Watch mineral crystal scratch removal?

[Quattro Pete]

Can anyone suggest a product effective at removing scratches from watch mineral crystal (glass)?

The scratch is fairly deep - I can feel it when I run my finger nail across it.

Thanks!

 

[PimTac]

It might be best to replace the crystal with a scratch that deep.

 

[KGMtech]

Replace. If you can see it, but not catch your fingernail on it...then jewellers rouge - up to diamond paste - and high speed buffer can reduce the size.

You've got no polishing option with scratch with that much depth.

 

[maxdustington]

Keep it for patina or replace the mineral crystal with a sapphire one, now that you have an excuse to swap it.

 

[PW01]

Replace

 

[EdwardC]

I'd suggest replacing it as well. It's definitely doable, but I wouldn't say it was worth it. Assuming it's a flat round crystal, you can get order one of those for a few bucks, and a crystal press for about $15 (or take it to a watchmaker). If it's worth it to you, you can take this opportunity to upgrade to a sapphire crystal, which would be probably be in the $20 range for the crystal itself.

However, if you do want to polish it (or maybe it's an oddball hard to find shape), you'll need some diamond paste, and likely a few different grits to move material faster. I've purchased a few vintage watches that had obviously polished crystals, you can easily tell in the reflection since the surface isn't perfectly flat anymore. It didn't bother me too much, but was very noticeable. I swapped out the crystal ultimately when I sent it out for service ultimately.

 

[charbaby]

Originally Posted By: maxdustington
Keep it for patina or replace the mineral crystal with a sapphire one, now that you have an excuse to swap it.


+1

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: EdwardC
I'd suggest replacing it as well. It's definitely doable, but I wouldn't say it was worth it. Assuming it's a flat round crystal, you can get order one of those for a few bucks, and a crystal press for about $15 (or take it to a watchmaker). If it's worth it to you, you can take this opportunity to upgrade to a sapphire crystal, which would be probably be in the $20 range for the crystal itself.

However, if you do want to polish it (or maybe it's an oddball hard to find shape), you'll need some diamond paste, and likely a few different grits to move material faster. I've purchased a few vintage watches that had obviously polished crystals, you can easily tell in the reflection since the surface isn't perfectly flat anymore. It didn't bother me too much, but was very noticeable. I swapped out the crystal ultimately when I sent it out for service ultimately.


If it is flat no way, domed maybe but why even bother.

I think the practice dates from when a lot of crystals were domed acrylic and you could actually polish them.

 

[simple_gifts]

when i worked in aerospace, a guy in the polishing dept removed a scratch from my watch face using jeweler's rouge.

He had a powered wheel, however.