How many of you guys polish your own watch????

[TNRonin]

I have a 2000 SD that was not as shiny as it used to be. I wanted to bring it back to life so I whipped out the dremel and some flitz as I know it won't take the metal off. It came out pretty nice. No I don't have any pics. I was concerned about the HEV but it didn't polish up at all.

I'm curious how many of you polish your watches? I now know that I can whip out the dremel tool now w/o worries. The bezel was my biggest concern, but its nice a shiny now.

[ian.thomas]

I use the dremel only on deep marks. For regular light scratches I use a Cape Cod cloth before getting out the dremel.

[Prince]

Heh heh, yeah...



Good as new!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by TNRonin

I have a 2000 SD that was not as shiny as it used to be. I wanted to bring it back to life so I whipped out the dremel and some flitz as I know it won't take the metal off. It came out pretty nice. No I don't have any pics. I was concerned about the HEV but it didn't polish up at all.

I'm curious how many of you polish your watches? I now know that I can whip out the dremel tool now w/o worries. The bezel was my biggest concern, but its nice a shiny now.

Hi Ronin,

I'm so bloody careful with my babies that I don't need to polish them. Just a good ole' soap and water wash with an old toothbrush....followed by a quick wipe up with the towel....and a final spit 'n' polish with a soft, no-lint, Optometrist cloth. All's good as new.

Cheers - JJ

[Lol-x]

The correct polishing of Rolex watches is a skilful exercise and I would caution those trying to take that artful endeavour into their own hands unless they are competent to do so.
There are many a Rolex that have had over polishing performed which detracts from the usual lines of the case and the beauty of the watch.
I'm not saying one can't polish their watches, but a dremel in the hands of someone without the requisite skill could have some less than desirable consequences.
Cheers
& 73

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

The correct polishing of Rolex watches is a skilful exercise and I would caution those trying to take that artful endeavour into their own hands unless they are competent to do so.
There are many a Rolex that have had over polishing performed which detracts from the usual lines of the case and the beauty of the watch.
I'm not saying one can't polish their watches, but a dremel in the hands of someone without the requisite skill could have some less than desirable consequences.
Cheers
& 73

You're right on the button, Stephen.

I hate any kind of solvents or chemicals touching my watch....except for just bath soap and H2O.

JJ

[colemanitis]

I'm with JJ on this one. I'll never polish my own watch. I use soap and water once a week and a polishing cloth every couple of days to free it from finger prints and smudges. This keeps it looking good as new!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by colemanitis

I'm with JJ on this one. I'll never polish my own watch. I use soap and water once a week and a polishing cloth every couple of days to free it from finger prints and smudges. This keeps it looking good as new!

Right on, Jeff. In fact, guys, that's all you need. The quality of the steel Rolex uses is so damn good that even after years of use, soap and water will always keep your Rolex looking as good as new. Nothing else required!!

JJ

[wmthedirector]

thanks guys , i used to use cotton swaps, now i will ad a tooth brush to my tool box. thanks

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by wmthedirector

thanks guys , i used to use cotton swaps, now i will ad a tooth brush to my tool box. thanks

Avoid cotton swabs, my friend. Cotton tends to fray and leave off very minute strands which could get caught up in the numerous niches and chinks of your watch and bracelet.

What you need is a good clean up with a "SOFT" toothbrush I keep aside for this job and then a good wipe with your towel.

Final "polish" can be done with a lint-free soft Optometrist cloth...the kind you use to clean the lenses of your eyeglasses.

Cheers - JJ

[TNRonin]

I appreciate the feedback, this is what I wanted to hear. FWIW, I used a polish called flitz which does not take off metal as say Brasso or something like that will. I was so light on the touch that I'm certain I didn't take anything off it.

Mitch

[Gedanken]

Just to throw my two cents in, Mitch, I have on occasion used Autosol to (very carefully) remove deep scratches on my SD, but most of the time, one of those silver polishing cloths does the trick and doesn't take anything off.

One thing you do need to be careful of - if you're poliching the sides of the case, make sure you don't end up running over the edge to the top face of the lugs!

[Lt. Dan]

What about the two cloths that come with the watch? Is nobody using these? Also, why two different cloths?

[padi56]

Sorry guys cannot see any need to polish any Rolex watch just a occasional dip in good old soap and water.And yes your Rolex will be fine if it gets near the wet stuff water.Now if you have any bad scratches the RSC will polish it like new at service.So why take the risk just wear your watch thats what it is for.Myself have never had any need to polish any of my watches I would leave that to the people that does the best RSC.

[mike]

I have to admit I've never tried to polish one. Wash em off occassionaly and let RSC do it when the time comes.

[rusi]

Yes , just wash it with ordinary bath saoppy water & then again with clean water, then wipe it with your bath towel.
for scratches use the toothpaste, & wash it off with palin water.
The above is the cheapest & best way.
You see your watches as clear & milky white as JJs teeth.

[TNRonin]

I sure kept away from the brushed sections, but the shiney parts were definately no long shiney. I had just traded off (about 2 months ago) a brand new 14060M so I had a yard stick to measure the luster agains. I used the soft polishing wheel to polish the sides with a NON abrasive polish.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I wear my watch 24/7, it didn't come to me shiney new. Hell, I've already dinged it on the lug and bezel, I wear it for everything. I've read so many war stories about the Rolex, I want to make some of my own. LOL

[Launch Mini]

From what I know, the FLITZ is just like a mechanical buffer, similar to what one would use on a car for detailing.
Simply a power polisher?
http://www.flitz.ca/

[TNRonin]

I can't speak to that, I just know that flitz won't take blueing off a gun, the other stuff out there will.

[Submadatejust]

I sometimes dip mine in the jewelry wash. It makes it shiny.

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Avoid cotton swabs, my friend. Cotton tends to fray and leave off very minute strands which could get caught up in the numerous niches and chinks of your watch and bracelet.

What you need is a good clean up with a "SOFT" toothbrush I keep aside for this job and then a good wipe with your towel.

Final "polish" can be done with a lint-free soft Optometrist cloth...the kind you use to clean the lenses of your eyeglasses.

Cheers - JJ

You softy wimp! It's a Rolex man, not a girl Now stand up straight, shoulders back, drop down and gimmy 100! You pansy

[Prince]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

You softy wimp! It's a Rolex man, not a girl Now stand up straight, shoulders back, drop down and gimmy 100! You pansy

Give you 100 WHAT?

[wmthedirector]

Just push ups prince, right GOODWATCH ??

JJ thanks, we are lucky to have you here.

[Spencer]

After every time I wear one of my watches, I use a cloth to polish out any dirt and or finger prints etc.

[TARDIS]

Hi Ronin,

A bar friend of mine has a Submariner and wears it to work everday. He is a construction worker on a building site. The watch gets a wash under the tap on the site before he knocks off work and heads for the bar. I look at it sometimes and it has lots of scratches on case and the bracelet which he shrugs off and says its a Rolex. Supposed to be tough and able to stand up to a mans world he says and if he did need to refurbish it, he'll give it to his wife to get done at a jeweller. That sort of a bloke.

I'm a bit different, I use small amount of liquid soap and an old soft toothbrush under the tap about once a week and a jewellers cloth.

For stubborn ingrained marks just pop it in the wife's dishwasher on ECO wash. Comes up like new!

I bought a kit from
http://www.watchbandrenew.com
8 months ago. Quite good value for money and it has a good instruction sheet. Excellent for SS brush finish bracelets. Patience needed.

If the mirror finish of the case sides is scored or scratched you will need a jewellers buffing wheel (2500rpm). I wouldn't use a Dremel. Even at its SLOWEST speed. At 30,000rpm will do horrible damage!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by wmthedirector

Just push ups prince, right GOODWATCH ??

JJ thanks, we are lucky to have you here.

Thanks, pal....appreciate it after all the insults these tossers hurl my way!!

[Prince]

Originally Posted by wmthedirector

Just push ups prince, right GOODWATCH ??...

Maybe. Maybe not...

[BruceS]

Only when I'm gonna sell 'em. I like the scruffs 'n scratches

Originally Posted by TARDIS

If the mirror finish of the case sides is scored or scratched you will need a jewellers buffing wheel (2500rpm). I wouldn't use a Dremel. Even at its SLOWEST speed. At 30,000rpm will do horrible damage!

Although I have never felt the need to polish my own watches using any power tool, I don't agree that a Dremel should never be used or will necessarily do "horrible damage." Comparing the relative RPM's of two tools and deeming one as unsuitable without knowing the diameter of the actual buffing wheel used on each is not the correct approach.

What is more important than purely the RPM is the SFPM (surface feet per minute) of the buffing wheel. This will dictate the actual speed of the buffing material as it crosses the watch case. It is a function of the circumference of the buffing wheel or bit and the RPM. You need to know the specifics in order to pass judgment if something will do horrible damage or not. Typically Dremel tools use very small buffing wheels (like 1 inch diameter or sometimes smaller as in my kit at home) compared to a buffing unit on a bench that may use an 6 or 8 inch diameter buffing wheel.

For example, a Dremel rotating at 10,000 RPM with a 1 inch diameter wheel will run at 2,618 surface feet per minute.

A buffing wheel rotating at 2,500 RPM that is 6 inches diameter will run at 3,927 surface feet per minute.

In this case the larger, slower RPM wheel is moving across the surface of the part at a much faster rate than the Dremel tool is. Given the same abrasive and pressure applied, it will remove material faster than the Dremel would in this case.

I know people on TZ who use Dremel tools for polishing and have not done any "horrible damage" to their watches. Although I would not encourage anyone to do this without first practicing on some old watch case that you don't care about, by no means is using a Dremel guaranteed to ruin your case.

Hope this helps. Al

[TARDIS]

Originally Posted by Avalon

For example, a Dremel rotating at 10,000 RPM with a 1 inch diameter wheel will run at 2,618 surface feet per minute.

A buffing wheel rotating at 2,500 RPM that is 6 inches diameter will run at 3,927 surface feet per minute.

In this case the larger, slower RPM wheel is moving across the surface of the part at a much faster rate than the Dremel tool is. Given the same abrasive and pressure applied, it will remove material faster than the Dremel would in this case.

I know people on TZ who use Dremel tools for polishing and have not done any "horrible damage" to their watches. Although I would not encourage anyone to do this without first practicing on some old watch case that you don't care about, by no means is using a Dremel guaranteed to ruin your case.

Hope this helps. Al

Gee Al, that's a very interesting post.
You obviously know a lot more about Dremel than I.
The only experience I had with Dremel was with my son-in-law's which had no clamp to support it and only ran at top speed because of some malfunction in the speed selection. I tried polishing the steel parts on my Buck Knife with it and I made a right mess of it.
I had to manually wet & dry the scores out and grade it back with micron cloths, took several days but now looks great.

I read about the Dremel guys on TZ, but unlike me, they know what they are doing.

Steve