7

FORGE

On most stainless steel watches you will find two
types of finishes. These are:

• Polished: highly reflective like a mirror (see
  Figure 1)


• Satin ‘brushed’ finish: a matte finish with a
  linear grain (see Figure 2)

You may find that your watch has one of these
finishes, or a combination of both polished and
satin surfaces.
Before you start restoring your watch, it is important
to take note of how the watch was originally finished.
This can be done by carefully inspecting it. If the watch
is badly scratched, it may be helpful to reference a
photo of the watch when it was new, and these can
usually be found online.
It is important to identify the primary and secondary
finishes. The primary finish will be the finish that
is applied to the majority of the surfaces, and the
secondary finish will be the finish that occupies the
smaller surface area. The reason for this will become
clear later in the article.
The first stage of the restoration is to remove the
metal bracelet or strap from the case of the watch. On
the majority of watches, the bracelet/strap is secured
using a spring bar (Figure 3). The bracelet/strap can
be removed by inserting a small flat-head screwdriver,
a pair of tweezers, or a spring bar tool between the

edge of the bracelet/strap and the lugs of the watch.

After inserting the tool, you then need to compress the

spring bar by moving the tip of the tool away from the

lug of the watch. This can be a bit fiddly at first, but it’s

an easy technique to master.

Now that you have separated the bracelet or strap

from the watch case, you will need to clean the parts.

The metal bracelet can be cleaned using a toothbrush

and warm soapy water, and so can the case of the

watch if you are certain the watch is water-resistant. If

it is not, use a clean microfibre cloth.

Leather and fabric straps can be difficult to clean, so

it may be worth considering replacing the strap with

a new one. Straps of all shapes, sizes, materials, and

colours can be found online for as little as £2 a strap.

All you need to know is the width of the strap, and

where it connects to the watch case, and you will be

able to find a replacement strap to fit.

Now that the parts are cleaned, it is time to apply

the primary finish. When applying the primary finish,

you should be targeting the surfaces of the watch

case and bracelet that require this type of finishing,

but you do not need to be concerned if the surfaces

that require the secondary finish type are accidentally

finished, as these surfaces will be addressed after the

primary finish has been perfected.

APPLYING POLISH

A polished finish can be achieved using a variety of

different methods. Typically a buffing wheel is

Figure 1

The polished finish has an even shine that reflects images

Figure 2

The satin finish

has a more diffuse

look that doesn’t

show reflections

Before you start restoring your watch,

it is important to take note of how the

watch was originally finished

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