novfilms Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 without opening the watch are there at least some easy ways to tone down the band and casings on new watches. the daytonas are especially shinny. i'd love to burnish it some how to remove the shine. as for opening the watches and working on the faces, not sure i'm up for that. are there members that do that for others? thanks alan siegel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) The only good recipe for patina is age. My advice... Just wear it. Edited July 20, 2006 by ubiquitous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 You can always try some wet/dry sandpaper. 400, 600, or 1000 grit. Get it at your local auto paint store. You can also get the polishing compounds, simichrome, etc. That stuff can tone down a shiny finish, or bring it back, depending on which way you're going. Last weekend, I noticed the bezel on one of my submariners was stuck. I had failed to rinse it off last time I climbed out of the salt water. I took the channel locks and duct taped the jaws and tried to loosen the bezel back up, while squirting WD-40 in there. I got it working again, but in the process, I did manage to scratch the watch up some- instant aging! Next time I'll take the bezel off and clean it instead- no more channel locks. You can always take a pair of pliers and put a few nicks on your watch, if that's what you want. Then sand em or polish em down- instant wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 The only good recipe for patina is age. My advice... Just wear it. Is the vintage Cosmo on the left a replica? If it is, can you PM me who you got it from? Thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tracy Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I recently purchased an 'aged' watch from another member and it simply was scratched up and beat to hell, like someone wore a rolex to a construction job..? Contrary to some, I see damage, intentional or not as unsightly, blemishes, and define character, as the willingness to take care, and correct damage. Same as for automobiles.... do you see a dented, faded paint car, as one with character, or a restored classic ? Many people, take great care of their prized watches, and do have them re-fitted and restored when they age...so I wear my new looking watches with pride.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 You can always try some wet/dry sandpaper. 400, 600, or 1000 grit. Get it at your local auto paint store. You can also get the polishing compounds, simichrome, etc. That stuff can tone down a shiny finish, or bring it back, depending on which way you're going. Last weekend, I noticed the bezel on one of my submariners was stuck. I had failed to rinse it off last time I climbed out of the salt water. I took the channel locks and duct taped the jaws and tried to loosen the bezel back up, while squirting WD-40 in there. I got it working again, but in the process, I did manage to scratch the watch up some- instant aging! Next time I'll take the bezel off and clean it instead- no more channel locks. You can always take a pair of pliers and put a few nicks on your watch, if that's what you want. Then sand em or polish em down- instant wear. I've never been a fan of distressing out of the box. I have custom furniture customers who ask me about it all the time and I ask them to be patient. If it is an item that will get wear and tear on a daily basis, a patina will show up soon enough and my experience with distressing daily wear items is that several years later they look terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertk Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Most of the serious Gen collectors I know (and it's more than a few) have fairly pristine vintages. I've seen some 50's and 60's prized Rolex models that look almost new. None of them are proud of a beat-up bezel/overly faded dial. I know a fellow that has a very extensive vintage Pam collection and they look great. Not pristine but certainly not beat up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Most of the serious Gen collectors I know (and it's more than a few) have fairly pristine vintages. I've seen some 50's and 60's prized Rolex models that look almost new. None of them are proud of a beat-up bezel/overly faded dial. I know a fellow that has a very extensive vintage Pam collection and they look great. Not pristine but certainly not beat up. Exactly what effect does restoration have on the value of a vintage, rare timepiece? I know in the antique furniture biz, a repair here and there to things damaged is not considered a disaster but refinishing certainly is. If a watch through ageing has rusted hands, a discolored dial and an unreliable movement, just how much restoration is enough? My Dad had a vintage Girrard Perregeaux restored several years ago to "like new" condition including a complete dial refinishing. The watch look as good as the day it rolled out of Switzerland 40 years ago but did we screw up the value??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 There's a difference between patina and "beat up". My watch is about 70 years old and it doesn't look beat up... aged, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 There's a difference between patina and "beat up". My watch is about 70 years old and it doesn't look beat up... aged, yes. Wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) As in most things, the devil is in the details. A vintage piece will have very subtle differences from a *new* piece, largely in areas where you'd expect there to be wear... case edges, caseback, bezel... and it will be minor if the watch was well taken care of. Holding both in your hands, an old preserved piece vs. a new rep meaning to represent something old, the difference will be immediate. It's very subtle but it's noticeable. So if you're going to vintagize a watch do it gently. Take your time and add "age" in small increments. If you're going for the "well loved" look then it's still possible to go too far. Here's a watch that wasn't even a year old at the time the photo was taken. Just not my style. This watch looks like it went through a wood chipper. I guess the owner only had 100 grit sandpaper to work with!!!! I have a friend who has a 20 year old SD and he gives it as much thought as he would wearing a Timex and it still, when he wipes off the dirt and grime, cleans up like a beautiful piece. Edited July 20, 2006 by crystalcranium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Is the vintage Cosmo on the left a replica? If it is, can you PM me who you got it from? Thanks Chris Both are reps... Frankens to be more precise. The 6263 on the left is going in for surgery to have a V23 transplanted; the 16520 is an El Primero 400 based frankenstein, gen case, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Both are reps... Frankens to be more precise. The 6263 on the left is going in for surgery to have a V23 transplanted; the 16520 is an El Primero 400 based frankenstein, gen case, etc... Mmmmmmm so goooood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oswald Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Here's my "new old" watch. Like Nanuq said, it's best to go in steps. Age it, wear it, age it, wear it, etc... My first attempts just looked like really scratched up watches. In real life it's more of a polishing and rounding off of sharp edges that occurs. Whatever you do just have fun with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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