'Re-grain' a watch case? Adding metal during watch restoration

[lazywisher]

Hi guys,

I've never heard this process being done except for one watchmaker in my town that claims he can bring watches back to factory spec by adding metal to the watch case. So if you have a Rolex watch with lugs that are overpolished, he says he can bring it back to spec???

Is this a thing? I've never heard of this until now..

[padi56]

Originally Posted by lazywisher

Hi guys,

I've never heard this process being done except for one watchmaker in my town that claims he can bring watches back to factory spec by adding metal to the watch case. So if you have a Rolex watch with lugs that are overpolished, he says he can bring it back to spec???

Is this a thing? I've never heard of this until now..

The only way to add metal to any case is by laser welding and if lugs were very over polished it would be more cost effective to buy a new case as laser welding is not cheap.

[m j b]

I wonder how "laser welding" differs from regular welding and why it's "the only way". So I googled, and Wiki'd. I found this: "Laser beam welding (LBW) is a welding technique used to join pieces of metal or thermoplastics through the use of a laser. The beam provides a concentrated heat source, allowing for narrow, deep welds and high welding rates."

So really, the difference is that a laser is the heat source instead of electrical resistance (my interpretation). And more importantly, you get a smaller, more controlled weld bead, which would be important when working on small jewelry items like a watch case.

What was the question?