Removing a scuff

[martinr]

My GMT 11C has a small scuff (aluminum door frame) on the polished side of the case. Will a Cape Cod cloth remove the scuff? Thanks.

[Thatguy]

Leave it. More to come. If you chase every scratch you will go crazy.

[joe100]

A Cape Cod cloth will smooth it out a bit but it's still gonna show. I wouldn't worry about it

[jonathan17]

I have a similar mark on my Submariner while diving in Bali scratched it in a coral. (damn they are sharp! )

Pissed for a few days but now i don't even notice it, just leave it for the next service it will look brand new after. The watches we love are meant to be used and a Rolex can take almost anything we throw at it.

[CDNWatchNut]

A cape cod will likely remove the mark, however I don't think it will result in the very high polish finish as from the factory. Thus the area you polish may not match the rest, unless you polsh the entire section. Me, I'd leave we'll enough alone.

[Chaching]

Leave it! You will make it worse and regret it! Don't even buy a Cape Cod Cloth! Wait for Rolex to Service it at service time and will come back new as they day you bought it!

[SUBversive]

Forget it.

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by SUBversive

Forget it.

x 2 . .

Tomorrow there will be another mark . . .

HAGOne

[martinr]

Originally Posted by CDNWatchNut

A cape cod will likely remove the mark, however I don't think it will result in the very high polish finish as from the factory. Thus the area you polish may not match the rest, unless you polsh the entire section. Me, I'd leave we'll enough alone.

Exactly what I was worried about. I don't want to lose the mirror finish. Does anybody have any real life experience with this polishing cloth on a mirror finish?

[Chaching]

Originally Posted by martinr

Exactly what I was worried about. I don't want to lose the mirror finish. Does anybody have any real life experience with this polishing cloth on a mirror finish?

-Yeah it will dull the finish..leave micro scratches ...STOP DONT USE IT!!!!

[martinr]

Originally Posted by Chaching

-Yeah it will dull the finish..leave micro scratches ...STOP DONT USE IT!!!!

Are you speaking from experience? I saw another post on here where a guy polishes his TT PCL's and his fifteen year old watch looks new. I'm not trying to argue, I'm not interested in opinions but experiences. Thanks.

[jolimont]

hey its a Rolex, not a PP
it's meant to be used

[Vincent65]

Originally Posted by Chaching

-Yeah it will dull the finish..leave micro scratches ...STOP DONT USE IT!!!!

This - it will be polished and shiny, but not 'mirror' as per factory. But, as everyone says, it's going to to get more. On a new watch, I'd probably polish the scuff off, and sacrifice the new mirror finish, because that will soon be lost anyway. In time you'll learn to accept that it won't stay new!

edit - good luck with the PCLs!

[rms]

I'd leave it. Like others have posted, there are more to come. With that said, go ahead and rub it out a little with a Cape Cod cloth. it will certainly not hurt it.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by martinr

Exactly what I was worried about. I don't want to lose the mirror finish. Does anybody have any real life experience with this polishing cloth on a mirror finish?

Take my advice leave alone and forget about it normal every day scratches are a fact of wearing and watch.And easily remedied at normal service routine service time only to get scratched again..Now to fret and want to polish every time you see a scratch that's what ruins many a Rolex watch.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by Thatguy

Leave it. More to come. If you chase every scratch you will go crazy.

Originally Posted by jonathan17

I have a similar mark on my Submariner while diving in Bali scratched it in a coral. (damn they are sharp! )

Pissed for a few days but now i don't even notice it, just leave it for the next service it will look brand new after. The watches we love are meant to be used and a Rolex can take almost anything we throw at it.

Originally Posted by CDNWatchNut

A cape cod will likely remove the mark, however I don't think it will result in the very high polish finish as from the factory. Thus the area you polish may not match the rest, unless you polsh the entire section. Me, I'd leave we'll enough alone.

Originally Posted by Chaching

Leave it! You will make it worse and regret it! Don't even buy a Cape Cod Cloth! Wait for Rolex to Service it at service time and will come back new as they day you bought it!

Originally Posted by SUBversive

Forget it.

Originally Posted by Chaching

-Yeah it will dull the finish..leave micro scratches ...STOP DONT USE IT!!!!

Originally Posted by rms

I'd leave it. Like others have posted, there are more to come. With that said, go ahead and rub it out a little with a Cape Cod cloth. it will certainly not hurt it.

Looks like the group has spoken. I've got a few micro sctatches on the polished sides of mine as well as on the bracelet and clasp, they bothered me at first. The the more I thought about it, the less it bothered me. I bought this watch to wear for years and years. Scratches and dings are going to happen no matter how careful you are. If you polish off every little scratch sooner or later you'll loose the lines on the case and there is really no way to get the original lines back. I like to think of them like the scars that I have on my body. Each one has a story albiet some very boring but stories none the less.
If you like they can all be removed at service time but they will then start all over again. Wear it, enjoy it and embrace the marks that make it yours. Polish every scratch if you want but sooner or later you'll wish that you didn't. YMMV

[Byrdguy]

Polish it out with Simichrome metal polish. You will retain the original shine. I use it all the time on my Subs. Don't use it on the brushed surfaces, though.

[Grey.Coupe]

This is a character mark.

Your watch loses weight every time you polish it. Molecules of steel or gold [or platinum atoms, if unalloyed] are removed to a level of the bottom of the scratch or gouge.

Reflections from the area repaired reveal it has been altered. Over time it will look as natural as a face-lift.

[mcavana]

to actually answer your question, yes, a cape cod cloth will work for the most part. It probably won't erase it completely but it will make it much harder to see. you can do this probably thousands of times before you remove the amount of metal as one machine polish like what is done at service time.

[fishingbear]

I'd leave it;
It'll make the money you shell out for the next service that much more worth it!

[applebook]

I wouldn't touch it. Removing more metal isn't my idea of an improvement!

[martinr]

The Cape Cod cloth works and the scuff is almost invisible. I tested the cloth on one of my extra links first, just the PCL, it did not dull or mar the mirror finish. Using a new cloth I rubbed the scuffed area with hard finger pressure for about fifteen minutes. There was still a small mark so I got a Q-tip and used it to apply more pressure. Five minutes more and the mark was gone. Wiped off with a soft towel and then washed in warm water and hand soap. The before pic is in my first post and here is an after pic.

[mjclark32]

Since you did it already, good work. I wouldn't make it a habit since every time you polish a watch/metal it removes a little bit of the metal.

[nauticajoe]

Good job!

[Byrdguy]

A hand polish like that probably doesn't take a nanogram of metal off the watch. Keep it tidy if that's the way you like it.

[Thatguy]

Originally Posted by Byrdguy

A hand polish like that probably doesn't take a nanogram of metal off the watch. Keep it tidy if that's the way you like it.

It takes the metal around the scratch down to as deep as the scratch is. Keep doing it for every scratch and eventually it will be noticeable.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by mjclark32

Since you did it already, good work. I wouldn't make it a habit since every time you polish a watch/metal it removes a little bit of the metal.

I agree, it does look like you did a great job, I just don't know how often I'd do it.

[martinr]

Originally Posted by Byrdguy

A hand polish like that probably doesn't take a nanogram of metal off the watch. Keep it tidy if that's the way you like it.

Exactly. All the talk about removing metal is just incorrect. It's not sandpaper or a file, it's a soft cloth with some polishing cream and no grit. Read the website info. Even the lady at the hardware store knows the difference between it and another product with grit in it. I showed her my watch and she said it would be fine. I only touched up the scuff because the watch is new and it was quite noticeable, minor hairlines don't bother me.

[tdegroot]

Really nice job. It does take quite a bit of effort with a cape cod to get out all but the lightest scruffs. I don't worry about polishing mine with a cape cod at all. I don't think I have enough stamina to change the shape of the case with a cape cod. If you don't like scratches, I would polish away. If you think scratches add character ( I know they're inevitable), then don't do it. I don't understand some that say they add character, but have no problem having the case polished at service time. That would seem to be erasing your character.

[Annan]

martinr: Good job! I've had similar results with Cape Cods and was quite pleased. I'm on the side however that feels it's important to not overuse them. When your watch is new and shiny it can be hard to resist the urge to keep it scratch free and believe me, I understand. Do what you think is right and just be careful.