The truth about Rolex Service Center Polishing ?

[JSol1]

You will certainly get many opinions on this topic, but in the end you will have to decide. I went through this dilemma when it was time to send my first and oldest Rolex in for service.

After 18 years, my watch worked fine and as a daily had normal wear and tear, with one deeper scratch. I mostly sent it in because I was concerned the gaskets were probably past prime and the watch spent a fair amount of time in and around salt water. To make matters more concerning, it was a two tone (gold being softer). In the end I took a deep breath and said polish. It came back looking like a new watch and I was thrilled with the outcome.

This Spring I was lucky enough to be hosted for the day at the Stern Institute in NYC and they showed us how they polish Pateks. This convinced me even more that unless the piece is rare and has some historical significance, I will always opt for polishing for my watches at RSC (or Patek).

[Sglider]

Originally Posted by trandonnghia92

Guy, any of you have your rolex to be polished by RSC ?

Are they really damage the watch or rounded-up the shape of the case/lug after just 1 polish ? Many thanks

Yes

No

This was in December via Dallas

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by 7enderbender

If you send it to RSC (especially Dallas) I think it’s perfectly fine. I always chuckle when people post picture asking if a watch has been polished and then the experts weigh in with opinions ranging from: it’s ruined to never been touched.
Unless there are deep scratches you won’t be able to tell. And it’ll look like new.

If only the armchair metallurgists could agree.
dP

[padi56]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

Just looked a bit Bexley edged to me, but if I’m incorrect I accept that.

Hyper critical aside, truth is, it’s in lovely condition and I’d buy that myself.

Well watch has had a hard life yes it was scratched but no deep gashes considering it was used as a working tool.But serviced regularly mainly around Asia,Africa and Caribbean where I was PADI/BSAC instructor and dive guide.

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by lamadoo

Lots of uneducated responses here.
Proper polishing moves the material not remove material! When it comes polishing, its an artwork and should only take it down to the micron. I would definitely trust RSC to do it. If you take your Rolex to any watchmaker or God forbid a jeweler or pre-own dealer for a polish, then they will remove material down to the defect!

Watch this video about what it means to 'moving material'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI_N2XRffdk

I'll caveat this by saying I am not anti polish at all. Or refinish, as is perhaps more correct.

If we accept that to polish is to restore shine and luster (as opposed to refinishing which includes rebrushing of brushed areas), with the possible exception of platinum and some more exotic metals, polishing works by removing surface dirt, oxidation and and tiny amounts of material from the surface being polished by using various grades of abrasive material.

It does not simply move the material, material will always be removed when steel or gold is polished, but if done correctly yes we are talking microns.

And a watch that has been properly refinished should be imperceptibly different to one which is as new.

Sadly, we see many on here which are badly refinished.

[FL2024]

Some people are not going to like/agree this but it is my opinion. Padi is right. People need to get over themselves and this anti-polish rhetoric. Okay, perhaps for some rare and vintage models, I can understand wanting the patina, so on and so fourth. But from a cosmetic standpoint, a polish from a RSC, will make the watch almost new again. If the polish is done by RSC and the watch has only been polished a limited amount of times, most of the time you cannot tell it's been polished. Sure, there are some outliers. Those are usually the ones you hear about on here. But, that is an anomaly. RSC knows what they're doing.

[FL2024]

Originally Posted by jsol1

you will certainly get many opinions on this topic, but in the end you will have to decide. I went through this dilemma when it was time to send my first and oldest rolex in for service.

After 18 years, my watch worked fine and as a daily had normal wear and tear, with one deeper scratch. I mostly sent it in because i was concerned the gaskets were probably past prime and the watch spent a fair amount of time in and around salt water. To make matters more concerning, it was a two tone (gold being softer). In the end i took a deep breath and said polish. It came back looking like a new watch and i was thrilled with the outcome.

This spring i was lucky enough to be hosted for the day at the stern institute in nyc and they showed us how they polish pateks. This convinced me even more that unless the piece is rare and has some historical significance, i will always opt for polishing for my watches at rsc (or patek).

this ^

[Cambo]

I love the way my watches come back from RSC. Polished and looking almost new.