Ups and Downs of Replica Watch Polishing and the Different Ways To Do It
Buying a luxury replica watch of great quality is just the journey’s starting point. You expect it to fall smoothly on your wrist elevating your refinement level. Also, you want people to appreciate your great taste and make yourself remarkable through the beauty of the exquisite dial and bracelet you opted for. But, the truth is that it requires particular attention and maintenance to serve you long and look astonishingly great even after a couple of years. After all, you invested time, money, and emotions in your purchase.
The positive feelings you get when buying luxury replica watches are indescribable. You by default feel more confident and can’t wait for the special occasion to put it on and answer a million questions about where you got it and its emotional value. But don’t forget that in order to preserve its value and beauty, you have to protect and maintain it, as with any other prized possession.
Unfortunately, many people disregard the importance of carefully maintaining and protecting their watches. The result is obvious; the dirt gets into the inner mechanism, and the tiny scratches become more and more obvious. In consequence, the owner tends to look for another replica watch. But, the truth is that if maintained correctly, the replica watch will serve reliably long years to come. Only that it has to be serviced properly once in a while.
On the other hand…
Seasoned watch enthusiasts do know about the importance of paying regular attention to their timepieces. While they have it clear that a replica watch must be checked by an expert regularly, they face another issue: the polishing issue. There is no clear recommendation about polishing replica watches or not. While some experts see it necessary, others claim that a watch should leave it the way it is.
In this context, polishing the watch has its benefits, but also its downsides. Let’s discuss them here in detail and you will decide whether it is a good idea for your watch or not. If yes, I’ll share some tips on how to do it right, so that your watch looks brand new.
Letting the master do his job
The first idea that comes to mind when speaking about watch polishing is that the process is not difficult at all. But, think a little bit. If you opted for a limited edition Patek Philippe replica, a Constantin Vacheron imitation, or a Swiss Rolex replica, are you sure that you’re going to do things right? Personally, the more I pay for an item, the more I want it to be serviced by a professional. That might be the case with your replica watch. Don’t take the risk if your replica watch isn’t cheap. Any minor error and you can screw it up, even though the process is indeed easy.
Professional experts have deep knowledge and tools to make the process flawlessly. While you could be able to remove only minor scratches, the expert will accurately work on the deeper ones. In addition, the expert achieves watch parts and details that you can never achieve with your experience. Moreover, you can ask the expert to service the timepiece before polishing it, so you catch two birds with one stone.
Taking it all in your hands
If you still think that no one can do it better, go ahead then. But be sure that you have the necessary tools and the necessary confidence. You are right in thinking that the process is not hard, but if you lack confidence, things can turn into a disadvantage for you. The benefit of polishing the replica watch by yourself is that you save money. After all, some experts might require a cosmic price for such a favor. In addition, you can perform the process any time you want and how many times you want. But, you have to accept that polishing the watch by yourself will only work on minor scratches. Deep scratches require professional involvement and if you have them, see the previous chapter.
Cleaning your timepiece
If the decision of making things on your own is still available, never skip the cleaning process. Think about it as a prelude. I think you know the steps for your watch cleaning process, don’t you? So, take a cup of warm water, a microfibre cloth, a soft toothbrush, and dish soap. Mix the water with the dish soap (a tablespoon of soap would be more than enough). When the soap gets completely dispersed, take the soft toothbrush and soak it in the solution.
Be prudent with your watch. You must consider if it is waterproof or not. If it is waterproof, gently and accurately, scrub the surface of the timepiece back and forth. Don’t rub it aggressively, otherwise, you risk damaging the exterior of the timepiece. If the watch is not waterproof, avoid the case, the bezel, the watch face, or any other area with a high potential of water leakage.
You can rinse the waterproof device with tap water if you’re done with that. If the watch is not water resistant, you need to clean the residues of the soapy water with a clean moisture cloth. The next step is to dry the timepiece with the fiber cloth. In fact, any other absorbent towel is similarly welcome. But, the microfibre material leaves no streak marks as the other towels do. Now enjoy the clean watch you have in front of you and get prepared for the next process: polishing.
Grab a rotary tool
Any watch expert has a rotary tool in his repair boutique. So do the video content creators on social media platforms. Therefore, this is an indispensable utensil for you, in case you decide to do things on your own. Polishing your watch would not be possible without this tool. With its help, the annoying little scratches from your watch will buff out easily, without causing any damage to your watch.
In the same context, the rotary tool will not work without a special polishing agent that you also have to purchase before the procedure. You have to gently apply a sufficient amount of agent on the watch bracelet and case. With the gel on the watch, you need to accurately use the rotary tool to only remove the superficial layer of the metal. Don’t rub it aggressively, since you risk impairing the watch surface uniformity.
Hand polishing alternative
In case you find it complicated to buy a rotary tool or you simply don’t want to, that’s still ok. Hand polishing alternative is available. In this case, you will have to find a sheet of 1500-grit sandpaper and a special polishing cloth created mainly for metals.
The first step is to rinse the sandpaper. This step is highly important since the sandpaper can damage the surface of the watch and generate additional scratches. Therefore, emerging it into the water makes it more lubricating and soft. Further on, begin sanding the watch gently until the finish satisfies you. You will observe how the tiny scratches gradually disappear. Now, it’s time to bring the watch buster back and you will need the polishing cloth material for this purpose. For about two minutes, rub the material into the case and the bracelet, paying special attention to hardly attainable surfaces and edges. While rubbing, make sure there is enough pressure to provide the best effect possible. However, the pressure should be always balanced.
Ups and downs of watch polishing
As far as you have seen, the process is indeed quite easy and fun. But, remember that polishing or not the watch is accompanied by several advantages and disadvantages that you have to consider before commencing the process. It is always good to get well-informed on the matter BEFORE so that you don’t regret it later. So, to make things right, take into account the ups and downs of polishing your beloved timepiece.
Advantages
#1
The first and most obvious advantage is that regular polishing removes those irritating scratches. Regardless of how much we love our Deepsea replica or Seamaster imitation, these scratches look annoying. Due to them, we are one step away from buying another timepiece. But, thanks to the polishing process, the watch recovers its initial look and serves much longer than we even might have expected. At this point, I can’t omit to insist on always opting for high-quality replica watches. The higher the quality is, the higher resistance to scratches. Of course, a premium quality replica watch cannot promise that there will be no scratches at all. After all, we never know what incidents we can run into. However, Swiss replica watches have demonstrated better resistance to shocks and damage. Either way, if the scratch has appeared, polishing IS a solution to revive the beloved watch and bring its attractive aspect back.
#2
No matter how hard we try to protect the watch from negative impacts, there is always one factor we cannot oppose: time. Even if the watch doesn’t have any scratches, time will mercilessly affect its look with the passage of years. This is a natural flow of things and it affects authentic timepieces as well. Throughout the years, the luster tends to fade. Therefore, the visual watch appeal is reduced, even if the technical condition is still perfect. In such circumstances, polishing can revive the attractive aspect of the timepiece, making it look fresh and brand-new. So, if your timepiece has accompanied you through diverse adventures and life challenges, treat it with a polishing procedure to regain its vitality.
Disadvantages
#1
Microscopically looking, the polishing process refers to the removal of the superior layer of the watch metal. Consequently, performing polishing processes regularly leads to the gradual elimination of the upper watch structure, which is an irreversible effect. With polishing, the watch regains its luster, that’s true. But, underneath the luster layer, the watch loses a lot from its initial “composition” and build. Therefore, frequent (and worse, incorrect) polishing procedures might impact the structure of the edges, lungs, and bezels, making them softer and different from the genuine model. In such circumstances, polishing is good whenever performed with extremely low frequency.
#2
With repeated polishing, the replica watch tends to gradually lose its value. Many watch enthusiasts spend a lot of money on the most expensive replica watches to keep them in their collection and pass them to the next generations as family relics. With frequent polishing, the watch loses its initial look and does not present a “heritage” item in the long run, recalling the best luxury timepieces. This is why watch collectors don’t really embrace the idea of watch polishing, preferring their original condition instead.
When should a watch undergo a polishing process?
Considering all pros and cons regarding watch polishing, we need to develop our ability to understand when it’s ok and when it’s not ok to polish the watch. There is a huge difference between wanting to polish and truly needing it. Therefore, the following chapter will educate you on the matter so that you always do make the right decision.
#1. My watch has scratches. Is it the case to polish it?
The main purpose of polishing a watch is to remove its scratches. So, the question is pretty puzzling. Once the unattractive scratches bother you more and more, it’s obvious that the polishing solution seems more and more attractive. But, is it the case?
Let’s pretend you have a Swiss replica version of Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Look at it as objectively as possible. While the polishing effect might seem tempting, you must look at it with an objective eye and estimate the degree of its scratched surface. If there are only 1-2 tiny, almost invisible scratches, relax. It’s pretty ok for a watch to have them. They are the result of the constant interaction of your watch with surrounding surfaces (table, belt, keys, etc). So, the point is that you should reserve the polishing idea for cases when there is a noticeable amount of scratches that are almost impairing the watch’s visibility.
#2. I want to keep my watch as a family heritage. Is it the case to polish it?
If your priority is to keep your watch as a heritage for future generations, this means that it is already valuable for you, regardless of its aspect. If you bought a Swiss replica of Patek Philippe for instance then you might have bought it because of its historical value, maybe because of a possible connection with a special event. So, the watch already has a strong emotional value for you. In this case, whether it is polished or not is going in second place. In the same train of ideas, it’s up to you to decide how you want it to look in the future. Honestly, I believe that if you are going to tell your children how important this watch was at a certain time of your life, they won’t pay much attention to its scratches. So, it all depends on the emotional connotation related to the timepiece.
If you still feel like wanting this timepiece to look immaculate over time, polishing it will not harm, whenever performed rarely and professionally. Always remember about the polishing disadvantages. And if the watch is indeed emotionally valuable for you, you wouldn’t like to have it impacted by the process. So, calibration is the key.
Wounding up
I’m pretty sure that until this article, you thought things were much easier, didn’t you? After all, you might have discovered unknown aspects that no watch dealer would ever tell you. But, then informed means being armed and now you know all the benefits and possible downsides. From now on, I hope you balance all of them before deciding if your watch needs or not be polished.
The final conclusion is that it’s not wrong to undergo a polishing process on any watch, be it a replica or an authentic piece. The secret is to make it wisely while looking at things objectively. We all are tempted by the phenomenal fresh look of the watch after being polished. And here is when you should connect the objective perspective. Are the scratches so deep and frustrating? If yes, then go for polishing. If not, let your watch remain beautiful in its natural condition. After all, things and objects that have time traits on them are particularly more attractive.