Rolex Datejust Hands Restoration

The last time we saw this Rolex Datejust, Marshall was restoring it after he bought it as not working on eBay. At the time, many commenters wanted the hands to be restored, and on this video, Marshall does exactly that! Come along for the journey as he takes his first shot at restoring watch hands.
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Visit Sutcliffe Hansen for toolkits, revived watches, straps and more: sutcliffehanse...
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[@ckalemkiewicz]

At 40, I was looking for a new hobby and after watching so many of your videos (and Watch Repair Channel) I ordered a basic watchmakers kit and a cheap movement from eBay to get used to taking it apart and putting it back together. Still have lots to learn about oil/grease but I am really excited to learn. Love your videos

[@raymondpontremoli4500]

Christian, I have been helping a man on youtube that goes by JDRichards....look up his youtube posts. He is a Electrical Engineer learning watchmaking and I am a Mechanical Engineer (NASA) and a Graduate Watchmaker. Im going to email him separately however, after 42 years of sitting behind the bench Im finally calling it quits. No more Engineering and no more Watchmaking. I'm going to be getting rid of alot of tools that I will let go at almost nothing prices. I would have no problem selling them to you or JD as I know they will get used and not collect dust. If you are interested in picking up equipment write me at [e-mail] and in the subject line put "watchmaking tools" so I recognize its you. Ok off to write to JD. Thanks , Ray

[@knowledgableed9607]

@@raymondpontremoli4500 Ray, I am in the same spot at Christian. I feel almost the same. I will email as well if that is OK.

[@StefanR33]

Keep us posted with your progress! Make some movies :D

[@ckalemkiewicz]

@@StefanR33 thanks for the encouragement. I will definitely do that. Just waiting on the cleaners to get here and I’ll get started!

[@skizzlemane1]

@@ckalemkiewicz Any updates form you guys? I fixed my first watch the other day and it felt great 👍🏼 on to the next lol

[@mitchd949]

I restored some hands from a TAG. I used chemical stripper to remove the old lume - your method of scraping would make scratches and it would not remove all the old binder/epoxy/glue as easily. To polish I used small pieces of very fine sand paper 800, 1200, 2000 and it was easy to lay the paper on the work surface then drag the part over the paper. No high speed rotary tools to fling the parts away. Last, I put some metal polish on a a piece of tissue paper on the work surface and wiped the hands over that paper. Much simpler method, no high speed tools, no gluing the hands to a mandrel, etc.

[@robertbrandywine]

What stripper did you use?

[@Ricky.913]

Thank you for posting these wonderfully entertaining Wristwatch Revival videos Marshall... they're informative and a breeze to sit through.... nicely done!!! Take it easy and stay safe

[@sharedinventions]

Congrats! Turned out great. Two comments: 1. If you are afraid mixing water into the resin, you might want to experiment with dissolving the coffee or tee powder in alcohol, acetone, or other solvent. 2. If you are exposing a brass surface it will be eventually colored: because of air humidity it will be oxidized. This is why they always plate it with chrome or gold in the factory. Lacquer might also sound good, but not in closed places like inside watch case, as it evaporates and then condenses onto places like the watch dial.

[@yarb2643]

I love your videos. Soon you’ll be experimenting with plating ;) Keep up the great work, and thanks for the hours of enjoyment.

[@WristwatchRevival]

I have been shopping around for some plating stuff I won't lie :)

[@Sigfried651]

Thanks for the great video. What I don't understand though is why you chose the hard and long way of removing the lume with pegwood instead of simply soaking the hands in acetone for a couple minutes. The hands are nothing but metal, so acetone would not harm them. I've relumed several pairs of hands myself, and I always used acetone. Old lume comes off instantly, and there is no risk of scratching the hands with pegwood or against the surface and no need to polish them after (unless they had been scratched before). I then hold each hand down with a toothpick while they are still submerged and use a painter's brush to wash off flakes of old dirty lume. Hands come out nice and clean, free of any residue!

[@ThiagoMedeirosGeo]

Hello there! I am a big fan of yours, but I must offer some criticism regarding this video. 1) delicate parts such as hands should be polished by hand. It would actually be easier to do so than to mount them with adhesive and use a power tool as you did. Polishing compound on pegwood would work, but fine polishing / lapping sheets (MicroMesh, Mylar) would be even better. Going through the grits would allow for a really shiny, even surface, which would actually help to protect the surfaces. Polishing by hand is always the way to go when you find out parts start flying around when you hit them with your power tools ;) 2) using metal tweezers to align the hands is really scary, and a very bad practice. I vividly remember our instructor admonishing a student due to that. The dial can be damaged so easily, it could turn an apparently easy job into a nightmare. I know this is a somewhat old video and you are constantly improving and honing your skills, but I'd like to offer my two cents. best regards, and happy new year!

[@watchthereviewofficial]

good job! like you said although the hands have lost their lustre due to the chrome coming off in the polishing process, the final result is really amazing!

[@jatco84]

Looking pretty darn good to me. Hands looks really close to original and certainly better than before. The lume looks great too... Excellent work done there Marshall.. Kudos to you.....!!

[@breaktime3269]

Thank you!, for such a well detailed video,as always, very interesting, and I learned something about the lume, and a good way to apply new lume, good little stand! Good mod on polishing wheel. Hands looks good.

[@saifshamsi1046]

I liked your innovative idea of using coffee, great work sir.

[@robcurrie5169]

You can insert tooth picks threw the holes on the hands, and then stick the picks into some rodico to balance. Or use sharpened peg wood. Easier than balancing on rodico😊

[@Joe___R]

Pithwood is commonly used to clean small delicate parts as well as to clean the tip of an oiler between different oils.

[@martinstabb7059]

A good and pleasing effort on your part - well done Marshal. I'm also pleased to see that mine is not the only DateJust without a 'hack'. Mine broke and Rolex would not provide a new one, so I do without.

[@watchdial.]

oh~ I found out that there is also a way to fix it with glue. We usually fix it with tape. But we have to be careful not to fly away.😂 Thank you for the good video.

[@impressionsprinting]

Your videos are the best of all the watch restoration videos on youtube because you take the time to explain things. Thanks for putting out great content.

[@kristinaswanson6063]

Fabulous videos. My wife and I adore Rolexes and would love to collect more than a couple of pieces each. So nice to see the craftsmanship and art that goes into watchmaking.

[@medea27]

Thanks for taking us on another experimental journey, it's really valuable to hear your thought process and see both the good & not-so-good outcomes 👍 Really reinforced for me how crucial the hands are to the overall aesthetic... a bit like polishing a vintage Mustang, but leaving the chrome hubs dirty. Both the car & hub caps are going to be a bit dinged up & scratched... that's to be expected, it's character. But you definitely feel something's off when they don't quite match! 🤔 With colouring the lume, have you tried a synthetic dye instead of organics like tea & coffee? While you're only using a tiny amount, organics are susceptible to mould & organic degradation with exposure to light... I wonder whether it might introduce some unwanted chemical processes to the fragile hands & the air within the case? I'd hate to think you've spent all that time cleaning out the grime & rust, only for a mould to take up residence if a bit of water or sweat got in!

[@TrainerJames88]

I love watching these videos, Marshall. I discovered you way back in the Return to Ravnica episodes of Limited Resources and I'm happy to have followed you here to another passion of yours. Thank you for all of the hours of entertainment between repairing watches and teaches us how to be better at Magic!

[@WristwatchRevival]

Awesome, super glad to have you here too! Thanks for watching :)

[@amme30]

Lovely improvement they add to the watch now.

[@watchtock8818]

Another awesome video. Thank you. Hands look amazing and match perfectly.

[@andrewclarkehomeimprovement]

Excellent. The coffee lume looks really appropriate to the watch.

[@8amWatch]

Keep up the good work Marshall! Always looking forward to your next video 👍

[@2Death9]

The easiest way I've found of removing lume is to just put the hands in an ultrasonic cleaner, no pre scraping needed. They come out beautifully clean and you have no risk of scratching the surface. For polishing hands, I've found a little Autosol on the end of some pegwood works great.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Awesome, thanks for the tips

[@captainhaddock2137]

Yep, found that out by accident one day, hands came out clean as a whistle , not a trace of lume to be seen. Still, gave me a chance to practice re luming.

[@carsdankandchicks]

That pithwood really came in clutch 🙄😂 Thanks for sharing this looks suuuuper tricky and tedious.

[@johncrea9395]

FYI - the sell a spray on CA Glue accelerant that pretty much means you apply the CA Glue, and wiht a spritz it is hardened. Or you can put the CA Glue on the item you want secured and spritz the landing site, pretty much instant adhesion John

[@TheTarrMan]

If you just want to buff them up them try "Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish" and just use a q-tip. Nice job by the way, looks much better.

[@gravityskeptic8697]

Good point: Brass is pretty soft. The polish that was used is actually for steel, not for softer metals. With aluminium or copper polish, the result would have been smoother. Also: I would try and silverplate the hands. Silverplating is pretty easy to do it yourself.

[@vasilis8208]

Ha ha, as soon as I saw the bright purple gears, I remembered this watch! 😆

[@cjcar63]

Much better than when you started. Definitely want to polish these by hand though. For future projects I would try a small swatch of Cape Cod polishing cloth under pegwood. Clean and rinse.

[@johnboyofalaska4182]

Toothpicks make easier hand-stands and stick it in a cork for the ultrasonic bath.

[@TheGtech83]

Hahahaha so confident doesn't even use the clear section of the baggie to remove the hands, love your work Marshall, keep on with the amazing content

[@moskauuhrmacher6833]

1. Having an ultrasonic cleaning machine, u don't need to mess with potential radioactive stuff. All u need is just to drop hands in ultrasonic bath and crank it up for a few minutes, then rinse everything with distilled water and isopropyl alcohol. Making a radioactive dust and blowing it all around ur workspace is a really bad idea, thrust me. 2. You shouldn't to polish hands with electric tools, only with yr bare hands and some cloth on a flat surface. 3. Having a deal with any brass parts, u want to looks like steel or silver, always keep in mind beautiful chemical from Bergeon (?) - Magic rhodium. Hope, this advices would be useful for u. Anyway, you making great content, thank you for it, and sorry for my bad English))

[@WristwatchRevival]

Thanks

[@Supercruze]

Thanks for sharing this vid on hand restoration. After the ultrasonic, if you take a gloved hand or with your finger cots on, place the hand on your staking block and then take a silver polishing cloth and using your finger tip with the cloth around the end of your finger, rub the hand surface and hold the hand down in one of the block holes with your other gloved finger. Basically what you did but much less aggressive. Final clean up using a makeup sponge and some naphtha. Great result for me.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Great tip, I'll try that next time (you should make a video!)

[@look4truth480]

Wow!! I think they came out great. It's so delicate... What about plating. on other videos it's like they just dip with the metal and electricity and boom! magic

[@seanahern7426]

Just found this channel, incredible work!

[@aufornvic]

I was wondering why you were doing nothing to the hands when they spoiled the look of the watch. This is great to see, much better. Love your work Martin.

[@hpdepasse5997]

at the end of the video 25'38'' there is a problem with the hour hand, between 7 and 8 for 0 minut...

[@The1southampton]

Thank you for showing your expertise.

[@paulschmolke188]

Excellent! Very delicate work and a terrific end result👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@vasilis8208]

You can make the Superglue set quickly by spraying activator onto it!

[@johnbailey3008]

Get some gauche. (water colours) It works really well for tinting lume and staining hands.

[@speedypaul2314]

Great job. Im learning also and loving your videos. Tweezers near the dial scares me a little. Just a tip use some toothpicks to line the hands. You Can also use toothpicks mounted in some rodico to help steady the hands when painting the lume.

[@TheeYellowDart]

Great job!

[@rustytimm7205]

Thanks for your videos. I watch alot of videos of people repairing stuff. Your very interesting. Nice guy.

[@deejay5457]

Really enjoy your work. It is fascinating to see tiny parts come back together so well. BTW if you get bored with watches (unlikely) try voice work. You have a strikingly good delivery and timbre. I at first thought you were a pro.

[@akapantsusenpai181]

It looks much better. Thanks for the lume shot.

[@kostaskritsilas2681]

Nice video. There are a number of watch restoration channels, but I really like this one: a great combination of very good video quality, and the down to earth narration and explanation. If you are looking for some suggestions on watches to restore, might I suggest a 70s-80s Orient? They made both quartz and mechanical movements (obviously I am suggesting a mechanical movement for restoration), and while I was growing up, they were neck and neck with Seiko for good value watches. They do seem to have dropped off the face of the planet since the early 90s. Might make for a good "budget" watch in the end, and I am also curious to see the quality of the movement.

[@WristwatchRevival]

I'll look into that, thanks!

[@dennisc.1189]

Marshall, great job on your hands repair.

[@Analstrosen]

I did the same thing ! Got brass underneath as well but I just followed up the dremel work with a cloth tip and I think toothpaste

[@austingray5604]

You might be able to heat wax to place the hands in while you polish them. Once the wax cools/ hardens the hands should stay put. Kind of like how jewelers do

[@henrigraber2741]

I think Rolex hands are now made of solid gold.

[@lindawitherspoon446]

Wow! It looks so much better.

[@awmaister5529]

Hi,i saw a video from the jaeger le-coultre factory where they used polishing compund on( i think) glass and a champagne cork to rubbe the hands on the polish, lookt like a safe methode to try in the future. Keep up the good work:)

[@MatthewYoung-nn7ek]

These uploads are just brilliant. Such delicate work. Thank you

[@Midwestclassics1958]

When I remove watch Lume I usually put the hands into a small tin with rubbing alcohol and wait a few minutes then use a tooth pick or tweezers and gently swipe off the lume. The lume usually remove within one to two swipes then pull out hands and done.

[@shanemeyer9224]

First off I absolutely love you videos man!!! Just amazing stuff, from the actual watchmaking to your video editing and presentation, just perfect all of it. I do have to recommend though when trying to glue down or secure things like this I highly recommend UV glue or UV resin, like the brand Bondic, I use the stuff constantly for many different things and one good thing is that it secures quite well but is extremely easy to remove once done, it cures instantly once you shine a Uc light on it so you can set things is odd positions without holding it and waiting for it to dry, it’s really useful stuff, I use it constantly when doing perlage

[@stephenadams-corbett2708]

Great job

[@francispalmer9737]

Loving your streams. I collect Seiko watches and do basic cleaning also replacing crystals I would love to take them apart but I am scared of seeing all the parts spread out and not remembering how to put it back together again. My favourite Seiko I have just got is a 1967 27 jewel Bell-Matic I just love the sound of its tinkling bell alarm. My question for you is I also have several Seiko Late 70's Quarts LCD digital watches would you consider repairing a digital watch or is it not your bag. Cheers.

[@bgdavenport]

Excellent, superb instructional! I learned so much.

[@MrAlcmj]

That strap is gorgeous

[@Tom-yd5lg]

much better than before👍,wonderful Watch

[@joshsher6327]

Awesome job. Hope you can find an original bracelet.

[@H.hipster]

Man I just have to say ... I love listening to you speak.

[@frasergavin418]

Well done Marshall great job another thing to add to your resume.

[@MatthewHilbertsBaritone]

Can also use pith wood to clean oilers.

[@ant.9940]

The patina in certain places, for example on the dial, if I were I would not touch old watches either, but the rest, box, hands, tried to make it as new as possible. Also because I like to see these services. Congratulations on the videos. You are no longer as you say ... amateur, but you are PRO! In my opinion, this watch is much better now. Besides the fun, he went to see the video.Thx

[@joeh5694]

Very nice! Tastefully restored. This coffee looks medium roast 😁. I wonder what color would old rooibos tea would make with lume 😆

[@robertjordan7323]

Great video and job. Your last 60 seconds of the video answered the question forming in my head, will the hands still glow with coffee.

[@ges7991]

This was quite enjoyable. Thanks for sharing!

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

if i was using radio active lume on a watch i was restoring, id id get myself a hazmat suit. lol

[@brentdhedrick]

Lol, I shoulda looked deeper in the archive! Good job man!

[@WrightsW5]

Nice work, be aware that radium was used until 1968 on Swiss watches, then it was banned, other countries varied, I know it was 1970 in Italy. Rolex used radium up until 1964.

[@joevano]

Very nice, quite an improvement

[@KylleinMacKellerann]

Use a straight pin to hold the hand in the pithwood when you use the dremel.

[@tiff9137]

Great job I much prefer the hands now 👍

[@charlesflint9048]

A nice job you did there, I just wish I could get my skill set up to the same level.

[@jerrysmiley1084]

Beautiful watch!

[@bmlsb]

Good job...now restore loom on the rest of watch !! J/K thanks again

[@paulojrg]

Nice. Coffee is acidic although in the concentration that you use I believe it doesn't pose any problem but while watching you I was wondering if watercolour could be a viable solution to reach other hues.

[@williamwilson2270]

As an avid watch repair watcher, my Grandfather 'Pop Wilson' who I am named after was an excellent Clock and Watch repairer as his main hobby. He was also the best known mining Union official in Scotland of the 50's and 60's. AS a wee lad we'd blether on about watch repair and early computers which was my interest when I was young. I many times suggested to him as I am now to you, that it is better and safer to put two transparent plastic bags inside each other and with rubber gloves and throw away tools of wood or scrapers of plastic and fingernail sanders. put radioactive hands inside to scrape the lume off inside the bags. clean the frames and keep the bags tight but keep the lume dust safely in the plastic. move the hands now clean into a small bag or basket and into a solvent or Acetone bath. Seal the bags with Scotch tape and dump at your local refuse station haveng marked the bags with a nuclear waste symbol just to keep yourself and others safe. Always wear a mask and throw away all tools that you used to clean off the lume, gloves with the lume inside the bags. That is the safest way to clean off radium or other radioactive lume paint or filler. I want to start watch repair in memory of my Pop now I'm retired and Paraplegic,

[@Patriot-rising]

I always use rodico and toothpicks. Makes a great stand for the hands to work with and a old Bergeon oiler to add the new lume. And of course add a bit of coffee or tea for aging if desired. Tea turns it a bit more on the lighter brown into a yellowish color. Also forgot to add pick up the 4 piece Spyderco white ceramic files. They work real well at certain refinishing and best of all they work extremely well for dressing tweezers. They actually will polish the tweezers very well on there own. As for polish. I know it is popular to use Brasso and Nevr dull ( and yes I did spell that correctly ) pick yourself up some Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish. It works a bit better and also protects the metal a bit better as it is less harsh than the other two types of polish. I love watching your videos. And yes I have watched the Watch Repair Channel with the guy who has a weird sense of humor. I have to tell you he may be the expert. But I have to say you do a better job of capturing people's attention. Teaching skills are just better when it comes to explaining. The watch repair channel is a great channel and I do enjoy it. So I am not knocking him. Brilliant work there kind sir..

[@ScottBurnette]

Beautiful job!

[@bowerbirdstyle7661]

I would have used a fine buffing pad and done this gently by hand.

[@davidstewart3868]

Terrific work!

[@robertbrandywine]

Will those brass hands corrode though? I wonder how they would look gold plated! Or maybe coat with clear lacquer.

[@richardgaray9979]

Nice. Your camera work is really good.

[@MrGrentch]

Great job! 🙂 My one concern would be the lume on older watches as you mention. I see on yours either side of the "swiss" you have two T's for tritium. Now tritium is _significantly_ safer than radium and loses half its radioactivity after 12 years and is a beta emitter which is stopped by the skin(and crystal), but I would still be concerned with the risk of breathing or swallowing any dust in. With even older watches the chances are high the lume is radium and that stuff is much more dangerous and is as radioactive as the day it was first put on the hands/dial.

[@talesmaschio]

I saw a few dials already with the T and it made me wonder what it could mean. When it’s Radium, does the dial show anything?

[@MrGrentch]

@@talesmaschio T = Tritium, a much safer material. The radioactivity doesn't pass through the crystal or case(unlike radium). T starts to show up on dials in the 1960's after concerns about radiation gained strength. Very rarely you will see Ra for radium on dials of that time. P is another for promethium. Pre the 1960's assume a watch with luminous compounds is radium. The only way to be sure is with a gieger counter/radiation detector. The visible amount isn't a great indication as I've watches that had what appeared to be very little, but were very "hot". The worst offenders I've found are Trench watches from WW1 where the dials were handpainted and they laid it on thick(which killed a number of the women dial painters). They can be very hot indeed. Vintage aircraft instruments can be another strong source.

[@talesmaschio]

@@MrGrentch thank you for your answer. There is a bit more information here: www.bfs.de/EN/topics/ion/daily-life/watches/watches_node.html

[@valengreymoon5623]

They came out very nice, though the shot at the end of the video shows them quite mis-aligned.

[@donaldcampbell5277]

The hour hand pointed between the hours. Otherwise great work.

[@knowledgableed9607]

Marshall I have watched your videos and I thought that you needed years of specialized training but you make it sound as if it possible to learn. I've purchased an ebay movement (pocket watch) and some basic tools (you are 100% responsible for the death of a watch ;) ). Would you have a recommendation of basic tools to get started? What order would you progress in those tools? For example would you need timer to regulate a watch while you are learning? Also how would you clean parts if you don't have a fancy watch washer? Thanks so much for your channel. I can't wait to see what happens and what I can learn.

[@WristwatchRevival]

I am working on just such a video now! A complete guide to the tools you'll need to do a basic service on a watch :)

[@GlobalHawkEye1]

I like the you talk, Marshall

[@robertdoan3701]

Good video. I should get you to service my Greubel Forsey

[@WristwatchRevival]

lol yeah

[@LCMNUNES1962]

VERY GOOD 👍👍

[@lndrvrus]

What band/strap do you have on it? I went back to watch the first video and didn’t see it mentioned in the video. Very nice.

[@hazzawazza1000]

Barton sailcloth in navy blue i would say.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Yep what harryc said is right

[@stephenyoung3838]

Love your video, you sound like Dwight Yoakam

[@WristwatchRevival]

ha

[@karrenjensen2498]

Great video, very interesting to watch

[@Socrates21stCentury]

Nice job!

[@jeffnewbill5599]

You need to get some fiberglass brushes, they work well with cleaning hands,cases.

[@WristwatchRevival]

I have some but I feel like they would be too harsh for hands like this

[@aaronjacobo2556]

I would like a video where you show all the watches that you have restored, good video.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Hm good idea

[@featherstonehobbies]

Great stuff once again

[@jordanbritten8031]

Looks great! Love your videos.