Better Methods For Polishing Acrylic Watch Crystals-Lesson #20

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I want to send a big shout out to all my Patreon Supporters for helping to make all this possible. Thank you all so much Timothy Chaney Heath Payne Gregory Corna Mike G Steve Stroschein Christopher J Vincent Vincent Tiger Mike Maltese John Boyarsky Paul Schumacker Ray Everett bill doog Joe Chambers Marcel Gustafson

[@johnbyrne9900]

I appreciate that you try to answer and/or acknowledge those that comment on your videos. It really demonstrates your passion to helping new watch repair enthusiasts and just being generally a good guy!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Well when you only have 4500 subs it’s not that hard, but thank you. I really started this channel to help newcomers by trying to cut through the BS and try to give them something useful. It’s not about me, It’s About Time. 😜

[@khronosbest9448]

By far and away the most detailed, methodical and comprehensive real world results i have ever seen regarding restoration of an acrylic watch crystal bar none ! Thank you Alex 🍻

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I appreciate your thoughts brother. See you soon

[@jjudelson]

Fortunately for us hobby or learning watchmakers there are so many fantastic resources on KZbin and this has enabled myself, an eye surgeon, to take on the challenges of a new hobby. In my career I have been exposed to a lot of education, meetings and learned from many great surgeons. Having said that I rate you amongst the most talented of teachers - your presentations are a pleasure to watch and the value of your teaching enormous. Nobody covers the topics you teach in such useful and practical detail for hobby watchmakers and in my opinion you have few peers in this regard. Regards. Jeffrey. Victoria Canada

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I think I got a tear in my eye.🥲 First of all with your background you are going to be great at this. You will find that once you learn the basics of cleaning and lubrication, you will want to dive into the real science behind how the escapement works. That’s when things get really interesting. Thank you so much for the compliment, I too am learning something new and hopefully the further into video making I get the better the quality will be as well. Thank you Jeffrey

[@keveh6093]

Hi Alex, I followed your method with the grit paper and went up to 2500, as I only had PolyWatch to finish with. I got a perfect clear crystal on my 1960 vintage Omega. It's a genuine crystal with the Omega symbol in the centre and difficult to replace. Very happy, so a big thinks for your video!!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Fantastic Keve. Glad It helped

[@jergarmar]

Heh, on the topic of cleaning machines, after seeing your suggestion, I asked my 12-year-old if he could figure something out with his legos and a lego battery-operated motor (with the same basket and jar). And he did! It has a couple of arms to spin around the basket. I actually posted it to the watch repair subreddit. Kids, man. On the topic of sandpapers, there's also tips and products for restoring car headlights, same principle there. And just like you pointed out, 800 is great when you need to get out deep scratches.

[@Rebeccamunro1]

Hi Alex! New subscriber here from the UK 🙋🏻‍♀️ I don't work with watches in any way but I have 3 vintage watches, and I just adore my Art Deco Bulova, all have acrylic crystals (which I love). I nearly had separation anxiety when leaving the watches in for their overhauls and servicings! 🙈 I'm always on the lookout for my next treasured time piece, can't help it! lol It's amazing to know that this acrylic polishing can be done so well! Love the microscope shots, very helpful. Your teaching and skill set are top drawer, and I really enjoy watching your videos! 🤩 Thankyou for taking the time to make them!🙏🏽❤️

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Careful my friend, once you start polishing crystals the next thing you know you will be wanting to get inside the movement and start doing your own service. 😜 it’s a deep rabbit hole.

[@bobwas4066]

I recently just found your channel. Your videos are among the best on KZbin for watch repair!! Thank You

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hey man. Thanks for joining us. I have a lot more coming down the pipe.

[@catscatification]

Thank you! This is the most comprehensive video on KZbin

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Glad you think so!

[@michaelcastellano2318]

Alex, I can’t thank you enough for your amazing detailed videos. Learning from you is something I truly enjoy. Looking forward to watching and learning more. Thank you!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Awesome, thank you Michael. Hopefully the videos will get better and better.

[@Fastfingers322]

thank you kind sir for your in depth series of tutorials and discussions! much appreciate your concise content!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Glad you like them fast fingers. 😆

[@greencondoresq]

Absolutely brilliant video. I'm not a watchmaker, but I like acrylic and vintage watches. I have a 3861 Speedy with Hesalite and an old 60-70s Tudor Advisor with a domed acrylic. I debated for a while on the Hesalite vs. Sapphire 3861 and I'm glad I went with the acrylic. I'm a DIY guy and I like the fact I can do the service myself. I can't install a sapphire by myself. Again, thank you SO much for the video.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I have always liked doing things myself, carpentry, tile. plumbing, electrical, automotive. Birds of a feather as they say. Thank you greencondoresp.

[@MalcolmPeters]

very imformative, really helps new watch collectors like myself. Thank you.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Glad it was helpful!

[@paulwilson3434]

Thank you my Watch friend.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thank you too Paul. Thanks for stopping by

[@robcarnaroli269]

Love the cleaning machine idea!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Me too!!

[@ruadhagainagaidheal9398]

I don’t know what brand name is used elsewhere, but in the UK we have a metal polish called Brasso. When I was young we always used that to buff scratches off our watch crystals instead of talking them to a watch repair shop. Simple home remedy that seemed to work well.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hey man that’s great. There have been quite a few other products that have. Even suggested as well.

[@AWDTurboPOWAH]

It’s called Brasso here in the US, and I’ve used it to polish watch crystals myself! It’s also quite useful for polishing away scratches in plastic headlight/taillight lenses. A Brasso vs Polywatch comparison could be interesting.

[@mikebond6328]

I use maguire’s plastx from harbor freight. It’s used mainly for polishing headlights. It smells and feels just like polywatch but is a good bit thinner or runnier. The best part is a pint costs the same as a tube of polywatch. For really bad scratches I use a product called mother’s mag and aluminum polish.

[@mikebond6328]

I’m definitely going to get some wet/dry sandpaper to try.

[@andrealves2951]

I use Brasso liquid myself as well. I have good results on mild scratches or as a final rub after the sand paper. Also used the duraglit one which comes soaked in a cotton mesh.

[@claycox5285]

Thank you for your thorough review. Your insight is super helpful.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks Clay.

[@stevstro4498]

Thanks for another great video Alex! I'm switching from PolyWatch to Polinum, sandpaper & Diamond Polishing Compound.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Polywatch has its purpose but I prefer to have supplies that can do everything I need and not multiple products to do the SAME thing. The sandpaper and 0.5 micron diamond paste will cover everything. Polinum is also good if you already have it for case polishing but the 0.5 micron diamond paste is slightly better for acyclic polishing.

[@bru319]

Adding water to the final sanding, and at the end, easing up on the pressure, will result in a even haze that is easy to polish. I freshen up watch crystals using 2,000 grit wet dry sandpaper with water, and Maguires plastic polish to finish. It's interesting to see the yellow plastic residue that comes off in the beginning of a wet sand. I'll use your progressive approach on deep scratch crystals.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Yeah man there’s a lot of different ways. It gonna be done in a lot of different products. That’ll work to get scratches out of plastic.

[@lobdsk]

I use water too. It takes of the residual plastic for sure

[@bdcochran01]

1. excellent video 2. good suggestions from the comments. 3. some observations follow re working with cars that might work with crystals. a. car windshields are a form of glass. wash, use very fine sandpaper like 2000 grit, then polish by hand and wipe off. b. replacement headlights which are not glass. wash. dry. Plastic polish as set forth in the comments. Maguires. I do it every three months as particles and dust do hit the lenses. 4. yes, I have brasso. may try it as well. 5. some day, I will try a very fine 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper and then a polish like maquires. 6. I don't have any scratched lenses. Sometimes I use 70% isopropyl to simply clean the crystal.

[@billyg736]

Thanks for your time Alex appreciate it.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Its not a problem Billy. Thanks for being here my man.

[@chrishopkins5010]

Another fantastic tip

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Chris , my man. Thank you sir.

[@bangy55]

As usual, you make watch videography look easy! Entertaining and thoroughly informative. Thank you for sharing your hard work and the time it takes to present it.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Chris, It’s always a pleasure to read your comments. Thanks bud.

[@Mizoshi]

Thanks for this video on watch glasses, very interesting.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

No problem my friend, no problem.

[@Paul-yk8bj]

Hi, i normally work on clocks and thinking of delving into the watch world, watched all your 18 videos on beginners watch repair, and love the way you present your video' how you explaining everything in clear no nonsense approach and are great for a beginner look forward to watching the rest keep it up

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thank you Paul. Horology in general is interesting am I right?

[@Paul-yk8bj]

@@watchrepairtutorials You certainly are right, and i love the history behind the clocks and watches

[@So.Stephen]

Great information as always. I am going to buy me some diamond paste now. Thank you as always Alex. Could I respectfully suggest you try taking the camera off from auto focus to manual focus. Since it seems like you do not use a very shallow depth of field, setting the focus manually with like f5 or f8 would make your eyes always be in focus. Especially with shots like these when you are basically going to be in the same area at the bench and the microscope.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks Stephen, I’ll give it a try. 0.5 micron, you’ll love it. See you again soon

[@danielgilligan6243]

Alex, you are a very good teacher. ❤️ You make the best watch tutorials. Excellent skills!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Glad you like them Daniel. Thanks

[@johnboyofalaska4182]

see! something new every time! I use Flitz polish for bigger scratches than Polywatch can handle. Then follow up with Polywatch. But i like your method for saving different cotton buffs. I hadn't figured out yet how to do that! Thanks!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hey JB, 1st, thanks for the mainspring winder stop. They should include those with a kit. There has been so many other product suggested for acrylic polish, it makes you wonder if the Polywatch people are just repackaging something else ?

[@mangentle7618]

Fantastic content, thank you Alex. I can now be a crystal saver for all my old watches at home :D

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Happy to help!

[@stuarthopwood7778]

Alex 😁 That was great. Real good comparason. Derek like your system

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Wasn’t that cool. I love it.

[@janelemans8049]

love the idea of this cleaning machine! In future I'll make one myself for sure.

[@walther9161]

Another great vid Alex! Thanks for posting!!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks for checking in Walther.

[@whatsstefon]

I’m a fan of acrylic crystal. Mainly because I’m a fan of repairing something instead of just replacing it. The 0.5micron diamond paste is a great solution that really works amazingly well. Great tip mate!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

It does the trick that’s for sure BBB.😀

[@whatsstefon]

@@watchrepairtutorials absolutely. I personally can see the results are at worst just as good as Polywatch, but to be honest, significantly better in most cases, especially once you get deep scratches out.

[@whatsstefon]

I can see the difference in it video. Man, you’re killing it. Love having your channel because here in Australia all I’ve met is gatekeepers. No one is willing to pass on the knowledge. I even joined a group recently. My membership got declined because I’m not qualified. Those same people will be quick to remind us that it’s a dying art and a dying industry. Yet the ones working in it here have a two year waiting list on work. But at the same time the more well known watchmakers churn through staff like it’s a merry go round. Thank you for providing all this info, and backing it up with , real life experience, right in front of the camera. There’s no bullshit to hide behind when the proof is right there.

[@andyhansen3117]

Thanks for another great vid on watches!!

[@hanslindgren7175]

Thanks for the information. You give really god tips.👍

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks Hans, there has also been some other good comments other other products, mostly car related that are worth reading.

[@tomholloway7566]

Also worth looking at car paint detailing products including acrylic polish. Thinking that folks might already have them in the garage. Thanks again for the great video.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I’ll try it and see how it works. You are talking about lens polish, right?

[@tomholloway7566]

Yes, but no reason that paint renovator wouldn’t do the same Alex, very fine abrasive

[@andyhansen3117]

Thanks for another great vid on watches

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks Andy

[@rossjackson3670]

How do you do it? As we progress with our learning. You come up with the next 'to do' without being asked. Telepathic. Great information. Thank you

[@watchrepairtutorials]

It’s actually harder than you think. Not really. I just ask myself, “ If I was new, what what I want to know now” What will give a new watchmaker the most benefit NOW. Things like using staking sets and Jeweling and hairspring work is coming but there is a lot more relevant information for the newer hobbyists that needs to be covered first.

[@andyhansen3117]

Thanks for another great vid on watch rpair!!

[@itzhaccroitoru4082]

excellent video for us hobby

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks 👍

[@ஓம்நமசிவாய-ட9வ]

Thanks Alex. Another great video. I use novus 7100 polish which has three options..heavy scratch remover, fine scratch remover and final polish. I use polywatch in the end..

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Awesome. We are getting a lot of alternative solutions to Polywatch. Love it.

[@TropicalSpeed]

I use Mother's mag polish and follow that up with Novus.

[@drumgrampred]

I'm just getting set up to start learning about watch repair and really like your teaching and advice. I'm going to start practicing on a cheap Invicta pro diver NH35 . The cyclops is really scratched so this weekend I'm going to polish it up!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

You can do it! Thanks Randy and let me know if you need any help

[@spankyharland9845]

I used polywatch on my wife’s face and it removed all the wrinkles, she looks 21 again.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

😂

[@skshahid5095]

Hahahahahaha great one

[@jergarmar]

Had to use sandpaper for mine.

[@dale4034]

Thanks for the video, I just purchased a 1968 Bulova that has a rather scratched crystal. The crystal has the numbers 13 through 24 printed on the underside. I suspect this would be very hard to replace so polishing seems like the best option. I'm going to pratice on some other crystals first.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Exactly. That’s a perfect example .

[@marklester2105]

Another awesome informative video. Thanks Alex. With your video I now have the confidence to tackle polishing some of my newest acquisitions.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hey Mark, You keep watching and I’ll keep making them. Thanks for being part of the community here.

[@boydsargeant7496]

Nice one Alex! Great content as usual!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks Boyd. Good to see you again.

[@Supercruze]

Acrylic crystals are pretty easy to restore to like new. I wet sand staring with 600 and working my way up to 5000. It only takes about 10 seconds with each grit. I only used Polywatch for final polish or I often use some car cleaner wax. Another tip for those on a budget is to go to your local CVS and buy one of those 4 sided finger nail buffing blocks. Similar principles and works great. I do everything by hand. As you state, too much heat with rotary and the crystal will melt or crack.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Great tips my man. I’m loving it.

[@fior2373]

I agree. By hand. I start with a higher grit and use water. Agree polywatch is for finishing.

[@fior2373]

Also I use the sandpaper from the top, I move the paper not the crystal

[@cgnicolis]

I agree, wet sanding makes the difference IMO. I use 320->800->1k->3k then a drop of polywatch, never needed anything else. Like Fior said I move the paper not the crystal. Easier for me to not make flat spots and get up to the edge of the crystal without rounding over any edges.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

@@cgnicolis on domed crystals, you definitely want to move the paper over the crystal. The crystals I demonstrated with in this video had a flat surface, a curved crystal but flat. When polishing this shape, moving the sandpaper by hand to the edges will break the sharp edge.

[@zacktaylor3441]

Great video as always. Thank you so much for the time you put in. Techniques that can be used on watches every day in the shop. Perfect. Any tips for old acrylic crystals that have yellowed?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Yep. Get another one. No fixing that.

[@paulschumacker9901]

These videos are so helpful! Through trial and error, I’ve ended up using the graded sandpaper and diamond paste method, but have always wondered if Polywatch would have been better. Now I know! And thanks for sharing the hand drill cleaning idea. I’ve been using a slight modification of the method you showed in your cleaning video, but might try building a better system. With all of your videos, the info you present has helped me to refine what I had been doing, and the improvements have been remarkable. Many thanks, Alex!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks for the Kind words Paul. You motivate me. Alex

[@TheBeardedWatchmaker]

Nice one again uncle Alex!! It's uncanny how you know which are the most relevant videos to make. If I have to think how many products I tried to save acrylic crystals to arrive at the same method you use, it would've saved a lot of time! I'm keen to see how you do the mineral crystals; I've also used cerium oxide but I just don't get acceptable results. Thanks again my man!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Well what’s going on TBW . Cerium is really a final polish, not much cutting power. I’m going to show you a couple different ways to do mineral glass and how I do sapphire as well.

[@TheBeardedWatchmaker]

@@watchrepairtutorials Awesome! I can't wait!

[@haping1]

Again great video, with so much attention for detail. Thanks. Can you do a video (tips) on how to polish screwheads? In vintage watches, most of the time the heads are sratches or damaged by previous services. Can we rework the screws (and maybe other parts) a bit in an easy way, so they look a bit more fresh?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Yep. There are to main ways to do it successfully. One is with a bolt tool and the next is with a dedicated screw polisher. I will be doing a video sometime in the future.

[@AndrewPrinster]

I've made a cleaning setup with 4 wide mouth mason jars and the basket. I took a torx bit and cut the tip off. I cut a groove where the tip was and slid that over the basket handle. Then welded the two together. Now I can use a drill with a quick release and a rocker switch with the basket.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Andrew, I love the creativity that people are coming up with from this little video I did. Awesome stuff

[@kyproset]

Thank you, Alex, I wonder if the compound used on car headlights would work.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

That’s what people are saying. Give it a shot.

[@charlesd820]

Another excellent video Alex. I use Micro-Mesh in grades from 3200 - 12000 and then finish with Polywatch, although I do find Polywatch a little 'glarey' afterwards. The benefits of micro-mesh is that you can wash them out and reuse them. I'm a BHI student and your tips are great, they should include stuff like this, and items from your other videos in the course 😀

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks Charles, I had completely forgotten about micro mesh. That’s a great tip and product. Thanks for your contribution.

[@amandagelien9612]

Bought a selection of micro mesh and IT IS GREAT THANKS😃

[@danielcosta3637]

Please professor, someday could you explain a little more about bracelets refurbishment. Thanks

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I will be doing some videos on polishing in the future as well as going into polishing in depth in my 2 year watchmaking course I’m putting together

[@MikeSweeneyMedia]

I've been using Cape Cod polishing cloth for my final polish. I believe its a rouge polish but it has worked very well for the final pass. I use the sandpaper method for my base polishing. I learned that polishing up acrylic headlights before I picked up watches. I have been experimenting with some ebay diamond paste assortments.. The results have been pretty good overall

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Sounds like you got it covered Mike. I know a lot of people have suggested some of the polished used for headlights as well.

[@fixyboo]

I’m restoring a vintage Timex Electric M40 and I’m starting by polishing the exterior surfaces. Would you recommended combining both methods, Sandpaper + polywatch for superficial scratches?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

On the crystal? Yes. Depending on how superficial they are you may only need Polywatch.

[@HorridBeing]

You should try 3M Tri-M-ITE Wet Dry Polishing Abrasive Paper.

[@philippeetkozue]

Thank you for your video. I have a question: Does your methods (polywatch, sandpaper) work also with scratches on smartwatches like applewatch or fitbit? I have deep scratches on my smartwatch that I would like to remove without breaking the tactile screen. Thank you again!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

This method only works on plastic or acrylic watch crystals. I believe apple watches have some sort of glass crystal so it would require different methods.

[@vesselingenadiev2526]

Which product is with finer grid - the Polinum paste or the 0.5 Diamand Paste? And how do you chose when and where to use one or another? Thanks in advance for sharing!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I'm not sure what the grit is on the Polinum. I will use the Polinum more often because its less expensive. Diamond paste more often on glass cystals

[@vesselingenadiev2526]

@@watchrepairtutorials it makes sense, thanks again

[@hanslindgren7175]

Thanks for all tips. I juse toothpaste one time. And the result was ok.👍

[@watchrepairtutorials]

How did it smell. 😄

[@illwill4544]

Would Dialux Gray Polishing Compound Rouge be an acceptable substitute for Polinum in this application? I got the Dialux for polishing oiler tips per an earlier video because I couldn't get Polinum at the time.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

What’s Grey used for ? Removing deep scratches. It’s the second highest grit next to black, so probably not a good choice. I would go for the white as a minimum if not green or red.

[@dr.s.p.]

Do you change direction as you use and go thru the grits, or circles? Thanks.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

That particular crystal was a curved flat crystal with 99 degree edges For an old tank style watch. That was all one direction sanding. If it was a domed crystal I would have had it facing up and had the sandpaper in my fingers. Direction of sanding doesn’t really matter. That really helps when you are in lower grits and and sanding wood because it helps to see areas that didn’t get sanded as well. These grits are so fine you would barely be able to see any scratches.

[@dr.s.p.]

@@watchrepairtutorials - Thank you 👍

[@thepickyreviewer]

That bettarini case though 😍

[@watchrepairtutorials]

LOL, that’s a $50 case off Ali with a ST36 movement. I don’t pay 5k for watches any more. But I love it.

[@thepickyreviewer]

@@watchrepairtutorials I think me too will be reaching this state of mind very soon 😅

[@osobad1127]

What a great tutorial! Saved me a few bucks from ordering a new crystal. Question: does this work on mineral and sapphire also?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

No. I’ll be making a video on polishing mineral glass as well as sapphire.

[@sjurgabriel]

I really like your videos. No snob zone here, and very informative. A few months ago I found a old pocket watch, all black of oxydation and after cleaning it up the crystal seemed even more worn than before. I really wanted to do something about it, but didn´t have any polywatch or very fine sandpaper. But - I was itching to do this that night and by using a 800 grit sandpaper, then some very worn piece of it and patiently hand polishing with tothtpaste it ended up being useable again. I do have a question: when restoring acrylig glass on car headlights you always finish with a sealant as an UV protection, to slow down fading and yellowing. Is this something to consider for let´s say sport watches? Golfing, surfing, fishing and other activities includes a lot of sun exposure.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Not typically no. The plastics in older PW's that you see with yellowed color were from early forms of plastic's. New acrylic crystals don't really demonstrate the same problems, although we will have to wait and see,

[@gregcapella5941]

Good video,,,THANKS

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks for being here Greg.

[@johncitizen3361]

The hand drill watch cleaner is a very clever low tech solution, you can wind them in both directions too so you could do an agitation kind of clean back and forth like a washing machine.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Yes it’s a simple tool that can be used for other things too!

[@ScottMcCormick12358]

I like Novus #3 heavy scratch remover and Novus #2 light scratch remover. Available from Amazon.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

That’s a great tip and way more cost effective. Thanks Scott

[@deadforalldead3576]

Do you recommend a mini rotary tool to polish or remove scratches?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Sorry. I don’t know if any that run at a slow enough speed .

[@alanmckinnon6791]

Polywatch is really good for taking out that one or two scratches when you scraped your crystal against the table. For deep scratches from 3 decades of wearing, you really need the tested way of coming up through the grades of wet paper followed by a polish. Just like with cabinet makers, there's no shortcut to getting the right finish

[@watchrepairtutorials]

That’s a great analogy with wood working.

[@sirbc]

Great video! Can you provide a link for the cotton polishing wheels you use?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I added them into the links in the description but here it is. Cotton Buffs amzn.to/3CpZSDp

[@johnvaluk1401]

Thank you Alex for the video and information. Which hand piece are you using for the foredom tool? I would be cautious using a dremel with their higher speeds. I believe it could melt the crystal very quickly. Thank you again.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Yep you definitely want something with variable speed and Dremel style tools are meant for higher speeds. I am using the Grobet S-300 with the quick change handset for 3/32 shanks. I put them in the description.

[@TropicalSpeed]

Lots of good info here, Alex, and thanks once again for taking the time..... Any tips for removing wear and scratches from mineral crystals? One question regarding parts cleaning: Is it ok to use an ultrasonic cleaner instead of an agitated bath? I set up an ultrasonic system for cleaning parts/components but I am considering building an agitated bath. Thoughts? I wish there was a way to leave a link for you to pics in my Dropbox.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hey Ray, Thanks buddy. Yea there are several ways and I have a video planned shortly for polishing glass crystals as well as one on making them. The two main ways are with Cerium Oxide and making a paste, them using a slow hard felt wheel or diamond paste. I like ultrasonic cleaners and use mine primarily for pre-cleaning and cleaning case/ bracelet’s but they can be used easiest with the jar system and a water watch. I would love to see the pics, Shot me an email

[@TropicalSpeed]

@@watchrepairtutorials I sent you an email with a couple of pics, Alex.

[@Leo-Crespi]

Amazing!

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thanks!

[@Leo-Crespi]

@@watchrepairtutorialsWhat about if I use the sandpaper method and only at the end I buff it up with polywatch?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

@@Leo-Crespi probably will work. Try it.

[@keithstarling8244]

Always love your video's Alix and I've also been making a watch cleaning system but going back to check your video #8 it seems now your videos only go back to #9 I like to replay your videos but have the earliest ones been removed? The Mexican British watchmaker.

[@keithstarling8244]

Sorry I've just found them. thanks.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

You scared me😃

[@BokiPetrovic88]

Do you use Grobet C-300 for all types of polishing (cristals, cases and main barrel) and are you getting professional results with Grobet? Also suggestion if it has another purpose. Thanks for great content, can't wait for the next video.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I do like the Grobet and you can use it for polishing case and brackets as well. I use a foot pedal to control the speed but wish it had a speed setting dial to set the rpm

[@maxin306]

Polywatch fill up medium and fine scratches with filler. Try to apply on top some one- dip and you’ll see damage.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

No doubt about that😏

[@vesselingenadiev2526]

Alex, with these types of home-made cleaning mashines (yours from Lession 8 and this one from South Africa) how long does a run with a rinsing solvent or with a cleaning solvent usually take so that you get good results? I know with the original cleaning mashines usually a run is about 10 mins each, if I am not wrong, so how is it here? And also, do you warm up the solvents of you use room temperature?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

With a good cleaner 5-10 minutes is fine depending on how bad the parts are. Heating solvents is usually a bad idea.

[@vesselingenadiev2526]

@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks!

[@grahamcohen3850]

And there you go again buddy. Another great video for us. I have a few comments for this one. Is there a reason why you didn’t wet the sand paper first before using it? Also I have found my Mcquires car polish works just as good as Polywatch and it’s a lot cheaper and you get a lot Vo more of it. Also I’ve found turtle Wax cutting compound works great to remove scratches first before moving to the polish. I love that cleaning stand. I’m thinking of doing something similar but using my electric hand drill.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hi Graham, Someone else asked the same thing. No sometimes I do use water I just didn’t in the video. I have seen comment about several other compounds that people use like headline polish as well. That may be worth doing a follow up video down the road.

[@ThePoolman2007]

awesome video but what about watch crystal that are old and yellowed and scratched

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Trash can. Yellowing it be removed.

[@littleviking488]

Thanks for another great video. I've used the progressive sandpaper method but with various polishing compounds as the last step. The results have been quite good but I will try the polinum as it appears even better. Have you ever used the sandpaper wet during the sanding stages? I've never used it dry but I guess loading of the paper is not a big issue with acrylic.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Yes, It just depends on how much sandpaper I have.😉 The Polinum is good and is certainly good to have especially for case polishing. The 0.5 micron would be better for the polishing light scratches or after using sandpaper, just be careful, it needs to be done at a slower speed to prevent burning the crystal.

[@littleviking488]

@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks for the info! Dave

[@fightnflight]

Love the video! I find using a dense 1/2" thick piece of foam under the sandpaper allows you to really get the edges perfect as well.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Well exactly. There were some comments about how I shouldn’t of ran the crystal over the sandpaper, but should have run the sandpaper over the crystal. That’s true when you have it domed or rounded crystal. If you do that on a crystal with a sharp edge, you’ll end up breaking it or slightly rounding it over. It’s no different than sanding wood in that respect.

[@fightnflight]

@@watchrepairtutorials Makes sense to me! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. It always helps to get a new perspective on things!

[@ItsNeverTooHot4Leather]

Can you manually use diamond paste on a cotton glove or cotton cloth with (more or less) the same effectiveness as the rotary tool with the cotton mop? I'm just wondering since I don't have a rotary tool, could I just put diamond paste on a cotton cloth and manually buff out the scratches with the same effectiveness?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Sure with a lot of elbow grease but why not just use sand paper and water.

[@amandagelien9612]

Used Crystal-kleer with buffer after sanding with 1000 to 3000 sandpaper 😃or years and works fine

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Nice one Amanda, will add that to the growing list of alternative compounds😀

[@AWDTurboPOWAH]

You the man Alex! Great information in this one. I was just curious if you've also got a crystal replacement video coming up? Maybe I am just forgetting about it, but have you already done one that goes over the different types of crystal presses and crystals? I finally got my G-S hand press, and I wondering if I can get by with this for pushing in a sapphire crystal as well as fitting acrylics.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Oh wow. I am going to be doing one on acrylics crystals soon. I have the GS press is my go to for acrylic. Great choice for sure. I don’t believe they are made for for press in crystals but I’ll look at that

[@AWDTurboPOWAH]

@@watchrepairtutorials heh, I got it because you told me about it! It’s the full “HP-5 Hand Inserter set” as GS calls it. No matter what, it’s useful to me for acrylic crystals, but I even thought about making a die adapter so it can be used with the screw-in dies sold for typical crystal presses. It just seems illogical to buy a whole other press when it seems like the only functional difference comes down to the dies. But maybe there’s more to it I’m not considering…

[@watchrepairtutorials]

@@AWDTurboPOWAH Honestly, I really haven’t tried. But that’s on the list know. For compression and armored crystals it’s hard to beat.

[@rickyb6641]

Is it possible to restore the resin of a typical casio? Usually it’s scratched the case too

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Honestly, this is not something I’ve ever done.

[@rickyb6641]

@@watchrepairtutorials it’s ok, thanks for your reply ^^

[@alabamadeep4471]

I use Meguiar's M9 Mirror Glaze

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Great tip, there are a bunch of different polishes that can be used these days

[@victorhugorodriguez773]

what is the last thing you apply, after the sand paper?, the subtitle say is palladium, is the diamond polysh? you apply whit the cotton buff thank you for your answer

[@watchrepairtutorials]

It’s called Polinum. It’s been use to final polish stainless steel for ever.

[@victorhugorodriguez773]

@@watchrepairtutorials thank you very much

[@cadu2506]

Thanks for the detailed videos I have read reports on the forums that some people have been able to remove scratches from mineral crystals like hardlex for example. I also have read that some people have removed scratches from sapphire crystals with “diamond paste” Is this possible? If so have you ever tried it ? This could be a nice video idea Thanks

[@watchrepairtutorials]

That video will be coming up soon.

[@Rebeccamunro1]

Hi again Alex! Sorry to comment on here. I have a watch emergency.. I really need a replacement acrylic crystal for my vintage Avia watch, is there any way I can contact you and send you a photo, so that you could give me your advice on what I would need? You are the only person I would trust to ask. Many kind thanks in advance! 😊❤

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Feel free to email me

[@kenpogodan]

Will these fixes work on Black watch faces? I have the Amazfit watch which has scratches. The watch face is black just like the face on newer Apple faces. Thanks for any response.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

If it’s acrylic. Yes. if it’s glass no.

[@kenpogodan]

@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you for your response.

[@kenpogodan]

Well I checked and Chat GPT tells me my watch face is likely plastic. I researched this and found that plastic and acrylic are "similar". So I will try the fix. Thanks again.

[@kenpogodan]

Upon further research I find my watch face is tempered glass. So I will try to find methods to repair scratches on tempered glass.

[@k-ozdragon]

Diamond paste and abrasive is easily the most underrated product for polishing. The issue with any polish is that the particles actually begin polishing each other very quickly. So you have to constantly load your buffing material with fresh abrasive. Diamond particles never lose their cutting edge, so they don't get polished and need to be reloaded like other conventional polishes do. So they not only work better, they last essentially forever, and also won't load up your buffing material with chaff. Plus the diamond cuts faster due to it's hardness. We use them all the time in the knife industry. Where it really shines is on a razor strop. Nothing is worse than an expensive strop loaded up with old polishing paste. A clean strop with embedded diamond works far better. I could easily see this being the case with watch crystals as well. As an added bonus, it should work on hard mineral crystal and sapphire as well.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

This is an interesting comment. I use diamond lapping paper on glass that’s used and sold for knife sharpening.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

I might try making some sanding stick with it. Thanks my friend

[@goindown71]

I just got my first tube of polywatch and used it on two watches only to realize the scratches on the acrylic is deeper than I expected. Can I use the sandpaper method first then use the diamond paste?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Of course finish with diamond paste or Polywatch or even a polishing compound like a rouge.

[@goindown71]

@@watchrepairtutorials Great, thanks!

[@GregJGreen]

I was a metal polisher back in the early 70s, we had to be super careful about not overheating pot metal parts, burn throughs are very costly when it comes to near-irreplaceable car parts.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

You will probably very good at polishing stainless.

[@ericdouglas9804]

I just began this hobby back in November and I really enjoy your content and channel. It’s also kinda neat to see a watchmaker that looks like he might have a Harley or two in the garage 😂😂. I actually have the same Zenith cleaning machine as yours. Mine has three green jars and one clear one but it appears original. I don’t know whether to use the clear one so I can see how dirty my cleaning solution is or for the final third rinse jar; any thoughts or suggestions?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Hey Eric, I think you are probably right about the jar. Makes sense. I would probably use it for the wash as well. Just a couple suggestions if you haven’t thought of these. Keep track of the wash cycles and rotate. I use a ultrasonic to pre clean parts before I do inspections. Then I demagnetize the parts before final cleaning. This is to prevent any metal particles that might be in the jars from being attracted to the watch parts. Then I run the parts through the zenith and dry. My dryer runs to hot so I use a food dehydrator.😄

[@ericdouglas9804]

@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks. I do rotate my rinse jars from third to second and second to first and toss the original first. My machine was missing the basket and I retrofitted a new Elma one and it doesn’t fit all the way down in my heater so I have a little extra airflow and my parts don’t get too hot. Hadn’t thought about the demagnetization ( I do demagnetize after assembly). On an average, with eBay watches for parts or repair 😎; how many washes would one expect? Thanks

[@watchrepairtutorials]

@@ericdouglas9804 obviously it will vary on your pre cleaning. I clean the barrel and heavy grease from the movement first then like I said into the ultrasonic. So for me the wash and rinse is going to last longer. The jewels will tell you how well everything is washing and rinsing. 7-10 movements is a good rule of thumb

[@mikebond6328]

@@watchrepairtutorials You should check/change the resistor on your dryer. I’m in the process of building a watch cleaning machine. You’ve given me some good ideas. I think instead of a standard resistor I’m going to use a potentiometer so that I can control the heat.

[@watchrepairtutorials]

@@mikebond6328 I don’t know anything about that stuff. Teach me something

[@Tony78432]

I’m watching this video cause I have a handheld Nintendo gaming console with a gloss plastic shell that has a few light surface scratches and I’m wondering if the Polywatch Plastic will remove those

[@watchrepairtutorials]

probably but for a larger service there may be better products. Look for something for car headlights.

[@martinsmith5998]

How do you know if a watch crystal is acrylic or glass? Do you do the same proceedure for both?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Well, most of your acrylic crystals are gonna have a high dome shaped to it. You can also tell by tapping on it. Acrylic is going to have someone of a bounce. This really only works on acrylic style crystals. Although you can polish scratches from glass, it requires using diamond paste. In three or four different grits, depending on how scratch it is.

[@justin_time_watches]

Is there any way to deal with yellowed crystals..?

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Not really. I do t know what you ah e. Ut the real old o e are celluloid and the yellowing is due to a chemical reaction of the plastic.

[@ver251209]

Cheers

[@watchrepairtutorials]

Thank you my friend 🤙