Scratch on my carrera

[miccity]

Hmm, just got my Carrera DD about a month then I had these small "scratch" on it as per picture below, kinda sad when I saw it... I don't know how I got these and as far as I know I always wipe it with tissue and it just appear

I understand minor scratch like this hardly avoid , but is there anyone had idea how to get it off? and is there any proper way to wipe especially the glass, I'm worrying if one day I would really have some scratch on it although it was anti scratch...

[fdm79]

Hey Miccity...

Interesting cause I got my brand new Carrera Heritage Chrono Exactly 2 weeks ago and to be honest, I've noticed that I was all the time wiping mine with a regular but soft cloth and believe it or not, I had some VERY minor scratches exactly on the same area you've had. Waaaay less than yours but still, things that bother us and only the owner notices it ..hehe. I pesonally know every single spot of my Carrera...

After that, I got a different cloth, a VERY soft one special for sunglasses and since either the Day Date and Heritage are both entirely polished steel case, we have to be extra careful (With the new very soft cloth, everything is ok now) ! I have a Maurice Lacroix which is almost all brushed steel. In this case, it's harder to get scratched but when it does, it's WAY more apparent than polished steel.

I really think that if you try to repair yourself doing some polishing, you might ruin your piece for real !

My advice: If it's terribly bothering you, take it to an AD or whatever and ask for the repair, however, I think people will recommend you to "acumulate" more scratches since this is inevitable throughout the time and do a deeper polishing afterwards.

[kobalt]

Beat me...but those scratches look so nasty that I don't believe it didn't bump or collide with a quite rough object. Maybe while you're not around someone dropped it accidentally or whatever but one thing for sure it didn't just bruised like that out of nothing.

But well you can always take it to your local ASC to do some polishing for the price of some fee and some decimation on the watch itself.

[blingking]

Hmm, just got my Carrera DD about a month then I had these small "scratch" on it as per picture below, kinda sad when I saw it... I don't know how I got these and as far as I know I always wipe it with tissue and it just appear

I understand minor scratch like this hardly avoid , but is there anyone had idea how to get it off? and is there any proper way to wipe especially the glass, I'm worrying if one day I would really have some scratch on it although it was anti scratch...

You got your DD for a month, mine lasted for 1 day.

I found a chip on the edge of the case and a scratch on the bridge of the movement - a first of its kind!

I returned it immediately the next day.

Tag replied that they will change the case and movement - but no new watch swop for me.

I am expected to get it back end of next week - about 3 weeks after i returned it.

Feeling sad that this can happen to a brand new watch.

I am also disillusioned as to whether this is good customer service from Tag.

[blingking]

Hey Miccity...

Interesting cause I got my brand new Carrera Heritage Chrono Exactly 2 weeks ago and to be honest, I've noticed that I was all the time wiping mine with a regular but soft cloth and believe it or not, I had some VERY minor scratches exactly on the same area you've had. Waaaay less than yours but still, things that bother us and only the owner notices it ..hehe. I pesonally know every single spot of my Carrera...

After that, I got a different cloth, a VERY soft one special for sunglasses and since either the Day Date and Heritage are both entirely polished steel case, we have to be extra careful (With the new very soft cloth, everything is ok now) ! I have a Maurice Lacroix which is almost all brushed steel. In this case, it's harder to get scratched but when it does, it's WAY more apparent than polished steel.

I really think that if you try to repair yourself doing some polishing, you might ruin your piece for real !

My advice: If it's terribly bothering you, take it to an AD or whatever and ask for the repair, however, I think people will recommend you to "acumulate" more scratches since this is inevitable throughout the time and do a deeper polishing afterwards.

Hi,

It doesn't matter what type of cloth you use.

Always ensure that the cloth is free from any tiny dirt particles trapped in it. This is what that is scratching the watch.

[tpd80]

I don't know about that. I would be carefull what materials you rub on a mirror finish. Watch makers use a cotton buff to polish and get the mirror finish.

I would avoid paper products (paper towel) and cotton. Just to be safe.

Hi,

It doesn't matter what type of cloth you use.

Always ensure that the cloth is free from any tiny dirt particles trapped in it. This is what that is scratching the watch.

[drunken monkey]

not a lot of people realise that polishing is itself a process of removing material.
to properly polish out scratches requires that you, in essence, sand down material to the depth of the deepest scratch then use finishing/buffing materials (another form of superfine abrasive) to get the shine.

With that said, I've had ok results using 2000-4000 polishing pads to work away scratches then finishing using a Dremel, felt pad and finishing paste meant for automotive paints.
Jewelers use lapping film and diamond pastes as their finishing.
Some here have used Cape Cod clothes with some success but I'm not sure what "grade" of grit the impregnated polishing compound is.

If you don't don't sand out the scratch and just use a finishing material, you will still get rid of the shallower scratches and finishing compounds are still abrasive and you will still get a shine but those deeper scratches will persist.

[miccity]

Thank you guys for replying, it’s really sad to see those scratches on my watch... I was thinking a few was to remove it, but not dare to try, can’t really accept failure on this kind of thing right? Now I try not to rub that much, but when you see there are some fingers print or dirty on it, it's very eye catching. Does anyone know that the so call scratch resistance glass really does it function? So can I say it’s ok to rub the front glass with the tissue or paper towel? Is there a service offer by AD to polish your watch from these scratches?

Now another question, in my hot weather country, it’s easy to get sweat, and it will come from our hand to the watch bracelet, do you have any way to clean it? I tried to rub it with a slightly wet towel, and after I rub it, it have some stainless steel smell on it (I hope you know what I’m saying) which it doesn’t when it still new... I suspect the dirty or stink come from the hinge of the bracelet. Is there a bracelet cleaner kind of thing?

[Rachdanon]

Scratches on the polished steel are very noticeable. I got an unexplained scratch too on my Carrera. Doesn't bother me much but if it was the Sapphire crystal it would. Also, i got scratches from using a used baby brush... The polished steel finish is THAT susceptible to scratches.

[tpd80]

Thank you guys for replying, it’s really sad to see those scratches on my watch... I was thinking a few was to remove it, but not dare to try, can’t really accept failure on this kind of thing right? Now I try not to rub that much, but when you see there are some fingers print or dirty on it, it's very eye catching. Does anyone know that the so call scratch resistance glass really does it function? So can I say it’s ok to rub the front glass with the tissue or paper towel? Is there a service offer by AD to polish your watch from these scratches?

Now another question, in my hot weather country, it’s easy to get sweat, and it will come from our hand to the watch bracelet, do you have any way to clean it? I tried to rub it with a slightly wet towel, and after I rub it, it have some stainless steel smell on it (I hope you know what I’m saying) which it doesn’t when it still new... I suspect the dirty or stink come from the hinge of the bracelet. Is there a bracelet cleaner kind of thing?

I give my watches a bath once ever few weeks (or if they get dirty 4 year old's finger prints on them). I just use a soft hand soap and rub it in with my fingers (rings removed) under some warm (not hot) water and then i use filtered water to wash away any water with minerals and let it air dry.

Be carefull about buffing the crystal too. Sapphire is very scratch resistant but if you have an anti-reflective coating it can be marked easier. I would avoid using paper products on the AR coated crystal as well.

I cant believe Rachdanon got scratches with a baby brush. I have used them as well but most of my watches are brushed finished so i didn't see any marks. Maybe there was some traces of tooth paste (polish) in there. Good to know.

Maybe im being an over protective parent. Oh well. My watches are in great condition.

Fine lines can be removed with a cape cod cloth but you will introduce some very very very fine swirl marks on the polished steel that are visible under some light under close inspection. But they are the lesser of the evils. I would try a cape cod cloth on your mark there, but only rub the cloth over that mark nowhere else.