16570 polish mark removal?

[chris242]

good evening, i recently purchased a rolex 16570 explorer 2, it had been polished by the previous owner and you can see the marks all over the band. is it possible to remove them? any help would be much appreciated! this is my first post btw!!

[Watchcollectables]

More than likely but more information is needed rather than a loose description . Pics would help .

[chris242]

heres one, adding more

[chris242]

another..

[chris242]

the other side

[SearChart]

A skilled watchmaker can definitely refinish the case and bracelet.

[sarey]

Blimey... did the previous owner have a concrete desk at work. Looks bad but you'd be amazed what a certified Rolex watchmaker can do to clean it up.

[chris242]

well i'm in the bahamas and am limited here with certified rolex watchmakers!! but i'll have to find one next time i'm in the US then..

[chris242]

any places you guys would recommend ?

[freefly]

Actually, that doesn't look bad at all. Those scratches look fairly shallow to me (typical desk-diving marks). Personally, I'd remove the bracelet and give it some love with maroon Scotchbrite to restore the brushed finish. I have a half-circle rubber palm sanding block that works great to rest the bracelet on while doing this. I just take my time, and use a folded-up piece going in one direction only. Pretty easy DIY job to tidy it up until your next service.

YMMV though!!!

And to clarify, the above is for the bracelet only. Keep the Scotchbrite away from the case!

[chris242]

thanks freefly, ill give that a try, if i can find a maroon pad around here!����

[NKflyer]

You can also use the green scotchbrite pads which are pretty widely available in grocery stores. I usually cut them into 4-6 pieces for a more manageable size. There is even a tutorial in the reference section of Rolex Forum.

http://www.rolexforums.com/showpost....97&postcount=3

I would add to this tutorial that you should rinse the bracelet thoroughly afterward and maybe even scrub with an old toothbrush to remove all of the abrasive bits that will shed from the scotchbrite pad.

[1WatchDawg]

I found the Maroon Scotchbrite pads at a nearby Sherwin Williams paint store.

[handsfull]

Judging by its patina, I'd say it's in need of a regular service anyhow. The service will include a refinish of the bracelet.

[chris242]

what's the aprox. cost of a routine service? so i don't get screwed over!
will try the scotchbrite out today

[iliketime]

Originally Posted by chris242

what's the aprox. cost of a routine service? so i don't get screwed over!
will try the scotchbrite out today

that depends, rsc or independent like Jewelers on time?

[DLCU2]

What are the grit differences between the maroon and green scotchbrite pads?

[chris242]

Originally Posted by iliketime

that depends, rsc or independent like Jewelers on time?

both

[chris242]

the scotchbrite made a HUGE difference! it is definetly a great short term fix until the service. thanks guys

[chris242]

Originally Posted by iliketime

that depends, rsc or independent like Jewelers on time?

whats the aprox difference compared to rsc vs independent

[steviebeat]

Its not a difficult job to refinish that bracelet. I would not worry about giving it to a Rolex watchmaker, anyone with a degree of refurb skills would do that whole bracelet up like new in under half an hour.

[chris242]

Originally Posted by steviebeat

Its not a difficult job to refinish that bracelet. I would not worry about giving it to a Rolex watchmaker, anyone with a degree of refurb skills would do that whole bracelet up like new in under half an hour.

thanks for the info.

and as far as servicing..?

[steviebeat]

If its winding its self up and keeping good time just leave it. To be honest if I was you I would just live with the bracelet. If you get it all refurbed and nice it will just annoy you as you start to scratch it.

My advice to anyone is don't get any refurbs done between services, its just throwing money away imo.

[chris242]

Originally Posted by steviebeat

If its winding its self up and keeping good time just leave it. To be honest if I was you I would just live with the bracelet. If you get it all refurbed and nice it will just annoy you as you start to scratch it.

My advice to anyone is don't get any refurbs done between services, its just throwing money away imo.

it's keeping great time, just the date switches shortly after midnight..since i just bought it used i wouldn't mind giving it a polish to have some stories to tell and remember about the new scratches.. what's the average price difference on a service vs. polish?

also could anyone recommend a good watch guy in LA? will be there for a while so i would love to have a good contact...

[Alcan]

Chris, the Scotchbrite pads work well but I would recommend honing your technique on an old stainless kitchen knife first.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by DLCU2

What are the grit differences between the maroon and green scotchbrite pads?

There are several different "grits" of SB available, but I'd say the 3 most commonly used ones are green, marron, and grey. In the context of just those 3, the breakdown is as follows:

Green (#86/96) = "course"
Maroon (#7447) = "medium"
Grey (#7448) = "fine"

[freefly]

Originally Posted by chris242

thanks for the info.

and as far as servicing..?

You might contact fellow TRF member and watchmaker "Vanessa CW21".
She's in Newport Beach @ JOT (949-515-8880). She overhauled a Submariner for me recently and I was happy with the service/results.

[steviebeat]

Originally Posted by chris242

it's keeping great time, just the date switches shortly after midnight..since i just bought it used i wouldn't mind giving it a polish to have some stories to tell and remember about the new scratches.. what's the average price difference on a service vs. polish?

also could anyone recommend a good watch guy in LA? will be there for a while so i would love to have a good contact...

Rolex guarantee parts for watches for 30 years I think it is. So obviously they last longer but they kind of in a way are saying the watch will last for 30-40 years. Obviously they will last longer but if a watch is being serviced every 5 years and polished every 5 years thats 6 polishes that the case is expected to take removing material every time.

The way I look at it is you are decreasing the life span of the watch every time you have it polished. I'm not saying don't do it but I always tell customers that pov and they usually agree with me and hold off.

But saying that usually I'm speaking to customers who have had the watch a while and have marked it up yourself. I understand wanting to have a clean fresh start with the watch. From memory I think a polish is around 1/3 the price of a service so just get the whole thing done. You dont want to pay for a polish and find it needs a service 12 months down the line.

[chris242]

Got it cleaned up in Beverly Hills at rothstein jewleres.. looks amazing! Highly recommend that place

[steviebeat]

How much did they charge you?