Polishing ... pros and cons?

Matty01
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A shout out to y'all Vintage Omega Druids.

I'm considering getting my Speedmaster 70's big stache polished ... it is looking a bit out of sorts ...
Would you offer advice for or against?

Matt
 
dsio
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I'd do it, nothing crazy just a light professionally done polish, Rolex vintage nerds tend to be the ones that are crazy about cases remaining unpolished
 
Matty01
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Thanks. I should ask too, what should I expect to pay? I have a quote of about $300 for a hand polish (for the big stuff) then machine finished?
 
dsio
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Don't know if I see $300 in that, but then again we do live in Australia so being ripped off isn't a surprise.
 
a1watch
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I'd rather look at and/or wear a nice clean scratch free shiny watch than an old scratched up looking dull one. With that said, just use caution not to round out edges and over polish to the point you take away to much metal. Just remember that polishing is actually removing some of the surface.
 
a1watch
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dsio dsio
Don't know if I see $300 in that, but then again we do live in Australia so being ripped off isn't a surprise.
that does sound a little steep.
 
Matty01
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Apparently a chunk of the cost comes from the time taken to remove movement etc from the case prior to putting in the machine (ultrasomic I think) That being said, given the 125 movement is a pretty simple uninstall, that figure might shrink.

Yeah, we do seem to pay premiums on premiums here. Then a bit extra.
 
U
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That's a brushed finish. You might save some money by touching it up using a green Scotchbrite pad. Rub carefully in the direction of the grain, and use masking tape to cover up any polished surfaces. It might look good enough afterwards to forgo any professional work, and it will save the crispness of the edges (very important to serious collectors). If you do have it done, make sure the watchmaker takes it apart - even the links if possible - and does it with the correct wheels so the loss of crispness is minimal.
 
Matty01
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This forum is spectacular... cosy like a comfortable lounge chair but with an amazing amount of knowledge within arms reach

Thanks
 
dsio
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Has it been serviced lately? Might be worth getting it all sorted at once. I'd be half tempted to just package it up and ship it to Jesse (Omega564 on here) get him to give it a once-over and send back. Once you include the service and factor in the Aussie dollar, hes actually cheaper than even the half-arsed local watchmakers and the pieces he's done for Dennis look pretty bad-ass.
 
Widows Son
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If you have it done, have a professional do it. I've seen a MK II on another forum overpolished and it looked awful.It looked like he put it on a grinding wheel in his garage. When you're dealing with both brushed and polished surfaces, you must be very careful and know what you're doing. Remember, it's only original once.
 
Matty01
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Good thinkng, Im pretty hamfisted when it comes to stuff like that.
 
dsio
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So are some less than talented watchmakers. I've seen on eBay an Omega Seamaster Bond bracelet that had been completely polished (the brushed bits as well) by some idiot, with the description being along the lines of "I put it in to have some scratches buffed out, this is what I got back". Went for like $120
 
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