Advisory : Polishing of Rolex watches

[seiko.citizen]

i think it's possible as you can repair pittings in a case, but i doubt it's something easy to do... plus... where does one easily get their hands on 904L?

i thought 904L was a commercially available product from stainless steel mills?! if so, then plasma welding might be an option.

i dont think its a rolex only metal... happy to be proven wrong tho.

[taxico]

i thought 904L was a commercially available product from stainless steel mills?! if so, then plasma welding might be an option.

i dont think its a rolex only metal... happy to be proven wrong tho.

i guess what i meant to say is... how much are you willing to pay to buy a small quantity of 904l steel and where are you going to borrow the tools to do your own welding? if you're gonna pay someone to do the job, how much would it cost? (i know most watch makers/restorers would patch up vintage rolexes but i've yet to hear of any of them patching up a 904L oyster)

realistically, it is not easy to get some and have it done right and at a decent price... it's probably cheaper to leave it or have it professionally polished.

[seiko.citizen]

yes, valid points you have raised in regards to pricing. not to mention i have no experience in welding. (tho it looks fun!!)

[Rolexist]

Will Polishing of Rolex Watches Casing Depreciate The Value of The Watch

Hi! Folks,

Just to check, if I were to send my sports series for servicing in Rolex Center, they will polish the whole watch including the casing. Will the polishing cause a depreciation in the watch value?

[Rolexist]

Will Polishing of Rolex Watches Casing Depreciate The Value of The Watch

Hi! Folks,

I understand that when we send our Rolex watches to Rolex Center for servicing, they will also do a polishing of the watch. I'm concerned about this issue, especially the sports series, will the polishing of the casing depreciate the value of the watch? I've seen a friend's Explorer II being polished by Rolex Center and I can tell from the lugs that it had been polished, the texture is slightly different from that of an unpolished piece.

[triton]

yes and no. depending on buyer.

for the more discerning buyer, yes it may cause the watch to depreciate slightly. why? because the potential will likely wonder why need to polish if the watch is well taken care of.

for the less discerning buyer, it does not matter. a rolex is still a rolex.

Hi! Folks,

Just to check, if I were to send my sports series for servicing in Rolex Center, they will polish the whole watch including the casing. Will the polishing cause a depreciation in the watch value?

[triton]

i am not sure if you can request for the watch not to be polished. to the person who polishes the watch, their objective is to get the watch to look as new as possible. also since the watch is not theirs, i dont think they are concern if too much material is taken off the watch.

if you are concern about the polishing issue. you can read here to find out more. you can request that your watch to be lightly polished, however if the dings are too deep then it may not come off. this is a chicken and egg problem. polish lightly, the dings may not come off, polish more to remove the dings will result in more material taken off.

alternatively, you can also read this thread to find out more on my watch being polished and serviced.

Hi! Folks,

I understand that when we send our Rolex watches to Rolex Center for servicing, they will also do a polishing of the watch. I'm concerned about this issue, especially the sports series, will the polishing of the casing depreciate the value of the watch? I've seen a friend's Explorer II being polished by Rolex Center and I can tell from the lugs that it had been polished, the texture is slightly different from that of an unpolished piece.

[Darkangel]

Hi! Folks,

I understand that when we send our Rolex watches to Rolex Center for servicing, they will also do a polishing of the watch. I'm concerned about this issue, especially the sports series, will the polishing of the casing depreciate the value of the watch? I've seen a friend's Explorer II being polished by Rolex Center and I can tell from the lugs that it had been polished, the texture is slightly different from that of an unpolished piece.

It is preferred that watches are unpolished but come on lah, we use the watch! So in best case scenario, you are looking at it being as lightly polished as possible.

This preference may affect the price but a slight bit but will not depreciate the value greatly.

Think of it this way, if you had a beaten up Rolex M series Exp 2, even though it's a M series, the outlook doesn't sell until you just polish it.

[Wrx230hp]

will light polishing change the look n shape of a rolex.

wondering whether can we take a watch unpolished n light polished

[taxico]

it won't change the shape or look much, but something will change. it depends on whether the person inspecting is experienced or not. it also depends on the person doing the polishing.

i've seen some fantastic polish jobs that i almost couldn't tell... almost.

[Wrx230hp]

so u mean as long as the watch is polished sure can tell...be it is hard or light polish

[triton]

light polishing can change the shape of the watch case/bracelet. this is because the person doing the polishing affects the results. an inexperience person will take off more than necessary that can affect the outlook of the watch case especially the lugs area if it is being worked on. if it is on the case, you can see difference.

light polishing will not change the shape of the watch case/bracelet. this is done by a skilled watch polish person who takes off just enough or what is necessary.

i believe this is what taxico is trying to say. hope i am right.

there are other tell tale signs which is not appropriate for me to share in public. sometimes the less you know the better it is. the more you know, the worse it becomes.

[skydweller_sg]

get rolex center to do the polish work
they are the experts - almost factory-like finishing

wondering whether can we take a watch unpolished n light polished

[craze]

For light polishing,i feel that visibly u cannot really tell.But,thats just my own opinion ya...Maybe,u can try TOP HOUR @ lucky plaza,the uncle does a good job!

[Ckay]

I would rather not do any polishing or restoration work on a Rolex. This may affect its market value if you were to sell it in future.