Why polishing is a watch’s number one enemy
In the world of collectible watches, excessive polishing is undoubtedly the leading cause of value destruction, often carried out in the name of a misguided idea of “restoration.”
The problem? This damage is irreversible.
While the movement can be restored, adjusted, or replaced, the material that is removed is gone forever.
In my view, it is the duty of watchmakers to refuse excessive polishing in order to preserve our horological heritage.
What will become of our vintage watches in 20 or 30 years?
Melted down for their gold… or rebuilt with laser welding?
1. Over-polishing during servicing
It is essential to restate an all-too-often ignored truth: systematic polishing during servicing is harmful to your watches.
Polishing does not improve accuracy, reliability, or longevity.
It is a purely cosmetic procedure, inherited from a modern “like-new” product mindset, entirely incompatible with the philosophy of collecting.
During a service, the only technically necessary operations are:
- dismantling
- cleaning
- lubrication
- adjustment
- possible replacement of wear components
Over 30 or 40 years, a watch may undergo:
- 5 to 8 polishing operations
- sometimes more at non-specialized vintage brands or workshops
Each intervention removes a few hundredths of a millimeter… eventually leading to the complete destruction of the original proportions.
2. Why gold is particularly vulnerable
Unlike steel, gold is:
- softer
- denser
- more sensitive to repeated abrasion
Each pass on a polishing wheel removes real material—and therefore real gold weight.
3. The illusion of “good condition”
Many inexperienced collectors still equate:
shiny = good condition
This is a major mistake.
A heavily polished watch may look attractive to the untrained eye, but to a connoisseur it is immediately recognizable:
- incoherent volumes
- incorrect reflections
- subtle but revealing asymmetries
An old watch should not shine like a new one.
4. Hallmarks: the first witnesses
On a gold case, hallmarks are crucial indicators.
What over-polishing causes:
- weakened hallmarks
- partially erased markings
- sometimes completely disappeared
Yet hallmarks make it possible to determine:
- the gold fineness
- the country of manufacture
- sometimes the period
A gold case without hallmarks is often a case that has already been over-polished.
5. The effects of over-polishing
- disappearance of serial numbers
- disappearance of gold hallmarks
- thinning of the lugs
- loss of sharp edges
- rounding of the case back
- loss of original chamfers
- collapse of the case sides
- engravings becoming illegible
- rounded case back
- loss of thickness
- distortion of the profile
- alteration of the crystal/bezel fit
- loss of gold weight
6. Why manufacturers are sometimes responsible
Ironically, some official servicing causes irreversible damage:
- aesthetic standardization
- rejection of patina
- “protocol-based” polishing
Modern service centers operate with an industrial mindset, not a heritage-focused one.
A collectible watch should never be treated like a contemporary watch.
7. What collectors really look for
An experienced collector favors:
- crisp edges
- honest wear
They will accept:
- a few shallow scratches
- signs of use
But never:
- a shapeless case
- erased gold hallmarks
How to protect your watch from over-polishing
Essential recommendations
- explicitly forbid polishing during servicing
- choose watchmakers specialized in vintage pieces
A good watchmaker respects the material.
An excellent watchmaker knows when not to intervene.
Conclusion
Polishing is the number-one enemy of collectible watches because it destroys precisely what cannot be replaced:
the material, the proportions, and the shape.
A collectible watch must be preserved.
True beauty lies in respecting its original configuration.