacBooks, phones and even my shoes. Like others said above the only way to keep something in pristine condition is to never use it and no watch like this belongs in a safe. I know there are many folks that keep several SS Daytonas in safes expecting to profit on them down the road. There are better ways to get a return on an investment but whatever floats one's boat.

[Gecko10]

Somebody get ah rope!

[will0861]

Originally Posted by mistermann

So I had my new sea dweller for 12 days before getting it to my usual appraiser for insurance purposes. Picked it up after 4 days being there and when the owner of the store hands me the watch I confront him about my clasp being scratched to shit. He instantly says, "that didn't happen here." To which I reply, yes it did it was not like this the day I brought it in. He got rude and said not to come back and that he doesn't want my business anymore. On top of it all when I got to my insurance agent with the appraisal, I noticed that it was appraised as a deepsea, not the sea dweller. I honestly have no idea what to do at this point. He offered to buff the scratches out and I said absolutely not. Now being the super anal crazy Rolex person I am, I hate the thought of my now discontinued sea dweller being "polished." I really respect the advice of this wonderful forum and would love to know how you'd handle the situation. I know it's a watch and it will accumulate scratches but every time I see those scratches they are just going to piss me off. Thanks everyone I appreciate your time.

It's not the cheapest solution, but I would just replace the clasp. It's not serialized, so replacing it won't affect the value of the watch. You may have to purchase a whole bracelet, but at Lester you will have spare parts to replace when they get dinged up. When you get the new clasp, cover it with Contact film. It's adhesive, and slightly elastic. It will prevent most minor scratches.


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[mtgjr]

Originally Posted by will0861

It's not the cheapest solution, but I would just replace the clasp. It's not serialized, so replacing it won't affect the value of the watch. You may have to purchase a whole bracelet, but at Lester you will have spare parts to replace when they get dinged up. When you get the new clasp, cover it with Contact film. It's adhesive, and slightly elastic. It will prevent most minor scratches.


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He already disappeared the scratches with a Scotch Brite.....for slightly less cost than your solution.

[abs82]

Ill start by saying sorry to hear about this. No one likes other people mistreating their property. Your best outcome here is to be refunded for the appraisal (if you paid) and for him to cover the cost of it being buffed.

IMHO "polishing" some light scuffs or scratches out of a modern Rolex bracelet literally reduces the value by nothing. No one cares nor would anyone really be able to tell the difference if done competently. We're not talking about a vintage patina that's going to be compromised.

I have a handful of nice watches I've acquired and I cherish them all but as I've spent time on here I've noticed that something about them seems to bring out sensitive tendencies in many people. They're pricey items sure but unless you're hermetically sealing them away they'll eventually show signs of use. Wear it. Enjoy it.

I've buffed some scratches out of my bracelets before and they look brand new. This is not the end of the world.

And on the small claims piece - as a lawyer I'd say don't waste your time. You're limited to your "damages" which would at most be the cost of having the bracelet buffed. No judge is going to award you for sentimental value or for the fact that having it buffed won't make it mint in your eyes.

You have everyone's sympathies and you can easily have your watch fixed back to new. I'd say that's a win.


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[McDusty]

One thing is clear looking at the pics in this thread ... Rolex clasps are too big

[vman]

If you really care about the condition of the bracelet, buy an extra one just in case :-) Also, you can always buy just the clasp. Btw, good job on getting the scratches out.