904L: softer than plastic!

[HiBoost]

Being a nerd I wanted to measure various case dimensions to see how they compared to the published specs. Though I have many precision measuring instruments I don't dare bring their sharp metal surfaces near my watches. So I ordered up a plastic jawed set of digital calipers just for this purpose. I take out my new Bluesy, carefully place the jaws at 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock and close them gently... 41.0mm... right on the money. Open the jaws, remove the calipers. No perceptible dragging along the surface. Glance at the side of the case... WTF is this?? Yep, scratched. Unreal. I knew these things were delicate, but this is really something. It's nice that we have a bracelet option on more models these days, but can I get a 316L case option please??

In my previous town, our jewelry store had a watchmaker who had moved to the US from Switzerland. He was head of Rolex US service for 10 years, and head of AP service for 5 years. I felt extremely lucky to have access to someone like this and I figured it was surely safe to let him regulate my 16710. He gave it back to me and I immediately saw vertical scratches on the side of the case. I was speechless. He had even made the comment to me that he could tell my watch had never been opened before because most watchmakers were "butchers" and would leave traces behind. For the last 10 years I have wondered how this guy could have scratched up the case like that. I had assumed he used a metal case holder or had metal jaws in the timegrapher or something "obvious". But now that I have experienced the damage that plastic can cause, I guess he may have not been that careless.

Anyway, had to vent to somebody. Nobody I know in real life wants to hear it... :)