Pesky matte finish

[PhillyRock 0]

I've had my watches polished and shined up (the high gloss/shine stainless ones at least) about every 3 months or so just to give them their life back and purge the BORING everyday look achieved by a few scratches and wear patterns. I got SUPER tired of paying someone 30-40 bucks for each watch they gave the gleam back too, so I went out and bought all the tools and compounds to do the job MYSELF! (and save a decent amount of dough)

 

After screwing up 1 or 2 watches, I started to get the hang of it, and before long I got quite good. In fact I got so good that I've been able to charge a few people for doing the EXACT same thing I was paying that other shlub to do. BUT, there was an obstacle I had to contend with that I didn't quite know how to handle. MATTE FINISHES!!!

 

How the HELL do I get the surface scratches out of areas with a matte finish without destroying the look that was intended. In fact, in most cases killing the matte area ruined the look of the watch.

 

After some trial and error, after some experimentation and after HUGE amounts testing on empty cases I FINALLY came up with an answer.

I polished the area as I would a regular surface, and once I was finished I treated the area with a piece of 1200 grit abrasive paper. The exact same paper used in automotive finishing and used to correct the 'orange peel' affect found in detailed locations with heavy paint application. I couldn't believe it!!! Such a simple solution for such a pain in the butt problem. I applied heavy pressure to the area with the 1200 grit sandpaper, and in a single direction I kept the pressure steady thru the stroke. I went over the area a few times until it had the same grain as it did before, or until it matches the grain of the untreated /non polished areas, following up with a DRY-CLEAN hard felt wheel to give it the factory look.

 

I know I had a few people PM me and ask some questions when I made the post "Aspiring Craftsman" where I was willing to offer my services for watch/band polishing, so I figured I would follow it up with my new discovery. There are also a few members here like myself, doing things on their own and asked which compounds I've tried and which ones that I found worked the best. So this is another DISCOVERY post for all you guys doing the exact same thing I am. If you're having or HAD the same difficulty with Matte surfaces that I've had, here's a GREAT way that I found to give those surfaces the same love, restoration and attention that's given to the easier parts.

 

P.S. If anyone knows the BEST GLASS compound for scratches and pits, shoot me a PM with the brand/name/etc etc.