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Stainless Steel scratching and solution

Technodynamic

Technodynamic

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 25, 2012
371
81
I have the 42 mm Milanese Loop and an admittedly open OCD regarding cleanliness of my watch and a perfect shine. I use a micro fiber on it a few times a day and I notice anything if its different.

One day, it seems like I scraped the section near the top, just above he sapphire glass with a dozen+ micro scratches all about 2 mm long.

Ironically, I had ordered on Amazon the product that was shown in that youtube video for polishing metal:
71zpc6RRSkL._SY355_.jpg


...for $4.97.

I just want to report back that this product is great for the SS Apple Watch and it restored the watch in a matter of perhaps 2 to 3 minutes (warning don't use on aluminum Sport Watch). In fact, with my OCD I have re-polished the watch a few times. I would highly recommend it as monthly/periodic maintenance. to maintain the shine like the day you got it and to make your watch scratch free.

How to video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqb8LFt4MI0
 
Last edited:
My god people throw the term 'OCD' around far to easily.... so disrespectful.

Anyway, the has been shared around but good for those who missed, I need to get some! :D
 
Sounds great but people should be warned to not use this on their Sport model of it will leave a big shiny spot where that scratch used to be!

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Polaroid said:
My god people throw the term 'OCD' around far to easily.... so disrespectful.

Anyway, the has been shared around but good for those who missed, I need to get some! :D
Click to expand...

May be disrespectful in some places but it fits very well in these forums.
 
Newtons Apple said:
Sounds great but people should be warned to not use this on their Sport model of it will leave a big shiny spot where that scratch used to be!

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My be disrespectful in some places but it fits very well in these forums.
Click to expand...

There is a difference between having OCD and wanting to keep a £500+ device in perfect condition.
 
Newtons Apple said:
Being OCD has nothing to do with the OP. BUT, there are people here that really do have a problem. Hope you are not one of them who has to try and correct what others do or say?:confused:
Click to expand...

He mentioned it in the first line XD

Just gets tad tedious lol
 
Anybody with experience with this stuff know if it would scuff the sapphire if you rubbed a bit too close to the screen?
 
Newtons Apple said:
Sounds great but people should be warned to not use this on their Sport model of it will leave a big shiny spot where that scratch used to be!

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May be disrespectful in some places but it fits very well in these forums.
Click to expand...

I added a warning in the first post about not using it on the Sport Watch. Thanks.

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Craiger said:
Anybody with experience with this stuff know if it would scuff the sapphire if you rubbed a bit too close to the screen?
Click to expand...

I rubbed it on the sapphire a bit and no issues at all. Not sure how the polish works, almost seems like it is chemical in nature... the cloth turns black almost instantly where I rub the polish on the steel. Steel looks great and the polish is gone quickly.

Use very little polish imo.
 
Technodynamic said:
I added a warning in the first post about not using it on the Sport Watch. Thanks.

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I rubbed it on the sapphire a bit and no issues at all. Not sure how the polish works, almost seems like it is chemical in nature... the cloth turns black almost instantly where I rub the polish on the steel. Steel looks great and the polish is gone quickly.

Use very little polish imo.
Click to expand...

It is not a chemical that makes it work it is an ABRASIVE suspended in a paste. The black is the actual residue left from abrading the stainless steel. To get a scratch out you need to remove the surrounding material to the level of the scratch.
 
I'm not saying that the OP doesn't have OCD (as I don't know them and I'm not a doctor), but I think some people confuse OCD with OCPD.

(OCPD from Wikipedia: is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, excessive attention to details...)

(OCD from Wikipedia: is a mental disorder where people feel the need to check things repeatedly, have certain thoughts repeatedly, and feel they need to perform certain routines repeatedly.)
Click to expand...

Sorry to stray from the thread topic, but I just figured I'd share this.
Thanks, -J :)
 
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Jack426 said:
I'm not saying that the OP doesn't have OCD (as I don't know them and I'm not a doctor), but I think some people confuse OCD with OCPD.



Sorry to stray from the thread topic, but I just figured I'd share this.
Thanks, -J :)
Click to expand...

Actually, people are confusing OCD with anal retentiveness. The proper term to use is anal retentive.
 
Might be stupid question but if you continue to polish the watch daily, are you removing some of the stainless steel surrounding from the watch each time??

Will it eventually start to wear down the steel from the watch? Lol

So after years of polishing the layer of steel will be thinner as you have removed so many layers?
 
Newtons Apple said:
It is not a chemical that makes it work it is an ABRASIVE suspended in a paste. The black is the actual residue left from abrading the stainless steel. To get a scratch out you need to remove the surrounding material to the level of the scratch.
Click to expand...

Absolutely correct, this stuff with a power cone on a cordless drill is great for stainless exhaust pipes on my classic car, rub a lot , gently, with a microfiber and the watch will shine.
 
I had my watch since the wave of shipments and so far I only have a few tiny scratches that you can only see when the watch smudges are wiped clean with micro fiber cloth and only when u look very closely.
 
I'm going to order these Cape Cod metal polishing pads I saw on Amazon. People said they're better for polishing the watch because they just have a small amount of the polishing compound already embedded into the cotton cloth and it works great. They're reusable and I think the $5 two pack package on Amazon should get me through at least a year if I polish every couple months. They have another one that has like 10 or 12 cloths for around $15. If they work well I might get that next time. The nice thing about the pads is that you don't have to get gunk everywhere or worry about putting on too much and getting it wedged in the mic opening or digital crown area or something.
 
HussRainbow said:
thoughts on using this stuff on the Space Black SS? Not that mine has scratches, but just wondering how it would go with the DLC
Click to expand...

Polishes work by using small abrasives to smooth out the surface of a substrate. Basically it's like sanding down the top-most layer to a smoother finish.

Since the DLC is a coating, it may work...until the DLC layer wears away and you expose the metal underneath. So I would not do it.

I wouldn't even use it regularly on the SS. I would only get it polished periodically if you really need it.
 
Picked up the Spigen watch case for $15 to prevent scratches at work. Also got this leather band for $30, both on amazon.com
 

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