How to spot if my watch has been polished?

sgoody1 · Nov 29, 2019

This is an issue that I have never quite got to grips with.
Some people can spot a polished watch a mile off - and yes, if its old and gleaming, and the edges have lost their definition, then so can I.
But what do you look for when its a vintage watch, and it may have had a polish in the past, so built up some more recent patina?
I have heard some issues like the size of the lugs, or the crown guards etc, but I think you can only spot those when there has been significant polishing.
So, taking my watch for example, it doesnt look polished to me, but I have been told that it "may" have been polished - whats does that mean - whats the difference between this, and a watch that has not been polished?
I enclose some pictures for feedback....(and I appreciate that my watch photogtraphy needs some advice too!!!!)

All help, much appreciated

Dan S · Nov 29, 2019

Your watch looks very good. Only minimally polished. This whole issue has become a fetish and some people are fond of making tiresome and unsupportable claims about “unpolished” cases. Yes there are some unpolished watches, and when you see one, you know it. But the vast majority have seen some polishing.

Just keep looking at lots of photos, and it will eventually become obvious to you. Focus on the edges, the look of nicks and scratches, the transitions between polished and brushed surfaces, the backs of the lugs, etc. You need to develop your own eye for it.

hoipolloi · Nov 29, 2019

I have seen lots of well polished cases which were ground, cut and re-faceted by skilled craftmen that I cannot recognize them as they were.

spacemission · Nov 29, 2019

Yes, polished but not bad.

spacemission · Nov 29, 2019

I love the step dial.

DaveK · Nov 29, 2019

Here’s what I have learned the past year on OF

The nuances of polishing are indeed fascinating. Unless you have owned the watch since it’s birth, and have slept with it on your watchmaker’s floor whenever it has been in for a service, the watch has likely been polished, to some extent, at some point.

Some will tell you that old-school watchmakers tend to polish a watch

Some people will not polish a watch regardless of its looks, some are okay with a hand polish, some sad sad samples have been polished to resemble a small bar of well-used soap

Looking on OF for prime examples to compare it to can help determine how true to original the watch case remains

As noted above, some watches appear unpolished, and maybe they are. Most often, “appears unpolished” is the most honest way to advertise your watch.

YY77 · Nov 30, 2019

I don't support the fetish of an unpolished watch, at least not for my pm Carrera. I wouldn't have wanted it to have stayed unpolished, see a before and after pic.

JanV · Nov 30, 2019

sgoody1
This is an issue that I have never quite got to grips with.
Some people can spot a polished watch a mile off - and yes, if its old and gleaming, and the edges have lost their definition, then so can I.
But what do you look for when its a vintage watch, and it may have had a polish in the past, so built up some more recent patina?
I have heard some issues like the size of the lugs, or the crown guards etc, but I think you can only spot those when there has been significant polishing.
So, taking my watch for example, it doesnt look polished to me, but I have been told that it "may" have been polished - whats does that mean - whats the difference between this, and a watch that has not been polished?
I enclose some pictures for feedback....(and I appreciate that my watch photogtraphy needs some advice too!!!!)

All help, much appreciated

Looks like yours is polished, but only gently, so nothing to be bothered / worried about. Here are some telltales i usually try to look for, here a picture on one of yours.

Look for dents with smooth edges, as these don’t get created normally. All small dings, dents and scratches leave a sharp edge as material is moved creating a crater and some sharp edges, and never really removed. A polished dent has the dent still usually there but it’s edges are polished and round. Also look for an uneven grading of the polish where in some places they look to be deeper or more pronounced.

JanV · Nov 30, 2019

There are a lot of threads here on OF going into details on polishing, so just search and you’ll find more great info here.

sgoody1 · Nov 30, 2019

JanV
There are a lot of threads here on OF going into details on polishing, so just search and you’ll find more great info here.

Thanks - I will have a look - but I get the impression that just handling loads of watches is the best way to learn.
I would like to see a 1971 that is known as unpolished, to compare to mine.
I will look out at the next events

sgoody1 · Nov 30, 2019

Looks like yours is polished, but only gently, so nothing to be bothered / worried about. Here are some telltales i usually try to look for, here a picture on one of yours.

Look for dents with smooth edges, as these don’t get created normally. All small dings, dents and scratches leave a sharp edge as material is moved creating a crater and some sharp edges, and never really removed. A polished dent has the dent still usually there but it’s edges are polished and round. Also look for an uneven grading of the polish where in some places they look to be deeper or more pronounced.[/QUOTE]

Thanks JanV - that really helps.
I might try and post some better pictures, nit using an iPhone to do that - once I can work out how!!

sgoody1 · Nov 30, 2019

spacemission
I love the step dial.

Thank you - that in part was what drew me to this watch over a slightly later one.

sgoody1 · Nov 30, 2019

Dan S
Your watch looks very good. Only minimally polished. This whole issue has become a fetish and some people are fond of making tiresome and unsupportable claims about “unpolished” cases. Yes there are some unpolished watches, and when you see one, you know it. But the vast majority have seen some polishing.

Just keep looking at lots of photos, and it will eventually become obvious to you. Focus on the edges, the look of nicks and scratches, the transitions between polished and brushed surfaces, the backs of the lugs, etc. You need to develop your own eye for it.

Thanks Dan - I guess I get too carried away with the sentiments of the current trends in watch collecting, when a few years back, it seems what collectors wanted was a beautifully restored watch - and the same seems to have happened in the classic car market.

sgoody1 · Nov 30, 2019

DaveK
Here’s what I have learned the past year on OF

The nuances of polishing are indeed fascinating. Unless you have owned the watch since it’s birth, and have slept with it on your watchmaker’s floor whenever it has been in for a service, the watch has likely been polished, to some extent, at some point.

Some will tell you that old-school watchmakers tend to polish a watch

Some people will not polish a watch regardless of its looks, some are okay with a hand polish, some sad sad samples have been polished to resemble a small bar of well-used soap

Looking on OF for prime examples to compare it to can help determine how true to original the watch case remains

As noted above, some watches appear unpolished, and maybe they are. Most often, “appears unpolished” is the most honest way to advertise your watch.

Thanks DaveK - I actually do have a few watches that I have had since brand new.
Also - what do people actually mean by a "Hand polish" - what does that actually involve?

DaveK · Nov 30, 2019

sgoody1
Thanks DaveK - I actually do have a few watches that I have had since brand new.
Also - what do people actually mean by a "Hand polish" - what does that actually involve?

I’ve never tried it, but there are probably a dozen threads on the topic. Check out https://omegaforums.net/forums/vintage-omega-watches-help-discussion-and-advice.23/ and https://omegaforums.net/forums/vintage-omega-watches-help-discussion-and-advice.23/ and a few others. Using site search or google omega forums + polish and you’ll have a nice afternoon of reading. 📖

How to spot if my watch has been polished?

sgoody1

Dan S

hoipolloi

spacemission

spacemission

DaveK

YY77

JanV

JanV

sgoody1

sgoody1

sgoody1

sgoody1

sgoody1

DaveK

Similar threads

Somebody's Been Polishing My Watch!!

Has anyone managed to confirm if the previous extract team were just creating dial information?

Kudos to the LA watch spa for my 1675 GMT facelift....

AD Watchmaker polished my watch against my express wishes—how to resolve?

When people say "the case has been polished"...

Does this omega case appear to have been polished?