Restore It Yourself: How to Restore Pre-loved Luxury Watches
Watches, especially luxury timepieces, are such precious items. Aside from it being a great device that helps us keep track of time, for many people having them signifies deeper meaning like a graduation or birthday present, an anniversary gift, or first payday reward to yourself. That is why it is hard for them to let it go despite it being broken or damaged.
Purchasing a new timepiece gives us a feeling of happiness, but fixing your old luxury watch is also not such a bad idea because it has a sentimental value, and it still has a value and can be sold for a decent amount of money. Although luxury watch companies always release new versions of their wristwatches, that doesn’t mean you have to replace your old watch.
Read Also – Parmigiani Fleurier Watches
Know Your Watch Brand and Model
Before proceeding to the restoration of your luxury watch, it is necessary first to identify the brand of your timepiece and its model number so that you will know your watch’s model to have an idea of what specific watch parts you are going to need to fix it. This is vital because replacing your watch with the wrong part can potentially damage your wristwatch.
Every luxury timepiece model is different because uniqueness is essential in these watch companies; they make sure that every model of their wristwatch is different from each other; after all, uniqueness is a great way of showing luxury.
The initial step is to identify the brand of the watch. Since many people acquire their eyes as a gift, some people don’t know the brand of their wristwatch. You can get the watch brand by looking at the box where the watch was placed when it was bought, or you can inspect the watch itself if there is a logo of the brand.
Looking for the watch’s model number is the next step; this will tell you what year it was manufactured and its components. You can get this by looking at the body of the watch. It is placed in different parts of the wristwatch depending on the company who made it. Longines watches, for example, their model number is found on the back case part of their timepieces.
Strap Scratches
Watches, despite their size, have contributed so much to our history. One example is Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. It’s the first watch worn on the moon by Buzz Aldrin on the 11th Apollo mission. Although it’s great to see it in all its glory once again, removing the watch’s imperfections will only remove its historical value, and so it would be best to live it as it is.
If you wish to restore your watch, you may do so. Removing the scratch from it depends on the materials used in making the strap. Since we are talking about luxury watches, most of them are made of precious metals. If it is made out of gold or steel, you can use refinishing pens that fill and buff the scratch. But if this did not work, you still have another option.
The next option is Jewelry polish; what happens when you use this method is that it installs a filler into the gaps where the scratch is located to conceal it. Therefore, it is essential that you first clean all the watch surfaces before applying the solution to make sure that no particles will enter the gap when you use it. Then, only put enough polish to fill all the spaces.
Crystal Scratches
When working with Crystal scratches, you need to identify the materials involved. Watch companies use two materials in making the front cover of their timepieces; it can be acrylic crystal or sapphire crystal. For the acrylic type, Novus plastic polish is the solution. Just apply it to the gaps, then wait for it to dry then it will be as good as new.
Now, suppose the scratch is from a sapphire crystal. In that case, it will be more complicated to restore because it is a very tough material, so buffing it without putting so much effort will not guarantee to fix it, and sometimes putting so much pressure on it can potentially make the scratch worse. So my first suggestion is to get it replaced.
If you are determined to keep the original cover, it is still possible to get rid of the scratch. You can apply the diamond paste to the gaps, but you need to clean it first to remove foreign debris. After making sure it’s clean, apply the solution to the scratch in a circular motion but be cautious in applying pressure while doing it.
Read Also – 4 Rolex Lady Datejust Watches
Takeaway
Watches can mean so much to many people. They contain memories about people and events, so many people choose to keep them even when they are damaged. But you don’t have to wear a damaged timepiece; there are so many ways to get them fixed without spending so much. You just need to have suitable materials and proper knowledge.
