Hi,
may anyone post a picture of an polished and unpolished watch. I think the best thing would be if it were the same watch model. Maybe a Rolex Submariner! I know this model best, I mean. But also any other watch model. I find it sometimes very difficult to spot it!
Thanks,
Michael
Last edited by Wallpaper; 3rd May 2020 at 20:25. Reason: Typo
By unpolished, do you mean bead-blasted?
I think all watch cases are polished to achieve the desired shape before being finished with a mirror polish, brushed or bead blasted, as the most common finishes.
Or if you just mean polished vs knackered, I have these...
I meant that in the context when used watches are refurbished, i.e. polished.
Love the Armageddon watch!Originally Posted by Papa Hotel
By unpolished, do you mean bead-blasted?
I think all watch cases are polished to achieve the desired shape before being finished with a mirror polish, brushed or bead blasted, as the most common finishes.
Or if you just mean polished vs knackered, I have these...
Close up of my unpolished 16710
Love that look - been through hell and still working.By unpolished, do you mean bead-blasted?
I think all watch cases are polished to achieve the desired shape before being finished with a mirror polish, brushed or bead blasted, as the most common finishes.
Or if you just mean polished vs knackered, I have these...
This might help you
https://millenarywatches.com/tell-rolex-unpolished/
Cheers
Simon
Ralph Waldo Emerson: We ask for long life, but 'tis deep life, or noble moments that signify. Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical.
The question is whether the watch has been machine polished a few times. Hand polishing, with something like a cape cod cloth, will not alter the shape of a watch. I polish my watches by hand when necessary. My car has been washed and polished many many times and funny enough it is the same shape!
If I was to take a machine tool to it though, with a fairly aggressive polishing pad, I am sure I could wear the paint down eventually and with a huge amount of use could affect the steel eventually.
If the steel has a scratch you can feel though, then material must be removed to get rid of it.
Mitch
If a watch is properly refinished then you won't be able to tell.
If it has been polished many times by the wrong methods and then correctly re-finished you will tell, lug holes, thinner lugs etc.
In my opinion un-polished watches can only be called as such if they are new old stock or have clearly never been opened, strap removed, serviced etc etc. which is not easy to tell at all.
You could lightly wear a watch for ten years, send it back to be refinished properly then sell it as never worn, unpolished. Then the next time its sold it still looks sharp and is again sold as unpolished and so on.
Maybe the OP means older watches that have been polished/refurbed back to as new condition.
I recall reading some time ago when i was looking at some Omega models, how cheap Japan was at the time, then somebody said that most will have been heavily polished and so not a good buy.
I wouldn't mind seeing some examples of over polishing compared to light or unpolished.
A Bexley Bevel and two NOS unpolished lugs.
The bexley bevel on that, ouch!!
It’s a standard old school vintage bevel with approx 4 case refinishings. (I have all the service receipts)
The bevels on 5 digit models are different.
You’re right, there is definitely more of a pronounced original bevel on the four digits. I do own a 16610 which has the thick bexley bevel, which shouldn’t be there, I.e not an original bevel for that model.
Another example of a sub which was refinished with every service.
Both are red subs but one was robbed of its dial, hands, insert and half its case by RSC.
Both have had their original bracelets changed.
Big ouch is seeing this bevel on a lot of 5 digit rolexes for sale in sales forum, for me that is a ruined case.
So does the bexley bevel exist because it hides damaged to the lugs more easily, less metal needs to be polished off to get a good finish??
I’ve had several watches sent to Bexley and refinished like this which weren’t worn or damaged.
5513s, Double Red, 1665 white, and a Milsub.
Must have been an old school refinisher who liked seeing them done that way!
Unpolished 16610
Having the bevel on the edge enables dings on the edge to be rectified more easily. If it wasn’t thete the only way to get rid of dings on the edge would be removal of metal from the lug tops and sides till the damage disappears. However, I see no reason why the refinishing process should produce a wider bevel than original.
One advantage of the post 2006 Rolex cases with fatter lugs, there’s more metal to go at!
Agreed. Maybe in the future there will be a healthy market for 'enthusiastically' polished 6 digit models, can only improve them IMO !
Many thanks to all! I appreciated!
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