No matter how carefully you protect them, watches that are worn regularly develop signs of wear over time that spoil their flawless look on the wrist. But what can you do to restore your timepiece to its original, like-new appearance? We share tips on polishing the case and crystal, explain the worst mistakes to avoid, and answer the question of when polishing actually makes sense.
Polishing Means Removing Material
Before you start polishing yourself or take your valuable watch to a professional, you need to understand how the process works: to polish scratches out of stainless steel, a gold alloy, or any other material, the top layer of that material is removed.
How much material has to be removed depends on the depth of the scratches: while light surface scratches only require taking off a wafer-thin layer, polishing out deep scratches means losing a considerable amount of material. If you put your watch through this procedure too often, the case will end up genuinely misshapen, as edges become rounded and the character of the fine piece disappears.
If you want to polish a Rolex, for example, you have to take care to preserve the sharp edges of the famous fluted Datejust bezel, because otherwise its sparkling, crisp shine will be lost forever.
[box type="note" align="" class="" width=""]We recommend not polishing routinely just for the fun of it, and weighing up before every intervention whether the benefits outweigh the long-term drawbacks.[/box]There's nothing wrong with polishing annoying surface scratches out of your Tag Heuer, Breitling, or Omega every few years. But keep in mind that the watch gets a little bit lighter each time.
Polishing a Watch Case: Removing Light Scratches Yourself
If the scratches are superficial, we don't think an expensive professional treatment is necessary. One tried-and-true option for polishing at home is Cape Cod polishing cloths, which are available in two-packs for around €10 and conveniently come pre-soaked with polish.
[box type="info" align="" class="" width=""]Before you start this simple process, put on disposable gloves and remove any leather strap from the watch. Then take the cloth and work the surface with light pressure and circular motions.[/box]Especially with hard stainless steel, it can take several minutes before you see the first results – patience and persistence are key here. A big advantage of the oily polish is how smoothly it works – you feel no resistance and no roughness while polishing.
Because using Cape Cod requires no expertise apart from a few basic rules of watch polishing (see below), and you don't need to buy any expensive machines, this method is our absolute favorite for removing light surface scratches.
Deep Scratches: Machine Polishing by an Expert
Whether you want to polish a Tag Heuer, Rolex, or Hublot: if the scratches go deep into the material, polishing cloths won't help. In this case, we advise you to see an experienced expert and have the watch refinished by machine. The risk of an amateur damaging a valuable luxury watch is simply too high. If you still feel up to doing the job yourself, you first have to pre-sand the scratched surface with sandpaper of various grits. You start with the coarsest grit and finish with the finest.
Next, you can apply the polishing compound to the buffing wheel of the polishing machine and carefully begin polishing. Unlike with Cape Cod, a lot can go wrong here, from pressure and angle to the compound and the speed. That's why, especially with valuable watches, we recommend investing in a skilled professional.
Caution! Avoid These Mistakes
If you want to polish a watch case made up of alternating polished and brushed sections, a particularly delicate touch is required. Never rub over the brushed surfaces or treat them by machine, because they will get polished as well and lose their intentional matte finish. This applies to Cape Cod and every other method. If you use machine polishing, carefully mask off the matte surfaces with tape.
Also important: any polishing of coated cases carries a particular risk, because the coatings (e.g., gold plating) are applied extremely thinly. Even after the first polish, the gold plating may be visibly worn away, the silver of the case shows through, and the look of the timepiece is ruined. That's why it's almost impossible to make gold-plated watches look as good as new, fresh out of the watch box.
Polishing a Watch Crystal: No Problem with Acrylic
What good is a watch with a gleaming gold alloy, a perfect leather strap, and a great dial if the crystal is completely scratched? To be able to polish the transparent part of a wristwatch, it has to be made of soft, workable acrylic (Plexiglas). If you want to polish the original Omega Moonwatch, for example, you have a good chance of removing light scratches yourself. The product you need is Polywatch, a white polishing paste that costs just a few euros and is rubbed into the crystal with a cotton pad. Amazingly, light scratches disappear completely after just a few minutes, and even deeper damage can be removed from the acrylic with a little patience.
Whether you want to polish a vintage Rolex or a more affordable modern watch: if you want to remove scratches from a watch with a mineral or sapphire crystal, the paste won't help. These materials, especially today's near-diamond-hard sapphire crystal, are too hard to be abraded by the product. Professional methods could theoretically polish even the hardest watch crystal, but the cost and effort involved would exceed the price of fitting a new crystal.
Should You Polish Your Wristwatch? It Depends on Your Intentions
You've spotted the scratch – now what? Many enthusiasts wonder whether it's better to polish it out or to accept the minor damage as "charming patina." Our take: it depends on the purpose.
If the watch is an investment and will most likely be sold later, we advise against polishing – most of the market regards it as an alteration of the original condition, which reduces the value.
[box type="success" align="" class="" width=""]If, on the other hand, you plan to keep the watch, there's nothing wrong with a cosmetic touch-up. Follow a few tips, and your masterpiece will look fresh out of the watch box in no time.[/box]
