robpatte Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Hey Everyone I recently bought a lovely gen Monaco (Calibre 6, non-chrono, black face, seconds at 6) and I love it. Problem is the guy who owned it previously didn't care for it the way it should have been cared for. He obviously thought that a lovely crocodile strap should be worn in the shower, gone swimming with and never fed. The result is that it has dulled significantly. Not everywhere, just patchy dull. I'd like to restore the original leather sheen, but I have a feeling that no amount of Beeswax is gonna bring back the lustre, it looks like patches of very matt leather. I had thought of resealing it with something like Eco-Flo Satin Sheen or Super Sheen. Anyone have any experience of dealing with a seriously dulled strap, or any experience of the above products? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prdubis Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Just use some Saphir Reptan http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002A90GB2?pc_redir=1414057376&robot_redir=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbane883 Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Use mink oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Seal fat. You put it on the strap (take it out from the watch), put a good layer on it, then put the strap in a warm place (30°C up to 40) and let the fat to melt and being absorbed by the leather. It's perfect for the leather. Avoid products based on silicone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prdubis Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 It's Croc, Not Calf mates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Same. My AL&S real crocodile flourished after that treatment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robpatte Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 (edited) Cheers for the advice guys, all useful. On closer inspection it looks like those matt areas are where the leather has been slightly scuffed through wear. I've a feeling that no amount of oil, wax, creme is gonna bring this back to the original shine. I've had two evenings of beeswax application in the hope of reducing the matt nature of the scuffs, and although the unscuffed areas are now beautiful and back to their shiny best, the matt areas remain stubbornly matt. Any ideas on de-scuffing? :-) Edited November 4, 2014 by robpatte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau_bands Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Could you find a new strap that's acceptable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robpatte Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I'd love to, but a croc strap is quite expensive. Over £100 and closer to £200 for a Tag version. I could go cheaper, but wanted to see if there was some manner of alchemy that could bring the old croc back to life first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaw6125 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Not to be rude but I wouldn't want to wear a used leather strap. A new clean one would be much better. Even if it's not croc. If it's gen a new tag one will set it off. It's worth the cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Eventually go cheaper and get a veal leather perforated one: http://www.watchstrapworld.com/tag-heuer-monaco-c-15_3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber22 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I shoot you a picture tomorrow with a product i have its Danish and works great you might find it where you are 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prancuzas Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) I have same problem. Bought a strap on eBay, seller wanted to clean it one last time with some shoe polish and f'ed it up for that matt look. Tried all stuff, vinegar first to clean that stuff, then some oils, waxes, saphir reptan - non of them helped. After few days on google- found one last solution that might work or screw up the strap finally- giving a coat of acrylic lacquer used for diecast hobby stuff. Although haven't tried it yet. Edited November 6, 2014 by Prancuzas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robpatte Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I have same problem. Bought a strap on eBay, seller wanted to clean it one last time with some shoe polish and f'ed it up for that matt look. Tried all stuff, vinegar first to clean that stuff, then some oils, waxes, saphir reptan - non of them helped. After few days on google- found one last solution that might work or screw up the strap finally- giving a coat of acrylic lacquer used for diecast hobby stuff. Although haven't tried it yet. Yeah P, I think that Super Shene is a type of acrylic lacquer. I've read a few online reviews and the trick seems to be adding it sparingly with a damp sponge, letting it dry, then buffing the shine back. Apply too much and the leather will become stiff and crack, ruining the strap completely. I'm gonna take the plunge today, it's available on amazon for a £10. Once i've received it, I'll do some before and after pix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prancuzas Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Yeah P, I think that Super Shene is a type of acrylic lacquer. I've read a few online reviews and the trick seems to be adding it sparingly with a damp sponge, letting it dry, then buffing the shine back. Apply too much and the leather will become stiff and crack, ruining the strap completely. I'm gonna take the plunge today, it's available on amazon for a £10. Once i've received it, I'll do some before and after pix. Great, thanks, let me know and best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robpatte Posted November 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Just received my Super Shene bottle on Friday. In my impatience to repair my strap, I forgot to take the before pictures. Dumb! But boy, what a result!!! I couldn't have hoped for a better one. The strap is genuinely back to it's best. I cannot even see the worn areas any more and I cannot recommend Super Shene highly enough. I was actually considering getting a croc-effect strap as a replacement, would have cost me £20-40, so glad I didn't now. I'll take some after shots today, nothing to compare with because I didnt do the 'before' shots, but trust me, the strap was pretty scuffed and worn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robpatte Posted November 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2014 The 'after' pic Sorry about not including a before pic, I was too impatient to get started. The area which has the highlight was completely matt, and overall the strap looked really old and tired. I was worried before I started that I was gonna end up with either a too shiny result, or it just wasnt gonna make any difference at all. The bottle recommended applying with a damp sponge or cloth, but I used a paint brush. It dries pretty quickly (about 5mins) so you need to be careful not to let it pool, otherwise you won't get a smooth finish (I did this in a tiny area but was able to rescue it beforre it completely dried). As you can see from the picture, the strap is now back to it's best. R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prancuzas Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 WOW, great result! please send me few drops of that magic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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