MAHLER Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Small scratches on the crystal of PAM 177L at someone same thing happened? is true sapphire crystal or mineral like back? the "Colourless" of H-factory is on both sides? could be the external AR scratches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Generally with sapphire if its the glass itself thats scratched run your thumbnail over it... if you feel a slight indent/rut then you have 2 options.... if it does feel that way then its AR.. If crystal scratched lightly then you can buy some diamond paste and with some work you can reduce or even remove the scratch... There are 'How To's' on this.. Or you can replace it... I think there are some for sale currently in parts section.. If its the AR then you can remove in numerous ways... again check out the 'How To's' or the threads in this forum... there are a good few about. If you are not sure then assume its the AR and try removing that first.. once removed you will know for certain..then you can get diamond paste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draven451 Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I wondered the same thing when I noticed a scratch on one of my watch crystals. I have not tried this technique yet but after reading several posts utilizing this technique on other forums this appears to be a useful solution. This is not my post as I found this online so credit to the original poster: http://www.justhidea...pphire-crystal/ How to Remove Scratches From Your Sapphire Crystal Posted by justhideandwatch | panerai, reference, watch repair | Wednesday 28 January 2009 5:00 pm I had always been told that removing scratches from sapphire watch crystals was impossible…but recently I got a tip on how to do this, so I figured I would see for myself. I recently picked up this PAM 00024 Luminor Submersible with a scratch on the crystal right under the “at” portion of automatic on the face. What you need to do is pick up 3-4 tubes of diamond paste in increasing abrasive grades. I started with a 5.0 micron for the most abrasive, and went down from there with a 3.5, 1.0 and .5 micron. I started by taping off the area of the crystal with the scratch so as to prevent the diamond paste from getting underneath the dive bezel. Then I started with the 5.0 micron, and worked that in to the scratch for about 5-10 minutes. Then I went down to the 3.5 micron for another 10 minutes. Then I went down to the 1.0 and the .5 for the final polishing. Initially I used my fingers to rub the diamond paste on the crystal, but found that a paper tower was a bit more effective. After about 30 mintues of work, I wiped off the excess paste, removed the masking tape, and cleaned the watch with water. This is what I was greeted with once the watch was cleaned and dried off. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Thats a great post and advice but just remember to check its not the AR before going the scratch route Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAHLER Posted December 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 @PeteM thanks, seems on the crystal and not on the AR @Drave451 thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 Would this be a good way of stripping tough AR as well? Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumroxas Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 Same thing on my 177 h factory. Crystal seems different than the 005k'swhich is still flawless after more use than the 177. Were you able to remove it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w0lf Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 I would tread very carefully with diamond compoinds and use much higher grit than what hideandwatch recommends, no disrespect meant, the author an enlightened cat in the world of risties. I'd actually start at 1 micron at the very most and go higher grit (smaller particle size) to .5 micron and .25 micron for finishing. If you start higher you risk putting furrows in the crystal that will be much deeper than your original scratch and will require major work and power tools to take out. 5 micron average particle size = 4500 in grit .... 1 micron = 14,000 grit 1/2 micron = 60,000 grit 1/4 micron = 100,000 grit Now, I have a number of stones that I use for knife sharpening, and I can tell you with certaintly, that to achieve a perceptible polished bevel that won't show scratches to the naked eye, I have to go up to at least a 8000 grit stone. Of course it may depend on your vision and 6000 will siffice but 5 micron/4500 grit will scratch your crystal deeper than you can with most household/automotive items, guaranteed. 3rd option - sell the watch at a discount and get a new 177M, you'll be upgrading to a high beat movement with a dagger regulator adjuster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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