Hands quite smudged after relume

Posts

943

Likes

2,443

vibe

·May 1, 2025

Hi there,

My IWC Mark XII had service hands on it so I finally sent it for relume. The color turned out excellent but the metal on the hands are looking quite bad now. The shop says luminous can migrate to the surface and it is abrasive so it can mark the surface. He can polish them but there is a risk that the hands will become cloudy all around. IDK, looks pretty sloppy to me but he is one of the best in the biz. Y'all think it is worth the risk to send it back to polish the hands?

 

Posts

15,477

Likes

45,824

Canuck

·May 1, 2025

The problem there could be that the hands may be plated, and attempting to polish them will result in removing the plating and exposing the metal beneath (brass, maybe, or steel?). I’d leave it if it was mine.

 

Posts

943

Likes

2,443

vibe

·May 1, 2025

Canuck

The problem there could be that the hands may be plated, and attempting to polish them will result in removing the plating and exposing the metal beneath (brass, maybe, or steel?). I’d leave it if it was mine.

Not plated, they are stainless steel.

 

Posts

2,927

Likes

6,102

Fallout Boy

·May 2, 2025

He can probably try and test it on the back-side.

 

Posts

642

Likes

2,718

Slevin kelevra

·May 3, 2025

Source a new set of hands, have them relumed. If the person doing the work says they can’t guarantee the results, use someone else.

 

Posts

759

Likes

804

masteroftime

·May 4, 2025

vibe

The shop says luminous can migrate to the surface and it is abrasive so it can mark the surface.

I'm not saying the shop is wrong but I have never seen this happen or experienced this when reluming hands myself. Maybe it is a technique/process issue.

 

Posts

943

Likes

2,443

vibe

·May 5, 2025

Yeah, I have also relumed hands myself and not had this issue. He’s asked for me to send it back, so I’m hopeful we’ll get it sorted.

Edited: May 6, 2025

 

Posts

943

Likes

2,443

vibe

·May 21, 2025

Relumer had been send it back and gave it another go, looks great now!

 

Posts

738

Likes

1,322

TIMElyBehaviour

·May 21, 2025

They lumed the hands but either it was a tad too runny or they put too much on and it came out and onto the hands like overspill. I have done it a couple of times too, it happens. To make it perfect they need to start again and use some leather to clean the hand set.

 

Posts

943

Likes

2,443

vibe

·May 23, 2025

TIMElyBehaviour

They lumed the hands but either it was a tad too runny or they put too much on and it came out and onto the hands like overspill. I have done it a couple of times too, it happens. To make it perfect they need to start again and use some leather to clean the hand set.

Exactly, just surprised they let it leave the shop like that in the first place.

 

Posts

738

Likes

1,322

TIMElyBehaviour

·May 23, 2025

vibe

Exactly, just surprised they let it leave the shop like that in the first place.

Surprised me as well. I wouldn’t expect that level of shoddiness. Take it back and let em have another crack at it for free