Polished or Correctly Refinished?

[greekbum]

Lots of discussion on this subject. Everybody wants an unpolished perfect watch but few are out there. Once a watch has been polished the only option IMHO is to have it refinished as close to original specs as possible. Once you have seen original unpolished there is no confusing them. I have been lucky all these years of collecting to have found and kept a few nice unpolished even nos watches. Today while answering another thread i had 2 of my GMTs in front of me and took some pics. 1 is unpolished the other re finished as close to factory as possible. You can easily tell once side by side.

1965 unpolished GMT

1970 unpolished GMT

1970 NOS GMT

[Storky]

Originally Posted by greekbum

Once a watch has been polished the only option IMHO is to have it refinished as close to original specs as possible.

Agreed .... and as we all know there's two versions of re-finishing:

1 - Sympathetic polishing and correct re-finishing by someone that knows what they're doing.
2 - Someone who THINKS they know what they're doing and are happy to grind most of the case away!

[redfred]

1966 GMT as it left the factory without any dings.

[Storky]

Originally Posted by redfred

1966 GMT as it left the factory without any dings.

Wow 1966 ... looks like it's been wrapped up in cotton wool for nearly 50 years, what a find!

[redfred]

Originally Posted by Storky

Wow 1966 ... looks like it's been wrapped up in cotton wool for nearly 50 years, what a find!

Yep in a draw for the best part of its life, totally amazing, never get bored at looking at it!

[greekbum]

Originally Posted by redfred

Yep in a draw for the best part of its life, totally amazing, never get bored at looking at it!

Show some pictures of that amazing watch

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by redfred

1966 GMT as it left the factory without any dings.

[nycpassat]

as long as its fat, i'm good :)

[watchcrank]

nice scans Nick, Not many unpolished example but lots that need a "proper" sympathetic re polish to close to Rolex specs as possible.
these examples show the true difference. m

[Dr.Smellody]

Great post!

[springer]

Nick, here are a couple of mine that I would like to add to the thread. Both GMTs are circa 1977, with one being expertly refinished and the other still wearing its original factory finish.

[playmore009]

Great info!

[Nycturbovr6]

Thanks for sharing

[capote]

Great thread, should be sticky

[redfred]

Originally Posted by greekbum

Show some pictures of that amazing watch

Here you go, As I said it had spent most of its life in a draw, totally untouched except for a movement service in 1971, when it came into my posession I had a Tropic dome fitted, still have the original as new cyclops plexi. Dial is shiny inky black with perfect creamy plots. The most amazing thing about it is the bracelet, its an immaculate 6636 elastic rivet date stamped 67, it is still tight at the joints, always blows people away when they handle it, just cant believe this is almost 50 years old!

[PanosI]

Originally Posted by springer

Nick, here are a couple of mine that I would like to add to the thread. Both GMTs are circa 1977, with one being expertly refinished and the other still wearing its original factory finish.

if you hadn't noted which is what, i could easily tell that the second pic is the original finish !!!