A friend who recently discovered vintage watches purchased a steel C-case Constellation chronometer in really lovely untouched condition. The movement had been serviced by a Toronto watchmaker most collectors know, and the watch was returned running perfectly.

My friend decided the case was too old looking so grabbed his Dremel and some polishing compound and when he was done all the sharp chamfered edges were rounded, the brushed finishes were gone and the watch is bright and shiny.

He feels the watch is perfect now; I see a beautiful untouched case that has been ruined.

 

Once again you have shown that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's his watch and he likes it. You, on the other hand, don't. But, it's your friends watch and if he's happy with it, I'm happy for him.

Pax Vobiscum.

 

I think your friend might have a bright future selling "restored" watches on eBay.

 

Thanks to the sage advice here on OF, I sent this back.

 

Dremel are like electric hair clippers.....it really depends on the look you're going for and your God given talent/touch....but did he really have to start out on a Connie?

 

Hair grows back, watch cases don't, well maybe in HK !
I have 73 Rolex GMT that I have owned since 83 and it has been polished and polished a tragedy.
They need their wounds to show where they have been.

 

Or working for vividlily or ocwatchco

 

This is right up there with the Vandals sacking Rome. That's the exact watch I want to find. Pre-power tools, of course.

 

It's not just watches. Antique scientific instruments, telescopes and pretty much anything else that can be polished to death has been. Dealers don't care about watches or collectors, all they care about is that most buyers are undiscriminating and drawn to bright and shiny like moths to a candle and that's where the money is. May these vandals meet a similar fate for the damage they have done!

 

Exactly.

Many years ago as a junior airman I worked in the base armoury and we often did "favours" for other members.
One morning a senior officer bought in a pre WW2 Colt M1911 and asked if I could restore it. "Certainly Sir, my pleasure see you next week".

So in my lunch hour and spare time I stripped it to the bone, cleaned every part in kerosene, removed minor internal rust spots with emery cloth and cleaned the grips with a soft brush and furniture oil. The exterior was given a gentle buffing with an oilcloth, nothing else, as the finish, though slightly worn in the usual spots, looked like it did in the 1930s.

When the guy came to collect it he looked at it, and then looked at me and said "I thought you said you could restore it?".

Needless to say, I explained my approach, and then he explained his. He wanted it glass blasted and Parkerised (which I did daily to regular weapons). I said I couldn't do that and he stormed off saying that he'd get somebody who knew what they were doing.

A day or so later I saw one of the sergeants in the blast bay with a lovely blued 1911, getting "the treatment".

At the time I just felt sad, if I saw it now I'd either cry or get very angry.

However the dickhead officer got his nice black Parkerised M1911, I hope he eventually realised what he had done.

 

Probably not, you can't fix stupid.

 

Yep, buffing is akin to rape (figuratively speaking).

When I had to sell some, I actually took my chances with ebay in the hope that they only might get buffed, after the vintage watch dealer who wanted to take the lot told me he would definitely do it to each and every one of them.

It really shits me to tears, it's not like they make them any more and each one they do it to is pretty much buggered.

 

General public / uneducated people want bright and shiny.

I have a friend who obtained a beautiful, untouched stainless Rado from the '60s. His first vintage watch! Asked me to "restore" it for him. I knocked off the case grime with steam and toothpicks (took hours), tuned up the movement, polished the crystal and mailed back to him. Watch was stunning!
His reply........"What the hell???, I want you polish it, too".
Sadly, I put it to the wheel and made it shiny for my friend. He was ecstatic over his new, shiny watch.

 

I hope you rounded off all of the edges and made it look "sparkly"!

 

I love my Dremel ... just bought the drill press and some other accessories for a couple of winter projects. I have never been tempted to bring my watches anywhere near it thanks to OF. These tales of polishing hell are very valuable.

 

I would tell my friend to go and do one. If he thought I was going to destroy a nice watch he could bugger off and get someone else to do it.

 

I understand the issue on vintage watches, i.e. fix the movement, leave the patina, but what about restoring a car? Repaint it? Leave it rusty? Just curious. My '03 needs to be painted LOL.

Mike

 

There was a trend of restoring vintage race cars to perfect condition. My head would explode when I saw this. Much prefer "as raced" condition. There was (is?) a Ferrari 250LM in the Indy museum that was on display in raced condition. I marveled at it thinking this is the way it was done.
Any car restored beyond the way it left the factory is a crime in my eyes......that said, if the owner wants everything plated and polished, so be it. It's their money.

 

IMO, if you want something with bling, buy new.