This something a little different to collecting watches, over the last few years i have found the need to learn to refurbish a watch myself for a number of reasons its not a simple as it looks on you tube I assure you. Here is a previously owned Rolex Submariner 16610 as the pictures show you would surprised how much dead skin and grime get under the bezel itself.
Firstly you after to remove the bracelet plus flick the bezel off (as shown on the website) as its more simpler to polish rather than mask the bezel with masking tape, once the bezel is removed you then need to buff all the shinny areas of the casing with hard polishing mop and use brown cutting compound on a standard bench grinder. Once all casing scratches are removed you then finish off with a stainless steel green compound with a softer buffing mop to give a nice shinny finish. Then replace the bezel back on and move on to the bracelet.
The bracelet I slit in the 3 pieces the clasp and 2 sides and set about them all individually as its easier to monoeuvre each piece when buffing, i use a Artifex wheel is fantastic for removing scratches fast on brushed steel once all scratches have been removed, you then need to use a brush finishing wheel which is made up of a finer version of a scouring pad that use for doing the dishes which gives the bracelet a nice brushed finish. The wheel i use is Bufflex as the cheaper ones i struggled with.
Once all finished i then use a ultra sonic bath to cleanse all the polish, dirt, dust etc….. a ultra sonic bath pulsates the water with cleaning solution in through all bracelet and watch casing to keep a nice fresh clean. then dry with a soft cloth and place on the wrist job done. Here are pictures on before and after on a Rolex Sub its not a perfect like new polish that Rolex do as they have the best equipment in the world but is a good as is for a DIY home job to be honest in the past I have sent watches to be refurbished the end results where no better than my own plus I would take a lot more care as there my time pieces.
