A recently acquired timeless watch, no matter how carefully the owner appreciates it, may harm the watch body or accidentally leave scratches on the watch while worn in daily life. At this point, as long as it is polished, the scratched watch will have a new look. If the watch is polished too often, the casing becomes thinner. This time, we’ll go into the case thinning in greater detail.
1. What is meant by case thinning?
The watch is prone to scratches due to wear and tear when used on a regular basis. At this point, as long as it is polished, it might appear new and restore its luster. However, in order to polish the case, a tiny layer of the surface must be ground away. As a result, the more polishing times there are, the thinner the casing will be. The slimmer casing not only appears to be less expensive, but it also lacks water resistance. However, the circumstances vary depending on the degree of the scratches. However, it is widely assumed that if the watch is polished more than five times, the impact of restoring to new will be lost. At the moment, the only option is to change the watch casing directly. Scratches show that the watch has had ups and downs with the wearer. Consider slight scratches to be the watch’s intrinsic charm, and then polish it until it is totally renovated.
2. Material that not easy to worn-out
Scratches are a normal occurrence in timepieces. Even if you grasp the principle, wearing a new watch is more fun. A scratched watch may only be erased by polishing, therefore it may be best to get a watch made of a material that will not wear out easily from the start.
■Titanium Material
Titanium has the properties of lightness, sturdiness, and corrosion resistance. Even individuals who are allergic to metals can confidently wear it. Titanium was the first material chosen by SEIKO when designing a diving watch for deep diving. This watch can function normally even in an environment with a depth of 1,062m, where the diving research ship is stationed. This result validated titanium’s resilience in severe settings, and titanium has since become a popular watch case material. Titanium is an extremely hard metal that is difficult to scratch. However, titanium has a downside in that it is incredibly simple to shatter if significantly damaged.
■Ceramic Material
Ceramics have a distinct sheen, and they are less susceptible to scratches than stainless steel. Furthermore, because ceramics are clay items, users who are allergic to metals can wear them with confidence. There is also no chance of corrosion. The Swiss firm “Rado” was the first to employ ceramics in the manufacture of timepieces. Rado creates a line of ceramic timepieces using its own high-tech ceramics. Then, in 2000, Chanel debuted the “J12” watch all at once, and the ceramic watch’s moniker has since earned international popularity.
■PVD Coating
PVD coating is a type of metal electroplating process. PVD gets its name from the abbreviation for its technological concept, “Physical Vapor Deposition.” PVD coatings are classified as Titanium Nitride coating, Titanium CarboNitride (TiCN) coating, Aluminum Titanium Nitride coating, and others. The benefit of PVD coating is that after black coloring, it not only makes the watch look more fashionable, but it also increases the toughness of the watch casing. In addition, “DLC Coating” is available. “Diamond-Like Carbon” is an abbreviation for “Diamond-Like Carbon.” As the name implies, this coating method employs vapor deposition of an amorphous carbon material with qualities akin to diamonds. The benefit is that the watch’s hardness can be comparable to that of diamond, and users who are allergic to metals can wear it with confidence.
However, in the past, officials have refused to give repair services for self-coated watches. Please take close attention. There are other timepieces constructed of carbon fiber or tungsten carbide, albeit the durability of carbon fiber is debatable. Tungsten carbide has the additional problem of being overly hefty. Furthermore, even non-wearing materials are not impervious to wear: as compared to stainless steel watches, these watches sometimes take more work to finish polishing after they are broken.
3. Daily maintenance to avoid watch rust
The watch will progressively lose its initial radiance as time passes. Not alone is the aforementioned “case damage” to blame. Rust is another key culprit, and it is the worst adversary of metal items. Stainless steel, as the name implies, is an alloy of “rust-resistant steel.” It is created by combining iron, chromium, and nickel. When chromium reacts with oxygen in the air, it forms a thin layer on the surface of the metal, keeping it from rusting. However, even stainless steel with a “stainless” reputation cannot ensure that it will never rust. For example, if a sweat stain on the watch case is not cleaned, the protective layer will be damaged and the watch case would rust. This is not difficult to overcome, as long as you perform a little maintenance every day, you can keep your valuable watch from rusting. And if you have a sweaty body, don’t worry too much; you might use the following maintenance procedures.
■Wipe with a soft cloth
Wipe the interior of the watch and the strap with a soft cloth to remove any perspiration or dirt that has become adhered to the watch. When wearing a watch, it is easy for sweat to gather on the inside, so please wipe it carefully.
■Use a toothbrush to remove the dirt in the crevices
If there are tenacious stains that are difficult to remove, or dirt that has gathered in the spaces between the straps over time, you can clean the filth between the strap gaps using a soft toothbrush. More intricate pieces can be cleaned gently with the tip of a cotton swab or toothpick. However, be careful not to use too much power, since this may easily create scratches on the watch. Even though it is a metal watchband, water may enter through the cracks in the case when washed. As a result, even if the watch is waterproof, it is best to avoid cleaning it.
4. Impact on the Acquisition Price
Some people believe that only watches that are brilliant and immaculate can be sold at a premium price, thus they will completely overhaul and polish the watches before bringing them to our store. True, a gorgeous watch might help you estimate the high price, but the expense of maintaining the watch is likely to exceed the purchase price.
Conclusion
It is impossible to safeguard a watch from damage no matter how carefully it is worn on a regular basis. Of course, you may clean the watch while it is being thoroughly overhauled to restore its brilliance, but if you think of the scratches as “a medal of time,” you won’t be as concerned about the damage on the watch, right?
