That’ll buff right out!
What's the story behind your worst scratches, dings, scrapes and gouges?
Bonus Points for the craziest story.
I scraped the crap out of my SKX a few years ago while swimming in the pool with my daughter. I didn’t realize I was so close to the edge and as I went in for a full stroke, the bracelet slid along the cement side. R.I.P. four oyster links.
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Josh
Just an easygoing dude. Among many other interests, I’m an enthusiast of watches and their history. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. ΙΧΘΥΣ
Florida, USA
Member since
Last active: 1 hr ago
17.15 cm
After warring my rotary meany times doing hands on work as a joiner and helping my mate with ground working moving rocks and other stuff never getting a mark on it I put a scratch right across the face getting the laundry out of the washing machine 🤯
I haven't had anything that bad happen yet. There's always a yet. It'll happen and I'll be really bummed but I'll have a better story to answer this question next time. 🤝
The scratch magnet attracted a heavy metal hinge unto thyself. I was powerless to stop it. Saddest day of my watch collecting life.
No idea how I get any of my scratches on my watch. One day I’ll long down and see a new scratch just surface on my watch. I say “fudge” and get back on With my day.
So cruel 🤦
Back in my early twenties, the first watch I bought with my own money, a pulsar with bracelet, I loved that watch, so this is me, summer holidays with my mates, seaside at pebble-riddled beach, me triped on one and there was my glass gone, the sock fucked the dial so the watch was beyond repair straight to the bin, a tragedy. So I bought myself a nice CK fashion watch, a three hander, no date, black with one of those leather watch with curved insert, a thing of beauty, so this is me a morning on my way to work. I am about to catch the tube/subway , and upon entering I smashed the crown on the door and disaster stroked AGAIN: the crown left the watch and I was just heartbroken. Moral of those stories: 1 work on my coordination skills (20 years on the work is still in progress) 2 wear activity appropriate watches, sports with sports, garmin saved my life those watches can take a beating without batting an eye, 3 the traumatic CK episode led me to develop some kind of ptsd, I know, I freaking love crown guards! If a watch doesn't have any, it's guaranteed to collect dust in my box which in my case mean that it will either be sold or gifted... 🤦 It feels good to have gotten this off my chest on top of not having to pay for therapy.
Back in my early twenties, the first watch I bought with my own money, a pulsar with bracelet, I loved that watch, so this is me, summer holidays with my mates, seaside at pebble-riddled beach, me triped on one and there was my glass gone, the sock fucked the dial so the watch was beyond repair straight to the bin, a tragedy. So I bought myself a nice CK fashion watch, a three hander, no date, black with one of those leather watch with curved insert, a thing of beauty, so this is me a morning on my way to work. I am about to catch the tube/subway , and upon entering I smashed the crown on the door and disaster stroked AGAIN: the crown left the watch and I was just heartbroken. Moral of those stories: 1 work on my coordination skills (20 years on the work is still in progress) 2 wear activity appropriate watches, sports with sports, garmin saved my life those watches can take a beating without batting an eye, 3 the traumatic CK episode led me to develop some kind of ptsd, I know, I freaking love crown guards! If a watch doesn't have any, it's guaranteed to collect dust in my box which in my case mean that it will either be sold or gifted... 🤦 It feels good to have gotten this off my chest on top of not having to pay for therapy.
Oof. My condolences, Dan. It seems you’ve had a rough go at it. Well, I hope those coordination skills are improving!
We’re always here for ya.
Oof. My condolences, Dan. It seems you’ve had a rough go at it. Well, I hope those coordination skills are improving!
We’re always here for ya.
Thanks mate
I’m guessing it was a motorbike crash.
This didn’t happen to me, rather to my brother.
I built him a field watch, Seiko nh35 powered, a Pvd olive case and a khaki 24 hour dial with cathedral hands. It was my first modding/building project and I’m still pretty proud of it.
He went one-wheeling with some friends on a gravel rode. He was pushing the envelope a bit, riding as fast as the board could go. He ended up hitting the max speed and the board kicked back, motor either turned off or switched to full regen.
Long story short he flew off the board at 30km/h and slid ten or so metres up the road. He wears his watch on the inside of his wrist, so it slid up the road crystal down. The watch eventually caught on something and tore off of the nato flying into the forest.
My brother was fine, aside from mild road rash. They actually found the watch and both spring bars and he put it back on.
He still wears the watch to this day, there are scratches in the sapphire crystal and deep scratches across the case. Shining steel showing through the olive pvd. It’s certainly fulfilled its duty as a field watch.
This didn’t happen to me, rather to my brother.
I built him a field watch, Seiko nh35 powered, a Pvd olive case and a khaki 24 hour dial with cathedral hands. It was my first modding/building project and I’m still pretty proud of it.
He went one-wheeling with some friends on a gravel rode. He was pushing the envelope a bit, riding as fast as the board could go. He ended up hitting the max speed and the board kicked back, motor either turned off or switched to full regen.
Long story short he flew off the board at 30km/h and slid ten or so metres up the road. He wears his watch on the inside of his wrist, so it slid up the road crystal down. The watch eventually caught on something and tore off of the nato flying into the forest.
My brother was fine, aside from mild road rash. They actually found the watch and both spring bars and he put it back on.
He still wears the watch to this day, there are scratches in the sapphire crystal and deep scratches across the case. Shining steel showing through the olive pvd. It’s certainly fulfilled its duty as a field watch.
Sounds like a heckuva tumble. Good to hear your brother walked it off and the watch survived. Would love to see some pics of that one!
Most recently posted about this, basically new gift for Father's Day and within minutes picked up a good ol scratch lol. See below for link.
BLUF: Trying to grab ALL laundry out of the basket at once should probably be avoided lol. 😂
https://www.watchcrunch.com/solidyetti/posts/father-s-day-nwa-wabi-sabi-and-ramblings-or-why-i-stopped-worrying-about-scratches-and-learned-to-love-acrylic-hesalite-43942
Sounds like a heckuva tumble. Good to hear your brother walked it off and the watch survived. Would love to see some pics of that one!
This thread is starting to sound like a support group 😉
Scratched my Explorer 2’s 9 o’clock side on the zipper of the case I was using to keep the watch in🤦🏻♂️
I once bought an aftermarket bracelet. The hollow end links didn't fit flush to the case so I took pliers to press them tight.
I made it fit flush alright but I did the job while the bracelet was mounted (so I wouldn't press down too far) but I didn't think it through and left a mark in one of the lugs, a big one, well not that big but it was staring right at me every time ... hated myself so much afterwards that I sold the watch 😐
The scratch magnet attracted a heavy metal hinge unto thyself. I was powerless to stop it. Saddest day of my watch collecting life.
I’m laughing at your prose, I agree the scratch is saddening.
I’d heard the Santos attracts scratches with black hole gravitational pull. That giant polished bezel scares me to even see in person, fearful my view will scratch it.
Weirdly, I still want to add a Cartier to my watch pile.
I guess plan on keeping the Santos forever, and then it won’t hurt as much?
Great thread. Yes, labor and watch scratch pain is real.
My own tragedy:
My Seiko Prospex LX, was by a wide margin, the priciest watch I’d ever bought, many many thousands 😬💸. Holding in hand brand new - it was worth the price. The quality of every part it was outstanding.
Day after I got it, I was wearing it when wifey dragged me to a mall I didn’t want to go to.
Killing time while she looked at shoes, I wandered into an kind of lame looking watch shop, that looked like it carried Omega. One small Omega section on the far side of the store, between a bunch of cases. Walking quickly through the showroom and squeezing between the watch cases (I always walk quickly for some reason) I WHACKED my arm into the steel edge of a large watch case. The sound was catastrophic sounding.
Without looking down, tears welled. I knew bad stuff had happened to my 1 of 200 mint condition watch.
The store had only a couple lame Omegas and I realized I couldn't even communicate with the staff (parts of Vancouver are now Chinese speaking only) so I walked out. Still afraid to look down.
My watch was Ti and covered with a super hard DLC coating that is purported to be virtually impossible to scratch. Would it come out unscratched?
About an hour later I forced myself to look at it. 😣😢😱😭😡🤬. I managed to scratch the nearly unscratchable. I can't bring myself to take pics of it. The manner in which I did it is too upsetting.
I should mention - I do lots of extreme sports. Road bike racing, high wind windsurfing, solo ocean kayak tours, scrambling in the Rockies ... etc. Despite wearing the same watch for all these activities and adventures, and more, it's only scratch is from the day after I got it on a sharp edged watch case in a crap watch store. (Scratch not pictured, can't look at it)
Accidentally but a watch in a washing machine.did a full 1200 spin cycle and it survived only had a few scratches on the watch face .they buffed out ok . still wear this piece at work
I’m laughing at your prose, I agree the scratch is saddening.
I’d heard the Santos attracts scratches with black hole gravitational pull. That giant polished bezel scares me to even see in person, fearful my view will scratch it.
Weirdly, I still want to add a Cartier to my watch pile.
I guess plan on keeping the Santos forever, and then it won’t hurt as much?
I heard it was a scratch magnet too. But to be honest I’m 6 months of wear and use this is the only mark I’ve put on it. And believe me I’m not the careful type. I think it’s become one of those phrases that must be used whenever Santos is mentioned.
It is definitely a keeper and I plan to replace the bezel when I get the watch serviced in about 5 years.
After warring my rotary meany times doing hands on work as a joiner and helping my mate with ground working moving rocks and other stuff never getting a mark on it I put a scratch right across the face getting the laundry out of the washing machine 🤯
God love irony
Damn
The scratch magnet attracted a heavy metal hinge unto thyself. I was powerless to stop it. Saddest day of my watch collecting life.
I tell myself…. “ It’s patina precious “ calm thy farm …….
Rugged like Fabio ….
Back in my early twenties, the first watch I bought with my own money, a pulsar with bracelet, I loved that watch, so this is me, summer holidays with my mates, seaside at pebble-riddled beach, me triped on one and there was my glass gone, the sock fucked the dial so the watch was beyond repair straight to the bin, a tragedy. So I bought myself a nice CK fashion watch, a three hander, no date, black with one of those leather watch with curved insert, a thing of beauty, so this is me a morning on my way to work. I am about to catch the tube/subway , and upon entering I smashed the crown on the door and disaster stroked AGAIN: the crown left the watch and I was just heartbroken. Moral of those stories: 1 work on my coordination skills (20 years on the work is still in progress) 2 wear activity appropriate watches, sports with sports, garmin saved my life those watches can take a beating without batting an eye, 3 the traumatic CK episode led me to develop some kind of ptsd, I know, I freaking love crown guards! If a watch doesn't have any, it's guaranteed to collect dust in my box which in my case mean that it will either be sold or gifted... 🤦 It feels good to have gotten this off my chest on top of not having to pay for therapy.
Abso fucking lutely
God love irony
It survived the ironing luckily 🤣🤣”dad jokes”
I love the dad joke :)
Worst story - got myself a nice little PVD Rose Gold digital Casio
Next day I decided to wear it to work, and around the lunch break I see the HELUVA SCRATCH on a crystal. The scratch was so long and deep that DJ Premier would eat his hat. I was really surprised that you CAN actually scratch something THAT bad.
Great thread. Yes, labor and watch scratch pain is real.
My own tragedy:
My Seiko Prospex LX, was by a wide margin, the priciest watch I’d ever bought, many many thousands 😬💸. Holding in hand brand new - it was worth the price. The quality of every part it was outstanding.
Day after I got it, I was wearing it when wifey dragged me to a mall I didn’t want to go to.
Killing time while she looked at shoes, I wandered into an kind of lame looking watch shop, that looked like it carried Omega. One small Omega section on the far side of the store, between a bunch of cases. Walking quickly through the showroom and squeezing between the watch cases (I always walk quickly for some reason) I WHACKED my arm into the steel edge of a large watch case. The sound was catastrophic sounding.
Without looking down, tears welled. I knew bad stuff had happened to my 1 of 200 mint condition watch.
The store had only a couple lame Omegas and I realized I couldn't even communicate with the staff (parts of Vancouver are now Chinese speaking only) so I walked out. Still afraid to look down.
My watch was Ti and covered with a super hard DLC coating that is purported to be virtually impossible to scratch. Would it come out unscratched?
About an hour later I forced myself to look at it. 😣😢😱😭😡🤬. I managed to scratch the nearly unscratchable. I can't bring myself to take pics of it. The manner in which I did it is too upsetting.
I should mention - I do lots of extreme sports. Road bike racing, high wind windsurfing, solo ocean kayak tours, scrambling in the Rockies ... etc. Despite wearing the same watch for all these activities and adventures, and more, it's only scratch is from the day after I got it on a sharp edged watch case in a crap watch store. (Scratch not pictured, can't look at it)
it only matters if your selling it, each scratch is a story 😉
he says as he wipes the 0.0000001 micron dust particle off his 70's seiko that he polishes to within an inch of its life......its wafer thin mr.
ahhh the rolex angle grinder look 😮