ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX
17 November 2008, 11:07 AM | #1 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 369
|
How to clean a Rolex bracelet/band
Hey everyone. My bracelet is starting to get a little bit dirty. What is the best way to safely clean it?
Would cleaning it 1x per week be conidered too much? |
17 November 2008, 11:10 AM | #2 |
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Real Name: Andrew
Location: England
Posts: 66
|
|
17 November 2008, 11:11 AM | #3 | |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: So Cal, USA
Watch: Not a ONEWatch Man
Posts: 7,383
|
Quote:
I wash it about every other weeks or so since I rotate watches.
__________________
SS Submariner Date "Z" SS SeaDweller "D" SS Submariner "Random" TT Blue Submariner "P" SS GMT-Master ll "M", Pepsi Pam 311, 524, 297 |
|
17 November 2008, 11:15 AM | #4 |
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Real Name: Andrew
Location: England
Posts: 66
|
|
17 November 2008, 11:26 AM | #5 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chicago IL
Watch: Platinum DDMasterp
Posts: 1,983
|
DON'T USE A TOOTHBRUSH!!!
I have had Rolex's since 1982 AND NEVER CLEANED WITH A TOOTHBRUSH! It's not like your working in the mines or digging ditches!!! I only use a mild jewelery cleaner and then rinse in warm water ....not HOT or COLD WARM......here is my 1992 Rolex that has never seen a brush....and pat and whipe dry with a chamois cloth. I have heard people esp with white or yelowgold NEW Rolex'x ask why they are seeing marks on the shiney part of there case and bracelet....A TOOTHBRUSH WILL SCRATCH GOLD!!!
__________________
Men's Platinum Day Date Masterpiece Men's 18k Day Date Crown Collection Men's Franck Muller 18k Conquistador Cortez Men's SS Cartier Pasha MEMBER # 5534 USA CHICAGO IL |
17 November 2008, 11:29 AM | #6 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Real Name: Dennis
Location: Bay Area - 925
Posts: 40,018
|
I use a soft bristled tooth brush and it has not caused any issues on my TT Sub bracelet. I usually make 100% certain that the crown is screwed in properly, the rinse it with some warm water, I use a little shampoo then brush both the inside and outside of the bracelet, case and face. I rinse it, then dry it with a soft towel. It works like a charm and keeps the watches looking great !
__________________
TRF Member #6699 (since September 2007) |
17 November 2008, 01:14 PM | #7 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Real Name: Rob
Location: California
Posts: 489
|
I have heard of some ppl using ultrasonic cleaners for their bracelets every so often so as to remove any grime, etc that regular soap & water washings can't quite reach. This also helps to prevent "stretch" to the bracelet that can occur over time.
|
17 November 2008, 01:56 PM | #8 |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2024 DATEJUST41 Sponsor & Boutique Seller Join Date: Sep 2008
Real Name: Oscar
Location: Florida
Watch: Me!!!
Posts: 23,225
|
I agree...i would never use a toothbrush even if its soft bristle it will leave a thin line scratch to it..you might not notice it but it will leave one trust me..just warm water and a polishing cloth will be ok...
__________________
|
17 November 2008, 02:17 PM | #9 |
Banned
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 282
|
Guys, stop with the toothbrush scratching gold or any metal nonsense.
The plastic fibers in the toothbrush are softer on the moh's scale of hardness than any metal and you cannot scratch something with an item that is softer than the metal being rubbed. Saying it scratches even when you are using it while it is wet with a mild detergent which will act as an additional lubricant is BS. Sorry, but I had to call you out on this one, its nonsense. |
17 November 2008, 02:51 PM | #10 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 263
|
I use eyeglass cleaner and it works great. Just use a soft cloth afterwards.
|
17 November 2008, 02:56 PM | #11 |
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Real Name: Chuck Norris
Location: So. California
Watch: SS Daytona w/ dial
Posts: 346
|
Get a bowl and drop about a dime size of dishwashing soup in it with warm water. Then place your watch inside and let it sit for about 10 minutes.(Make sure the crown is screwed down) then just rinse the watch with warm water put in a shirt and let it sit for another 5 minutes. The watch should dry oitself off and just pad down the bezel and spot where might still be water. Don't apply force thinking your going to get a better shine. Since all your doing is probablky adding swirl marks on the metal and the shiny parts. As for the shirt look for something that ridiculously soft and use the inside part of it .
|
17 November 2008, 03:17 PM | #12 |
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Real Name: Joe
Location: So. Cal.
Watch: My only Rolex
Posts: 241
|
Hmmm... If a soft bristled tooth brush will scratch it, then I guess I'm thrashing mine pretty badly wearing it everyday. TT DJ with polished gold center links.
|
17 November 2008, 03:20 PM | #13 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Beverly Hills, CA
Watch: Yachtmaster
Posts: 3,774
|
What about using a baby toothbrush? A toothbrush made for infants has the softest bristles.
|
17 November 2008, 03:21 PM | #14 |
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Real Name: Joe
Location: So. Cal.
Watch: My only Rolex
Posts: 241
|
|
17 November 2008, 03:23 PM | #15 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Real Name: Felly
Location: Washington State
Watch: SS Daytona/GV
Posts: 2,998
|
|
17 November 2008, 03:36 PM | #16 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Vancouver
Posts: 650
|
Quote:
Here's another example: should ordinary glass be able to scratch sapphire? On the Mohs scale, glass is around 5.5 while sapphire is around 9. By your example, sapphire should not be scratched. However, using a glass point WILL scratch sapphire, as a local Omega dealer will attest after challenging me to rub the crystal on the edge of his glass case. Using only light pressure, I made a slight scratch in his Seamaster's sapphire. Not huge, but it was noticeable. Very high point stress concentrations can be created by pressing through a glass point. This WILL scratch sapphire! Granted, the glass probably came out much worse in this, but the point is that the sapphire DID scratch. Something else to think about: if diamond is the hardest substance known to humankind, how are we able to cut diamond? By using diamond, of course! Both pieces of diamond have hardness of 10 Moh and will thus wear each other equally. Again, the point is that the Mohs scale is relative. It cannot be said that something will NEVER scratch something else...only how MUCH will it scratch! Back to cleaning gold: use a mild soap (NO DETERGENT!!! This causes seals to shrink - why risk that??) and warm water and you will preserve the high polish! SNB |
|
17 November 2008, 10:08 PM | #17 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: GB
Posts: 220
|
Although is doesn't say anything about it in my Rolex manual, my Omega manual says AVOID DETERGENTS.
|
17 November 2008, 11:29 PM | #18 |
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFlorida
Posts: 107
|
the whole thing puzzles me? I have read countless pages on 904L steel used for the case and bracelet on my sports models....yet people suggest that a toothbrush will scratch it???
|
18 November 2008, 12:16 AM | #19 | |
"TRF" Life Patron
Join Date: Jun 2005
Real Name: Peter
Location: Llanfairpwllgwyng
Watch: ing you.
Posts: 52,338
|
Quote:
How could detergent make the seals shrink,how could the detergent find its way to the seals,if the crown is screwed in the watch should be water and detergent proof.And if you rinse watch fresh water,all the very small residue of any detergent left will be gone.
__________________
ICom Pro3 All posts are my own opinion and my opinion only. "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. Now is the only time you actually own the time, Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still for ever." Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again. www.mc0yad.club Second in command CEO and left handed watch winder |
|
18 November 2008, 12:44 AM | #20 |
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Europe
Posts: 105
|
Ultrasonic Cleaner
I use a ultrasonic cleaner with plain water and a special rack for watches and just watch the dirt swim out, if any.
|
18 November 2008, 12:49 AM | #21 | |
Banned
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 282
|
Quote:
There is in no way a possibility that a soft plastic toothbrush bristle will scratch a gold or any metal surface. Now somthing that gets dislodged during the cleaning (a grain of sand) may get lodged in the bristles and therefore cause the scratches but even then only if you use excessive force, but saying the bristles scratch is nothing less than pure ignorant nonsense and the spreading of uninformed baseless opinion. If that was the case, some of our synthetic sweaters that are essentially made from a thin form of threaded plastic should scratch the heck out of our watches in no time which again, is nonsense. Using a soft tothbrush is perfectly safe, using a mild detergent is safe and using water and detergent and a soft toothbrush used very lightly is perfectly safe. You are 100 times as likely to scrath a watch dry buffing it with a polishing cloth than even using water, soap and a TB. Anyone waving the red flag saying that this is unsafe for a watch with the durability and materials used in a Rolex is being overly neurotic and making up stories to back up pure ignorance and the lack of basic knowledge of the fundementals of metals. |
|
18 November 2008, 02:26 AM | #22 |
Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Real Name: Scojay
Location: Virginia
Watch: 2007 Yatchmaster
Posts: 70
|
I place mine in some soda water and give it a bubble bath.
BTW, Is this moh? |
18 November 2008, 03:00 AM | #23 | |
Fondly Remembered
Join Date: May 2005
Real Name: JJ
Location: Auckland, NZ
Watch: ALL SOLD!!
Posts: 74,320
|
Quote:
__________________
Words fail me in expressing my utmost thanks to ALL of you for this wonderful support during my hour of need!! I firmly believe that my time on planet earth is NOT yet up!! I shall fight this to the very end.......and WIN!! |
|
18 November 2008, 03:25 AM | #24 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Real Name: David
Location: USA
Watch: your step!
Posts: 7,882
|
I use a toothbrush and ivory liquid hand soap with no ill effects.
__________________
Rolex. The Rolex of watches. 16570 Expy2 Noir, 116710 GMT Master II, 2552.80 SMP |
18 November 2008, 05:56 AM | #25 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Andalucia Spain
Watch: WG daydate-Daytona
Posts: 1,338
|
Warm water and washing-up liquid!
__________________
Choose to allocate your time to imbeciles at your peril! |
18 November 2008, 07:11 AM | #26 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 8,859
|
I just wear it in the shower. When I'm done, I remove it from my wrist and wipe it over with the same towel I dry off with. So far so good. Keeps it really looking shiny and new. I don't use bar soap, so I think that helps with not getting soap build up as some might retort.
|
18 November 2008, 07:20 AM | #27 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Vancouver
Posts: 650
|
Quote:
Also, if you are confident about your knowledge of Mohs scale, let's see a picture of a sapphire crystal being rubbed with garnet paper (pyrope, for e.g., that has a hardness 7.5 Mohs). By your assertion, there should be no scratching whatsoever. However, I bet you will see scratches. I would also suggest not making allegations that I have bolded in your quote. SNB |
|
18 November 2008, 07:48 AM | #28 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Real Name: Scott
Location: GMT -7
Watch: GMT's & Sub's
Posts: 10,399
|
Scrubbing Bubbles works great on the bracelet, the watch head gets a work over with a toothbrush and whatever soap is in the dispenser.
~Scott
__________________
"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of lower price is forgotten." -Benjamin Franklin Member No. 922 |
18 November 2008, 07:53 AM | #29 | |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2007
Real Name: Rescueguy
Location: Here
Watch: DSSD
Posts: 1,129
|
Quote:
Any gritty substance such as a sand particle embedded on a toothbrush can cause swirl marks on the polished portion. I use Johnsons head to toe baby wash with an extra soft toothbrush once a week, then I dry it using a Googalie cloth, and when superficial scratches appear I have my AD polish the center links yearly. On the satin or brushed finish Stainless steel I use a green Scotchbrite pad, works great on keeping the brushed finish looking new. |
|
18 November 2008, 07:54 AM | #30 |
Fondly Remembered
Join Date: May 2005
Real Name: JJ
Location: Auckland, NZ
Watch: ALL SOLD!!
Posts: 74,320
|
Those bubbles would look great with your rubber ducky in the bath-tub, Scott!!
__________________
Words fail me in expressing my utmost thanks to ALL of you for this wonderful support during my hour of need!! I firmly believe that my time on planet earth is NOT yet up!! I shall fight this to the very end.......and WIN!! |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|
*Banners
Of The Month*
This space is provided to horological resources.