Off polish job.. or am I seeing things?

[epc2]

Ouucch!!

[MacanS]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Should have just left it alone. You are just going to keep removing metal from the watch with all these polishings.

Trust me, I know. Kicking my self. Never in my life did I think I would get what I did back after requesting a light polishing. Won’t be making that mistake again.

I agree with the subsequent polishing taking off metal. Luckily this was the first polishing and I want it corrected by a pro so I won’t have to revisit this again. That is why I am shying away from the at home remedies.

I have an email out to Rikki, and he has already responded. His work looks fantastic and he comes highly recommended for, my research here.

[MacanS]

Machine marks on clasp. Need to get this fixed professionally.

[smabe123]

oh man, that hurts to look at...especially on an LVc, but i'm sure it can be fixed. Please keep us updated, I really want to see the before and afters.

[2807]

I would send that to Rolex.
Make it right, and never look back.

Then, I would take the bill to the shop that did it and get some offset for the repair.

[mobster600]

Belt sander? Get your money back from whoever did that.

[josephvman]

I would get a Bergeon 5444 polishing bar and do it myself. It's a rubber block with a fine abrasive finish that matches an oyster bracelet. Take off your bracelet, tape up the sides, and just rub the block straight along the links. The new oyster bracelets are very stout and you'd have to use a machine to truly ruin one or take off too much metal. I would be careful around the crown on the clasp and tape over it. It's a bracelet and it's going to get beat up, and if it bothers you just learn how to refinish the scratches yourself. The 5444 block matches the factory brushed Rolex finish perfectly. Be thankful you're not dealing with PCL's, a true pain in the ass if scratches bother you.

[run23]

No offense, but I've gotten better results from a scotch-brite pad. Seriously.

May be the lighting but it just looks really rough and noticeable. Not bad necessarily, just not what I'm used to seeing.

[nikesupremedunk]

I've seen something similar on another hulk in person and it's definitely noticeable. My sub was smooth to touch as if there was a layer of clear coat on it but the hulk with the bad polish felt like a metal that's been brushed. I don't know how Rolex treats their brushed bracelet but I'm sure a random AD will not be able to replicate it. Op, I'd chalk up the loss and have RSC refinish it.

[mui.richard]

Originally Posted by josephvman

I would get a Bergeon 5444 polishing bar and do it myself. It's a rubber block with a fine abrasive finish that matches an oyster bracelet. Take off your bracelet, tape up the sides, and just rub the block straight along the links. The new oyster bracelets are very stout and you'd have to use a machine to truly ruin one or take off too much metal. I would be careful around the crown on the clasp and tape over it. It's a bracelet and it's going to get beat up, and if it bothers you just learn how to refinish the scratches yourself. The 5444 block matches the factory brushed Rolex finish perfectly. Be thankful you're not dealing with PCL's, a true pain in the ass if scratches bother you.

This.

And I use two...the 5444 comes in three different coarse grades. Using the medium and fine will definitely take out most, if not all but the nastiest scratches.

This is not an oyster bracelet obviously but just to show you what can be achieved with the 5444s. I rebrushed the bracelet on the 12:00 side to get rid of some nasty desk diving marks... carefully tape the polished links beforehand. The 4 links closest to the clasp were badly scratched...now they are no longer noticeable.

Sent from my F8132 using Tapatalk

[MacanS]

Good news everyone. After speaking with Rik at Time Car Inc extensively, and seeing his work, i am more than confident he will be able to restore my savaged watch.

USAA, who i insure my watches through, covers insurance of it through the shipping process, so i was able to overnight it to him at a reasonable cost. i am happy I don’t have to look at it anymore.

Now i am not a vindictive man, but i am deciding how i am goin to rain down hell on this AD

[RonSwanson]

As stated, whoever did the first polish did a terrible job! Looks like they attacked it with a dremel tool and sanding wheel! I would demand refund, threaten to show Rolex if they have a relationship with them.

[Bigblu10]

Originally Posted by MacanS

Good news everyone. After speaking with Rik at Time Car Inc extensively, and seeing his work, i am more than confident he will be able to restore my savaged watch.

USAA, who i insure my watches through, covers insurance of it through the shipping process, so i was able to overnight it to him at a reasonable cost. i am happy I don’t have to look at it anymore.

Now i am not a vindictive man, but i am deciding how i am goin to rain down hell on this AD

Not sure if you have any recourse against the AD, as they performed a job and you paid them for it. You may have to chalk it up to a hard lesson learned. Since you took the watch home, and I assume did not confront them about the poor refinish they most certainly won't issue you a refund. As many here will tell you the only time a watch should be refinished is at service time 6 to 8 years down the road. Otherwise the watch will be ruined.
Rik has many happy clients, hopefully your watch comes back to you soon.

[samson66]

I would just live with it until you get to the service interval and just let RSC polish it.

[mato123]

Learn to live with scratches and get it polished only by RSC when it's due for service.

[MacanS]

Originally Posted by mato123

Learn to live with scratches and get it polished only by RSC when it's due for service.

Normally its not an issue and i love my scratches. My Milgauss has scratches and dings galore and it does not bother me.

That watch was the same, until I received a series of scuffs down the band from my dogs harness when i was lifting him out of my truck. The metal on metal scuffs down the band did not look great and i thought I could get away with a light polish.

Lesson learned, i will not be making this mistake again.

And regarding the dealer, i agree that i do not have much recourse, nor do i expect it. I will draft a strong email with pictures informing them of the situation. Not that they will care, but i guess it would make me feel better.

[MacanS]

Originally Posted by samson66

I would just live with it until you get to the service interval and just let RSC polish it.

I thought i would be able to, but the bracelet, especially the clasp just down not look right. It also feels like sand paper. I understand that there maybe home remedies, but i think i will let a professional sort this away and let RSC take car of it again in 6 or so years.

[smym18]

So was this refinished at a jewelry store that happens to be an AD?

[samson66]

Originally Posted by MacanS

I thought i would be able to, but the bracelet, especially the clasp just down not look right. It also feels like sand paper. I understand that there maybe home remedies, but i think i will let a professional sort this away and let RSC take car of it again in 6 or so years.

I totally understand. If it is something that bothers you, you don't want to have to look at it every day waiting another 6 years to get it corrected. Just want to make sure you don't get it polished too much since they are removing some of the metal every time they do it. Get it taken care of, and maybe in 6 years it will be in such good condition you won't even need to get RSC to do it again. Good luck

[MacanS]

Originally Posted by samson66

I totally understand. If it is something that bothers you, you don't want to have to look at it every day waiting another 6 years to get it corrected. Just want to make sure you don't get it polished too much since they are removing some of the metal every time they do it. Get it taken care of, and maybe in 6 years it will be in such good condition you won't even need to get RSC to do it again. Good luck

Thanks, That’s why i overnighted the watch to Rikki. I am confident after speaking with him and seeing his work product that it is in talented hands. Get it right once and stop messing with it.

Do it right, do it light. Do it wrong, do it long.

[MacanS]

Originally Posted by smym18

So was this refinished at a jewelry store that happens to be an AD?

Correct.

[smym18]

Originally Posted by MacanS

Correct.

We refinish watches at my store but we are not an AD, so we always say it might not be a perfect match to original, but we do a much better job than what you got back.

[jackjack305]

Yeah you need to call a watch maker that looks too rough for my liking and yours too.

[perpetualman88]

they used the wrong brush wheel. Grains are too thick on that

[madmax21]

Originally Posted by breitlings

It may not be right but I kind of like it. I wouldn't touch it until the next service and I would not polish but every 10 years from Rolex Service Center.

Relax a bit.... a polish now and again isn t a big deal as lo g as the the case is left alone.
Bracelets can be replaced

[faz]

Looked bad to me, glad you are sending it for a refinish.

As for not polishing and not overdoing it, I don't think light polishing at home with the pads people have talked about above will do any harm. I think people in general are taking this no polishing thing (to save the metal) a bit too far.

For example, everyday spoons have been washed up to 10 times or more a day for MANY MANY MANY years with scotchbrite pads, and even squeezed and rough washing (to get dried food off, for example), and those spoons won't show any measurable loss of metal at all. And they are thinner than the bracelet links!

[mtgjr]

Originally Posted by jackjack305

Yeah you need to call a watch maker that looks too rough for my liking and yours too.

Keep up jackjack...watch is already en route to beautiful Seminole, FL.

[madmax21]

Originally Posted by faz

looked bad to me, glad you are sending it for a refinish.

As for not polishing and not overdoing it, i don't think light polishing at home with the pads people have talked about above will do any harm. I think people in general are taking this no polishing thing (to save the metal) a bit too far.

For example, everyday spoons have been washed up to 10 times or more a day for many many many years with scotchbrite pads, and even squeezed and rough washing (to get dried food off, for example), and those spoons won't show any measurable loss of metal at all. And they are thinner than the bracelet links!

x2

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by Bigblu10

That is a hard lesson learned why not to become obsessed with polishing when scratches appear.

Agreed. I would rather live with scratches caused by my own doing than to contend with a poor polishing job. Learned this lesson myself (thankfully not with a Rolex).

[faz]

Originally Posted by mui.richard

This.

And I use two...the 5444 comes in three different coarse grades. Using the medium and fine will definitely take out most, if not all but the nastiest scratches.

This is not an oyster bracelet obviously but just to show you what can be achieved with the 5444s. I rebrushed the bracelet on the 12:00 side to get rid of some nasty desk diving marks... carefully tape the polished links beforehand. The 4 links closest to the clasp were badly scratched...now they are no longer noticeable.

Sent from my F8132 using Tapatalk

This is some beautiful work you did there. Thanks for sharing the pics!