What's up with this plexi?

[AlohaMrHand 16]

Guys. Just got my first rep via M2M (different board). Seller disclosed in the description of the sale that there were scratches to the plexi crystal that could be buffed out with polywatch, but in looking at it, I'm not seeing a scratch but something like a indentation or warping or imperfection or something. Or maybe it's a super deep scratch and this is the best that anyone could do to buff it out. OR MAYBE I JUST NEED TO GET POLYWATCH AND GET TO BUSINESS?

I'm new to watches, so I'm being careful to not accuse seller of anything.  I'm not even that mad if this is something other than what the seller described--I'll chalk it up to lessons learned. Thoughts on whether the below is something you guys would consider to be a scratch that can be polished out with polywatch?

Here's a sweet gif of the 'indentation'

 

[lrnz 1]

doesn't look like that's polishable to me.

you could try to make it less obvious by trying to polish it, but I doubt it will totally disappear.

[HorFan 483]

Yep, looks like more of a dent than a scratch.

[deju 1,889]

Looks dented I’m afraid :( 

[black263 228]

It's a huge red flag to me when someone describes a fault as an easy fix.  If it's easy, fix it and then sell it.  If you can't fix it don't try to persuade me that I  can. Either pay someone to fix it and sell it repaired or just call it faulty and let the buyer decide.  In this case it looks like the easy fix has been tried and the scratch buffed out so deeply that the plexi is now unusable.

[Foxindebox 472]

Looks like a massive scratch that has had the shit sanded and  polywatched out of it already...

[lrnz 1]

by the way, to smash a plexy like that, he must have tried to have a  go with it with a hammer and a screw driver at least!

Edited July 30, 2018 by lrnz

[Glaude 1,615]

2 hours ago, Foxindebox said:

Looks like a massive scratch that has had the shit sanded and  polywatched out of it already...

+1

I've polished recently an old Soviet plexi with polywatch, the scratch was deeper than that but looking at the way the light is deflected around the scratch, I'd say that the seller already tried his best to remove it without a lot of luck.

But polywatch is cheap and always useful, so you can try to remove it more, my method would be :

Buff a large circle around the scratches in order to blend the removal process and not just create a big light deflection at this precise spot. Start at the edge of the curvature of the plexi for example, re-apply some polywatch after some time in order to add more fresh abrasive compound. I use a Q-tip to do it and apply some force but not too much. 10 or 20 polywatch application could do the trick (remove the polywatch from time to time to see if you made any progress)

[paccbet 7,176]

I'd ask for a partial refund at least. 

[Wriggles 12]

4 hours ago, black263 said:

It's a huge red flag to me when someone describes a fault as an easy fix.  If it's easy, fix it and then sell it.  If you can't fix it don't try to persuade me that I  can. Either pay someone to fix it and sell it repaired or just call it faulty and let the buyer decide.  In this case it looks like the easy fix has been tried and the scratch buffed out so deeply that the plexi is now unusable.

+ a gazillion. Couldn't have said it better myself... actually I might have, I'd have used fuck and cunt quite a lot for added emphasis

 

[onionbag 1]

Thankfully there's no fuckin' cunts here then ?

 

[Mr Stubbs 0]

There is a lot of truth up there ^^^ so the bases are covered.

BUT if this was purchased on another board, I would pose this question to the mods there.  The transaction was lacking transparency.  No pun intended.

[onionbag 1]

A pun by definition is intended...that's that sorted..at least. 

[Thommo82 1,397]

Time for a new crystal 

[MetalMickey 179]

9 hours ago, black263 said:

It's a huge red flag to me when someone describes a fault as an easy fix.  If it's easy, fix it and then sell it.  If you can't fix it don't try to persuade me that I  can. Either pay someone to fix it and sell it repaired or just call it faulty and let the buyer decide.  In this case it looks like the easy fix has been tried and the scratch buffed out so deeply that the plexi is now unusable.

100% agree. If those "signs of wear" will easily polish out then do it before you sell. If the keyless is fucked then get it fixed before you sell. It's like selling a car with a fucked engine and expecting to get full price for it.

On the car analogy, don't even get me started on this concept some sellers have that the money they spent on servicing, repairing or replacing bits that broke on their watch is somehow recoupable and adds to the value of the watch...

[OneBadWolf 1]

12 hours ago, Glaude said:

 

But polywatch is cheap and always useful, so you can try to remove it more, my method would be :

Buff a large circle around the scratches in order to blend the removal process and not just create a big light deflection at this precise spot. Start at the edge of the curvature of the plexi for example, re-apply some polywatch after some time in order to add more fresh abrasive compound. I use a Q-tip to do it and apply some force but not too much. 10 or 20 polywatch application could do the trick (remove the polywatch from time to time to see if you made any progress)

 

It's difficult to say for sure from just a pic, but it might be fixable. Try toothpaste. It's a microabrasive, and it has worked very well removing scratches from everything from watch crystals, to abused CD and DVDs that wouldn't even load, to headlight covers that were yellowed and crazed, to removing  helmet scratches inside the canopy on my plane.

And it's cheap. The other poster's above method sounds good, I'd only add, that it might be a good idea to practice on a scratched CD first. 

I'd be pissed If I received a watch with a blemish like that.

Edited July 31, 2018 by OneBadWolf

[Glaude 1,615]

4 hours ago, OneBadWolf said:

It's difficult to say for sure from just a pic, but it might be fixable. Try toothpaste. It's a microabrasive, and it has worked very well removing scratches from everything from watch crystals, to abused CD and DVDs that wouldn't even load, to headlight covers that were yellowed and crazed, to removing  helmet scratches inside the canopy on my plane.

Polywatch is basically toothpaste on steroids and it's also quite cheap.

That has the advantage of showing to OP if it's even worth trying to fix the crystal.

Personally, seeing how the light is bending around the scratch, I would go with the good ol' Thommo suggestion : new crystal

[OneBadWolf 1]

4 hours ago, Glaude said:

Polywatch is basically toothpaste on steroids and it's also quite cheap.

That has the advantage of showing to OP if it's even worth trying to fix the crystal.

Personally, seeing how the light is bending around the scratch, I would go with the good ol' Thommo suggestion : new crystal

 

 

You might be correct, I couldn't tell for sure with the pic being the only reference. There are no guarantees however, only opportunitys.  My thinking was that if the OP lives someplace like I do, where Polywatch is not available at the corner store, the toothpaste might be worth a try. If the crystal requires replacement  anyway, what is there to lose by trying?

Toothpaste also comes in various grits. I find the no name brands generally good for removing a lot of material, and the sensitive teeth types better for the finishing polish. I've used toothpaste with an indexer, and rubber tool in the  drill press for jewelling rifle bolts, and  I've even had some success on scratched Hardlex with a Dremel tool.  Its great stuff.

[GenTLe 1,510]

Personally, before to go for the replacement root, I'd remove the strap, put a cloth on a flat hard surface, put a good amount of polish fluid for car bodywork on it, then take the watch head and pass it for like half an hour on the cloth, caring to keep the watch flat face down.
That way you should pair the surface which has been made concave by the previous owner and maybe reduce the scratch further.

[AlohaMrHand 16]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to see if I can find a replacement crystal somewhere. In the meantime, I'll spend all my free time trying to rub this one out.

[black263 228]

47 minutes ago, AlohaMrHand said:

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to see if I can find a replacement crystal somewhere. In the meantime, I'll spend all my free time trying to rub one out.

Fixed it for ya.

[Glaude 1,615]

52 minutes ago, black263 said:

Fixed it for ya.

 

2 hours ago, OneBadWolf said:

You might be correct, I couldn't tell for sure with the pic being the only reference. There are no guarantees however, only opportunitys.  My thinking was that if the OP lives someplace like I do, where Polywatch is not available at the corner store, the toothpaste might be worth a try. If the crystal requires replacement  anyway, what is there to lose by trying?

Toothpaste also comes in various grits. I find the no name brands generally good for removing a lot of material, and the sensitive teeth types better for the finishing polish. I've used toothpaste with an indexer, and rubber tool in the  drill press for jewelling rifle bolts, and  I've even had some success on scratched Hardlex with a Dremel tool.  Its great stuff.

Indeed I didn't look at the problem this way, that doesn't hurt to try of course, I was more in the efficient way of acting.
Polywatch is available from cousinuk (ship worldwide) or even Amazon, I figured if OP can get a replacement crystal, he can find some polywatch.

I think GenTLe approach is the best way to assess the problem in a simple way  

[GenTLe 1,510]

Polywatch is nothing than a standard fine polish paste for car bodywork sold in a VERY expensive format
Similar to those afterbite sticks containing parfumed ammonia. Cost per liter: nearly 600€/liter. Normal ammonia in bottle for cleaning: 2€/liter... Or less.

[Glaude 1,615]

1 minute ago, GenTLe said:

Polywatch is nothing than a standard fine polish paste for car bodywork sold in a VERY expensive format
Similar to those afterbite sticks containing parfumed ammonia. Cost per liter: nearly 600€/liter. Normal ammonia in bottle for cleaning: 2€/liter... Or less.

I was wondering what was the original "non-expensive" product to replace polywatch, they are, of course, very vague on the actual formula, now I know what to buy when I run out of Polywatch  

Do you recommend any brand/type of polish paste for car ?

[GenTLe 1,510]

I just use fine and extrafine professional ones. Suggested by my body shop mechanic (who is also my neighbor)
Not stuff from the supermarket, but bought from a car paint shop. 3M does great products in this sense (not the cheapest by the way).