Reply With QuoteTo me it just depends how well and how much it's been done. If lines are still crisp and flanks meaty enough for years more to come, then all's dandy.
In recent years, when purchasing second hand a second hand Rolex, I've always paid a premium and selected mint, unpolished and full set watches.
I appreciate some unpolished watches are not in great condition and could benefit cosmetically from a refurb but in most instances,if I had a choice, i would keep the watch unpolished.
It would to be interesting to hear other people's opinions on this and whether a watch being polished in the past is something you consider when buying a fairly older (>10 years old) watch
To me it just depends how well and how much it's been done. If lines are still crisp and flanks meaty enough for years more to come, then all's dandy.
Correct. I’ve refinished plenty over the last few years and if its done properly it shouldn’t detract from the watch. Rolex Oyster cases are v. easy to refinish provided there isn’t deep damage on the edges.Originally Posted by hughtrimble
I stopped doing refinishing it because it took too long and I no longer enjoyed it. The trend towards preferring unpolished, albeit scratched and battered examples is crazy in my view, watches shoukd look as they were originally intended to.
I can usually tell if a watch has been machine polished even once. Rolex expecially as they have very consistent and precise finishing.
To me it is not the same once polished it doesn't have to that crispness, it has lost miniscule amounts of metal but even Rolex service technicians cannot replicate a factory finish precisely.
It is all in degrees isn't it.
No-one wants one that looks like it spent 20 minutes in a cement mixer.
However, a watch (like anything else) is only ever original once.
Something that has some light scratches but is 100% original may well be more desirable than something that looks perfect but has been polished to remove wear, simple because the light wear shows a continuity of care and use, whereas a polished case may be hiding all sorts of previous abuse. It may look better but be worse.
There is a very well known user on MWR who deals in, and restores, Bund watches. Every Heuer Bund he used to offer looked brand new.
He took years to finally accept that a bezel with a scratched aluminium edge from use might be more attractive than a brand new one. Same with hands, pushers, caseback, everything was replaced that didn't look perfect.
He had assiduously blasted the cases, and removed all signs of it's issued use.
It got to the stage that buying the more knackered examples (not from him) was actually buying a watch that had been issued and used by the Luftwaffe.
Buying his ones was like buying George Washington's axe, likely as not only the movement belonged to the issued watch. He had dealt in so many that prices for Heuer Bunds were never as high as they should be, partly because of this, as his use of re-manufactured parts cheapen the originality of an issued watch.
Sure, it is not every wath that has an issued past, or the prospect of re-manufatured parts reducing the value, but polishing removes originality.
And originality has value.
Classic Cars are the same. King of the heap (value-wise) is a pristine original example. Next comes respectable original examples. Comfortably behind that comes restored ones, because needing a restoration shows it was not in good nick, and the fear remains that bad bits persist, out of sight.
Dave
Any watch can be polished up, but it takes some discipline from previous owner(s) not to polish. I generally prefer unpolished as I like the look of original case lines and finish.
watch nerds are strange people :)
if someone asks what to do with his father's watch that looks like it's been through hell and back, majority will scream "don't even think to polish, don't replace anything, leave everything original!!!". Sometimes I wonder how they manage to service their own watches and keep it "original", because from their tone I understand that applies even to movement.
but then there are those who obsess about shirt cuff scratches on their prised possessions.
I am not against case polish if it is done properly - maintaining edges etc. sometimes it is enough to buff watch with cape cod for 10 minutes to bring it back to life.
having said that if I were to have 50-60 year old submariner or similar watch - of course I'd keep it original visually, because of there are not so many of them out there.
modern watch is different story, I think Rolex is making more subs in a month than it did in a year 50 years ago, therefore modern ones will never be so "collectible" in the future. the same with regular production speedmasters and other watches.
Buying vintage is not my scene (I did have some 5513 and 16660 etc in my collection but sold them on - just couldn’t get on with the idea I couldn’t wear a watch without babying it). However I do have one vintage:
I had my Dads watch from 1978 polished by my local Rolex AD (when they had on-site watchmakers).
After - very happy
Maybe against the tide. I would do the same again. But I will never sell it so may be unusual case on here.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 2nd September 2021 at 08:49.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
It’s ironic that most of the anti-polish brigade are Rolex fanboys. The anti-polish culture has been fuelled by the poor examples around, produced by excessive machine refinishing with little regard to retaining the details, but like a faulty translation the original meaning has been lost and any form of refinishing is frowned upon.
As with all things Rolex this has blown out of all proportion, owners are reluctant to have a watch refinished for fear if devaluing it. The logic has become totally distorted to a point where a scratched up battered mess of a watch is perceived to be more desirable than a similar watch that’s been refinished correctly and looks as the manufacturer intended.
Watches and bracelets with contrasting brushed and polished finishes lose the contrast with wear, the brushed starts to look too shiny and the polished looks duller as it picks up scratches. Seamaster Professionals are a good example and a well-worn example will look tired and looks very different from what the owner walked out if the shop with originally. If it remains unfinished it’ll please the originality police even though it has lost its original appearance and appeal. The original appearance can be restored by careful refinishing but that’s spoiling the originality in the eyes of the self- proclaimed purists!
As it seems to be Rolex standard procedure to polish any watch that goes in for service to some extent, I think the ‘collectors’ are slightly out of step with the manufacturer on this one. I’ve had a few come back from servicing that had no dings or proper scratches at all but had clear chamfers on the lugs after a service. Did this bother me? - not really tbh. I think the issue now is old, frankly knackered ‘classic’ watches which now have an inflated value and as a result every element is pored over by enthusiasts. An over polished case with odd shaped lugs looks awful imho so one you get beyond a certain point they should be left alone - if people want to wear a knackered looking watch it’s up to them. I like a bit of wabi but a lot of old subs now look decrepit.
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Unpolished 1675, nice fat case, strong lines with original finish
Polished 1675, a bit meh
Unpolished for me, I can live with the fan label so long as it means that the finish on my watches hasnt been arsed with.
And that doesn't apply to Rolex only.
I’ve never been obsessed with whole ‘thou shall not polish’ thing. I look for a nice original dial, hands, bezel insert etc and although I don’t insist that the edges be so sharp that you could shave with them, I equally would stay clear of one that has been polished within an inch of its life.
There is a middle ground, a few light polishes especially if done by the manufacturer at service time are okay by me.
That’s been refinishedUnpolished 1675, nice fat case, strong lines with original finish
Not mine, just googled an unpolished 1675 but I take your word for it. But goes to shows the degrees also matter. I would happily pay a big premium for the unpolished or lightly polished vs the highly polished in my previous post. On one end you got the fabled real unpolished, they deserve some premium as are rare especially the older the watch and especially if sports Rolex. Then you have the melting chocolate polished which is a no no in my book. But as others have said, a light polish is usually ok, though all else equal I still take the unpolished with some scratches and normal signs of wear > a nicely done polished watch and I stay well clear of highly polished.
Last edited by ac11111; 2nd September 2021 at 13:51.
As some know I errrr 'polish / refinish' watches ...there I said it like admitting to taking MDMA or wearing tights (i don't well not often)...
And the subject has been over many times and will continue to ....as will laser welding going forward (discuss)...
there is a huge difference between Polishing and Polishing.....
I do not favour 'heavy' mechanical wheel polishing which can be quite an aggressive process in all but the most skilled hands and agree with those who say its easy to lose those precious sharp edges and create some pebble like feel to lugs and lose lug fatness bringing spring bars ever closer to the surface or even poking out which is evident in so many over polished pieces if you look at 1680/1655/1665/1675 for sale you can quickly identify ones that have been for want of a better word 'milled' ...
and therein lies the problem if you have a case with a very deep scratch or chunky 'dink' nobody can make it fully disappear unless they take down the surrounding metal or dare i say 'laser weld' add metal....so in that instance for me better to leave it, sure clean the case lightly polish the surfaces to remove minor swirlies and lighter scratches as thats no different to polishing your car or cleaning your wedding ring..
Not all polishing is aggressive done by hand with the correct tools (felt sticks, mild 3000+papers, polishes and refinishing pads for brushed surfaces and copious amounts of protective tape and and well patience its surprising what can be achieved to make your pride and joy look fresh without resorting to the 'wheel'....
As Paul said its a laborious tough job done this way but its sympathetic to the watch...
to be fair Rolex with their slab sides on most models are the easiest to get a beautiful mirror finish with little more than a Burgeon 2290 followed by 'Buff sticks' with a tad of Mothers metal polish..
Likewise most bracelets are easy to refinish with patience 'good taping' skills and practice to be able to get the brushed finish uniform..
This 2004 Speedy had been worn for 14 years straight
A Ladies Heuer given as an 18th refreshed for her 21st -
and then theres the worst job a President bracelet..
Excellent post TKH, hadn’t realised you were skilled in the art!
There’s a world of difference between what I call the melting chocolate look, where the edges of lugs have been lost and the springbars are protruding, compared to a watch that’s been sympathetically refinished by hand to remove the absolute minimum of metal.
Whilst its often a mistake to totally remove a deeper scratch its surprising how much improvement can be made if the jobs done correctly. Think of a ploughed field, under high magnification that’s what a scratch looks like with metal protruding above the original surface. Using the correct technique this can be removed easily without taking anything significant off, but it then becomes diminishing returns and a judgement has to be made whether its feasible to completely remove the damage. Unfortunately this skilled work is now being frowned upon by the all- knowing enthusiasts, the umbrella term ‘polishing’ has almost become a disreputable activity!
One advantage of the post- 2006 Rolex models with fatter lugs is the extra metal! Older 5 digit Datejusts and 34 mm models have quite slim lugs and there’s very limited scope for removing metal from the sides without it becoming obvious. An old Rolex could look very sharp after being carefully refinished and this can disguise the fact that its lost a fair bit of metal, another reason why buying can be a minefield given the high prices they now fetch.........buyer beware!
Thought so too looks like the Rolex service chamfers on the shouldersSent from my SM-G780F using TZ-UK mobile app
Yeah, had to send mine off to Rolex for a service. Never mentioned anything about polishing and it came back with tram lines down the lugs.
Not happy with it as it removed metal that didn’t need removing.
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There’s a difference though between older and modern Rolex watches. Older models did have very pronounced chamfers from factory originally where as modern Rolex from around 2000s onwards were straight edge. Rolex service in the U.K. puts on what is known as bexley chamfers for modern watches also, incorrectly, but the 1675 from 40 years ago would have had very pronounced chamfers from factory and so is not a service add on.
I think sometimes a light polish to remove some wear is acceptable but nothing to heavy that makes it look polished if that makes sense
I’ve got a couple of vintage Rolex that are unpolished 16750,5513 and it’s not that I specifically wanted unpolished examples but I admit it’s a bonus and that’s how they were found & bought . I personally wouldn’t get too hung up on finding an unpolished example as some of the prices are unbelievable along with the premiums that are asked , a nicely polished example with a nice case along with a nice dial and hands would do the trick .
One of the HK Sellers from back in the day always seemed to have unpolished examples along with lovely lovely patina so it’s scary what can be down nowadays to cases and especially dials .
Apologies to bump an old thread but I’m thinking about sending an 8 year old 6 digit for service.
Is unpolished a big deal on 6 digit too or is it just a 4/5 digit thing?
6 digit maxi cases could do with slimming down
I'd say no big deal on those
YMMV
My view is that for a run of the mill 6 digit - having it polished by a professional is no issue at all. The lugs, crown guards and bracelet are now so much more robust on modern Rolexes (without the subtle chamfers) that a polish done sympathetically by RSC is not going to make the case look soft. I caveat this by saying that if you have any major dents or dings, then you’re probably best getting them laser welded rather than sending it to RSC. I have a nasty nibble in the lug of my SD4000 (116600) and RSC said they would try and repair it by removing metal, so I declined to have it done for fear they would soften the lug shape too much. I will have that laser welded first before service.
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Do you want to remove hairlines or "worse" ?
Hairlines I wouldn't bother, proper scratches and scuffs its up to you.
Thanks guys
It might need a new glass as my wife's engagement ring scratched it somehow. Shame as it looks like a tiny spec of dust and only really visible in pics. Similar thing with a tiny dink on the bezel edge (not the insert) which you don't notice in real life but doesn't look ideal in a zoomed pic.
I don't think it needs a polish but the cheapskate in me is torn between preserving it Vs getting my money's worth as it's the same price either way.
I honestly think it's fine but I might try and dump it to get a BLRO and after the BB Pro saga I just don't have the mental strength for any CSI nonsense.
Very late to the thread but reading from #1 I was just thinking that it looks more like a Bexley Bevel than factory original
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Agree. It's only original once.
Last edited by johny; 31st July 2022 at 15:54.
You can ask for a ‘very light polish’ which is what I did recently. I can’t notice any change in shape of lugs or case at all. This is on a 2016 Tudor.
On a 6 digit I would do the same.
To go against the tide, I would have no problem with a Rolex being refinished by RSC, the only proviso being that if there was already a large ding, I would have it lazer-welded first.
I wouldn’t have mine repeatedly refinished, but I’m careful, so as long as I avoid accidents it shouldn’t be necessary. There is a huge gulf between top quality work, and the examples that give refinishing a bad name.
Dave
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Last edited by helidoc; 31st July 2022 at 23:18.
I've not had an issue buying badly refinished watches providing they're cheap enough and can be polished properly by someone who knows what they're doing and have the correct equipment as used by the factory in the first place. Wouldn't it be easier though if all watches coming up for sale were left unpolished so the buyer gets to choose. And if they've already been polished then you don't have to buy them. The finish on a watch is only original once.
"A man of little significance"
I don't mind a bit of light refinishing, especially on clasps/bracelets that seem to take a bit of a beating. As has been mentioned, the difference between sympathetic cleaning up and turning a watch into something that could be confused with a throat lozenge is an important one.
Given the likely low cost of materials and high cost of labour, I don't understand why getting a case swap isn't more common if the original has lived its life and perhaps come away with scars that are unsightly or actively reduce the function of the case (i.e. compromising sealing). Whilst the bezel, face and hands tend to gather a bit of character over time, so I'd want to keep them as a matched set over time, I consider most other components to be replaceable (certainly for the first few decades of a watch's life when I'd hope most brands would either still be making that model or holding significant stock of parts).
Unpolished all way for me.
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