Polishing/refinishing is subjective. Depends on the wear.

 

I do with those that I serviced because I like a well finished watch.

Entirely a personal preference.

 

Unless you’re next to the person doing the polishing and can give feedback, you run the risk of receiving something over-polished as the polisher seeks to make it perfectly like new.

If it’s a vintage piece, polishing can dramatically affect value.

Skill and techniques vary. ALS will laser weld your case to fill any deep scratches/gouges, then buff it pretty from there. Rolex will happily grind your lugs in half to get out a deep mark.

Lots of reasons…


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My watches that have Superluminova will get polished by the brand that made them. All other watches that I have are older than 1995, and therefore do not get touched by anyone.

Polishing in general involves removing metal, and since it can't really be put back, the consensus with vintage pieces (which for me is 1995 and older) is to avoid doing it. The other reason to avoid it is that it helps to establish to the buyer's eye what the actual condition of the watch is and if it's been reconditioned. Vintage pieces that are unpolished and in excellent condition are therefore higher valued than pieces that have taken a beating and been polished back to condition. That being said, a watch that looks like it's been through a washing machine can be awful too, so it's the owner's choice.

Overpolishing can result in something that some of us term 'lozenging', where corners and edges on the case are rounded instead of sharp. This, to a small degree, is something you should look for when buying vintage, as it can give an indication if the watch has been polished 'to death' or not.

 

Depends on if you want a pristine watch that you now have to be careful with in order to not put any scratches on it or you want one you've already banged up a bit and are comfortable wearing any time anywhere. I wear my least "damaged" watches less frequently than the others including my PO. When I bought it, it was properly represented as being worn but, when I received it, it was near mint and needed no polishing whatsoever when I sent it in to Omega for a full service. End result is a like-new watch I really don't want to mess up!

Had it arrived in a more worn condition and was left that way, I might actually wear it more! So, if I sent it in for service with some wear and tear and it was returned more or less pristine, I'd be in the same boat - hesitant to wear and damage it.

So I'd like a specific option to repair what needs to be repaired yet leave the patina/scratches on it but that's not really how these repair facilities seem to roll. They'll fix what needs fixing including a good polish even if you don't want it.

Watch some episodes of Pawn Stars where someone brings in an item that's vintage but "cleaned" and they don't offer much for it because it's been cleaned yet someone else brings in an item that if only it were cleaned and restored would they offer full value. While that's not entirely a realistic example, it's relevant and how watch people seem to work. Some like them with patina and some like them restored. Both are fine for each individual owner.

 

So I'd like a specific option to repair what needs to be repaired yet leave the patina/scratches on it but that's not really how these repair facilities seem to roll. They'll fix what needs fixing including a good polish even if you don't want it.

At brand service centers, you can ask for it not to be refinished, but that doesn't mean they will do as you ask. Recent thread on another forum about this exact thing - customer asked for it not to be refinished, it was noted on the order, and it came back refinished. The AD is arranging for a new case for the watch, and the owner was told that his was on a cart with 12 watches that were not to be refinished, but someone did them all anyway...

For me, my standard is not to refinish customer watches unless it's specifically asked for, and it's an extra charge, so my default is not to refinish. The brands will charge you for refinishing, even if you ask them not to do it - there's no discount on the service, so you pay for it no matter what.

 

In my experience, there are a lot of reasons why people don't want their watches refinished. As some have said, it can relate to value of a vintage watch, but also for a modern watch the sharp edges can be softened if the work is not done correctly.

I recall years ago being sent a Rolex from a customer who stated over and over again he didn't want any refinishing or changes to the case of the watch. It was his father's watch, and it had weld spatter on the case from when he and his father used to do projects together in their home shop. His father had passed on and he wanted the watch running well, but with that reminder of their time together intact - of course I obliged.

Everyone has their own reasons.

 

Depends on the watch and the person who'd be doing the case work.

Can the case be improperly finished? Sure we've all heard the horror stories. Can it be done properly, and it's close to the original factory finish? If you have the right person doing it, and putting in the time to do it right, where the brush surfaces are brushed, the polished surfaces are polished, and the sharp edges stay sharp, sure.

 

Sent my unpolished and untouched 26 year old Subby date in for service when it started to lose time, I was adamant that I did not want the dial hands and case touched on the watch, just the movement service was required.

I wanted my watch back running perfectly, but as it was in every other way.

 

Depends on the watch. If the piece has polished links already, I might go with a very light polish. If the links are more of a brushed finish, no polishing is needed. Always a bit torn when it comes to bracelets with both finishes. And of course, the crown (and some other higher end brands) will do what they want anyway if you service the watch with them...

 

No polishing for me, if I want a watch that looks new I buy another one.

 

I will let someone like Nesbits or Rolliworks refinish a watch if it needs it, but Swatch Group or Rolex Service Center, no. I've had a bad experience so now I know better.

 

I sent this 15 year old to Omega for full service earlier this year. Came back looking like new. Love it. Definitely personal preference.

 

Looks really good - nice and crisp. It would be nice if we could choose the person who will be refinishing our watches.

 

I’m against polishing of vintage watches but it can be done well.

Seiko - My King Seiko back from case polishing

Watchprosite - Hello, i wanted to share my joy of collecting 1972 King Seiko back from polishing. There was case restoration - zaratsu polishing including welding new material to corners and crystal restoration as well ( those crystals are almost imposible to get nowadays - so I decided to give...

www.watchprosite.com

 

I'll have a polish while I wait for my watch to be refinished! Seriously I would only have the original finish that was on the watch redone. So, if it was polished originally then Yes I would have it polished while I had my Polish Dog.

 

Never sent a watch in for service...

 

Well, if you're not going to wear it much afterwards or sell it, maybe, but you only get so many polish sessions before it starts to reduce the original shape. A watch that gets worn will scuff and so be it, I say.

 

Refinishing and polishing a watch is similar to plastic surgery. There is only a few times, before the result starts to look bad.

I'm always a little perplexed when reading the condition report of a wach before service. The desription of damages and scratches does not mach the way in which i see my watches.

If i want a new looking watch, then i would not wear them. But what is the point of that?

 

Personal preference. For me, depends how bad I have beaten it up over the years[emoji28][emoji28]


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I sent a PP 5980 to have a small nick on the bezel polished out. Evidently, the watch had to be disassembled to do this. I was not told anything. When I received it, everything looked good. When I went to sell it, I was told that someone had epoxied the screws in. Ended up costing me $4000 for that mistake.

 

Got a 70’s dd …. no friggen way on polish

When rsc did svc on a 15 yr old dd, I passed on it also

 

Just sent one of my Omegas in for service and didnt know it was an option. Can see why somoene wouldnt want it polished, but that was actually one of the main reasons I sent it in. Pretty subjective.

 

Your choice.

Me?

• A modern piece that you bought? Totally your call.
• A vintage piece or one with a family history? No way!

Exception:

- Crystals? polish them some or a lot so you can see through them. Those can always be replaced with something "proper" anyway.

Clean cases & bracelets with brushes or ultra-sonic cleaners. That's not polishing.

 

A few years ago I bought a Tudor Prince Chronograph with a disastrous DIY satin finish. Shortly after purchasing the watch it stopped running and I sent it off to Rolex for a complete overhaul.
The watch in question is on the left:

After:

 

A few years ago I bought a Tudor Prince Chronograph with a disastrous DIY satin finish. Shortly after purchasing the watch it stopped running and I sent it off to Rolex for a complete overhaul.
The watch in question is on the left:

After:
View attachment 16899738

There is no way anybody could grab three or four of those before the ball bounced twice

 

If I thought I would flip the watch, I would get it polished. If there was something really ugly, I might get it polished. Otherwise, I will enjoy my history and not having to worry about the next imperfection.

 

So yes or no?
I guess it depends on the current condition.
If there were a few small scratches I feel like it's better to just have it polished.
I've owned a few vintage watches with amazing polishing and one that was over polished and I sold it because I figured there was only so much more material that could be polished down from at next service.
Maybe we should do a poll.