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Thread: Bringing an old watch up to standard

  1. #1
    Master
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    Bringing an old watch up to standard

    So, I was given this watch by my other half before we got married. Over the 12 years of seen some knocks and dings albeit nothing major.

    I want to revive it and give it a new lease of life.

    I'm going to remove the bracelet and replace with a tan or brown grand Prix style strap.

    The watch case has two types of finishes, the bezel is highly polished but has lots of micro scratches. And the main case body is a very fine brushed finished, infact it's more realistic to call it a satin finish, this has micro scratches and one or two deeper scratches.

    The crystal isn't damaged as far as I can see but the clarity isn't as good as it should be imho.

    I have access to good quality wet and dry 240, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 & 2000.

    I also have access to compounds and wheels (however the wheels are for big pieces and not watches)

    I've sanded lacquered finishes to give a gloss finish on small trinket boxes etc. And many moons ago I used polishing compound to bring some old alloy wheels back to a reasonable condition.

    Never worked on a watch so looking for some tips, tricks and guidance.

    Here's some pics

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Estoril-5; 18th January 2018 at 11:05.

  2. #2
    Master
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    Any guidance chaps or info before I start on it?

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Grand Master Foxy100's Avatar
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    No idea, sorry!
    "A man of little significance"

  4. #4
    Grand Master
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    Get yourself a small piece of hardwood, approx 1” x 0.5 “, and ensure the edges are nice and sharp.

    Also get yourself a small block of hard rubber that’s about the same size. Car exhaust mountings can be a useful source.

    Use these as minature sanding blocks to wrap the paper around.

    A blue Garryflx block is a good way to put a brushed finish on steel, the effect is v. similar to 600 grit wet and dry. A scotchbrite coarse pad wrapped around a flat piece of wood is useful too.

    You’ll need masking tape, eyeglass/ magnifiers, and lots of patience. Aim to get the scratches and damage out before applying the final finish.....two separate processes.

    Maybe I should write a book on the subject.......I’ve spent a significant portion of the past 6 years refinishing watches and I’m still learning new tricks. My enthisiasm has waned over the past two years, I find refinishing work tedious and I no longer enjoy it.

    Paul

  5. #5
    Craftsman
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    Take the movement out first if you are going to polish

  6. #6
    Master Thewatchbloke's Avatar
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    And don't use the hammer.

  7. #7
    Master Reeny's Avatar
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    Just crack on and don't worry about it

    I used 6" buffing wheels on a bench grinder to clean up my Casio bezel which was well battered with lots of scratches.
    A double layer of sellotape over the glass, and the bezel polished out OK.
    There are some scratches remaining around the 25 minute mark, but considering the bezel was etched with 60 / 15 / 30 / 45 minute compass points, it cleaned up pretty well.
    No disassembly was involved. And I took my time so there wasn't a massive heat build up to make sure the crystal didn't crack.

    The brushed bracelet cleaned up nicely with a rubber polishing block impregnated with abrasive, similar to an ink rubber.
    Remember to mask off any bits you want to leave original, or if you want alternate between brushed and polished surfaces.

    Last edited by Reeny; 22nd January 2018 at 00:04.

  8. #8
    Master
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    A doddle to sort that out. I do it for a hobby / business for a freind of mine.. And my results are very good.

  9. #9
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MADDOG View Post
    A doddle to sort that out. I do it for a hobby / business for a freind of mine.. And my results are very good.
    What's your tips and tricks, how world you approach this watch?

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Grand Master
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    Taking out the damage first as I’ve suggested, prior to refinishing, will produce better results with the minimal of metal removal. Using a small hardwood block produces a levelling effect, the ploughed up edges of the scratches go first if you do it right. Get the damage out using 600 or 800 grit, ensure the final work is done in the direction of the brushing, then do the final finishing. use a magnifier to do this work either a clip- on loupe or one held in the eye- socket, and ensure the lighting’s good.

    For a polished surface, work through the grades of abrasive, finish with 3000 grit used wet around a rubber block, then use metal polish on a buff stick. Finally polish on a polishing wheel to get the hairlines out. That’s how I do them and I get professional results (past tense now I’ve stopped doing this work!) Just finished an Omega bracelet from a 70s watch that looked sad and sorry, now it looks like new again. It can be done, but you can`t expect perfect results on your first attempt.

    It’s always better to totally strip the case if possible, but sometimes it isn’t practical to do so. It depends whether you’re trying to make the watch look new again or simply improve it.........something in between makes sense if you’re a novice. Ideally, practice on a scrap watch and bracelet to get a feel for the techniques.

    Learning how to get the watch apart really does pay dividends and it's usually not that difficult. Having said that I`ve been beaten a couple of times, usually with chronographs where I cant get the pusher bodies out of the case.

    There's definitely a demand for this type of work, and it's an area that lends itself to self-tuition if you've got the time and patience. I gave up in the end because I wasn`t enjoying it enough, my techniques work but they're tedious and time-consuming. Having said that, it can be quite relaxing..........shut yourself off in your man-cave for a couple of hours armed with whisky and some decent music, then just work away at it!

    I limit my refinishing to my own projects thesedays, or the odd watch that I`m servicing for someone too.

    Paul
    Last edited by walkerwek1958; 22nd January 2018 at 14:44.

  11. #11
    Master
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    Awesome info gents. Can't wait to have a crack.

    Paul, I find locking myself in the garage for a few hours away from the missus and kids helps even if I'm just tidying up!

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

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