2) Avoid caustic chemicals.
3) Have your watch serviced by a professional every 2-4 years. The reason these watches are so good is that if taken care of you can keep them forever.
4) The professional Moon Watch is a manual wind watch. Wind it about 35-4o times towards 12 every 40 hrs of use. The Reduced models are automatic.
5) The second hand may stall or stop after the first rotation after being idle a day or so on the Reduced Model, don’t panic, there just isn’t enough energy in the springs yet. Tap it lightly, reset it to zero, tap it lightly against your palm a few times and start again, if it stalls again just lightly tap it through. Lightly, always gentle.
Buffing out Scratches From Hesalite Crystal
Note: This works for me, you do it at your own risk.
Probably one of the best polishing compounds I've ever used for polishing plastic watch crystals is a product called "Simichrome." Find your nearest Harley-Davidson dealer and they're bound to have some on hand. It's a pinkish paste that comes in a red and yellow tube, like a toothpaste tube. Squeeze a little bit on a damp, compressed cotton ball and, Presto!, you've got the perfect scratch remover for watch crystals.
Actually, Simichrome is a pretty good polish for just about anything that won't react adversely with ammonia (judging by the smell of the stuff, I'd say ammonia is one of the ingredients).
For true glass or crystal crystals, you might try using a product like Glass Revive with a Dremel tool and a cotton-fabric buffing wheel. Run the Dremel tool (use a variable-speed model) at the lowest RPM for best results.
Stainless Steel Watch Polishin
Buffing out Scratches from steel case and bezel
Note: This works for me, you do it at your own risk.
Anyone owning a stainless steel Watch is no stranger to everyday scratches. The polished cases especially seem prone to scuffs and marks on the bezel and case. While brushed cases can be 'rebrushed' the smooth surfaces take a bit more effort.
Since the occurrence of scratches is so frequent, I'd rather not pay a watchmaker to buff the case every few weeks and using a motor tool is a bit beyond my skill level. I wanted to find a practical way to polish out my polished watchcase myself and by hand. Practical meaning that it was fast, easy and effective. There are many polishes and pastes on the market, and rather than review the ones that didn't work for me, I decided to review the ones that did. The following is a review of two polishes that work very well on stainless and are easy to use. Please read through the entire review before attempting to polish your watch.
The first is Flitz Metal Polish, www.flitz.com. The one I use comes in a tube and is available at most hardware stores.
I find that Flitz works best for scratches and scuffs. I've used Flitz now for over two years and it's worked every time. I've also had some success in taking the 'harsh' edge off of dings, though I'd recommend dings be professionally polished out. Remember, all polishes are abrasives and some can leave 'polishing swirls'. Flitz will leave swirls after intensive polishing and shouldn't be used "every day". Which leads to my review of the second product, Cape Cod Polishing Cloths.
These cloths come pre-treated with a polishing compound. They are available in both a resealable pouch and a tin, and are also available at most hardware stores. The polish on these cloths is not as abrasive as Flitz but does a fine job getting out hairline scratches and can be used as a follow up to Flitz or another polish to remove 'swirls'. As a bonus, the Cape Cod polish leaves a protective residue that keeps the metal shinier longer. I've even used the Cape Cod on my Global kitchen knives with phenomenal success.
POLISHING TECHNIQUE
In dealing with most things, 'less is more' is the best/safest principal. Remember that even though you're doing it by hand, these compounds are removing metal. No matter what you use, try the least abrasive solution first til you get a feel for what the compound does and for what types of scratches it works best. Sometimes just rubbing with a soft towel will do wonders to a minor scratch.
I recommend removing any leather straps before polishing as the polish will stain. Wash the case thoroughly in warm water and mild soap or dishwashing detergent. You can even use a soft toothbrush to scrub the case. This will remove any oils and dirt that can also cause scratches. Buff dry with a towel and see if the watch really needs to be polished. Sometimes a good washing is all you'll need *Tip: I prefer to hold the watchcase with a cloth versus my hand (after trying out these polishes you'll see why).
Using Flitz: I generally apply a small amount to a cloth, (don't laugh but old underwear seems to work best for texture and absorbency) and with my finger on the other side rub with medium pressure along the directions of the scratch or scuff. The cloth will turn black fairly quickly, and you may need to reapply the polish on a clean section. On a polished case, if the area allows, I'll rub over the area again this time in small circles. You can tell pretty quickly whether the scratch is fading or not. Again, if the cloth becomes too black, reapply the polish using a clean section. If I'm satisfied with the result I'll apply a light coat over the entire watch case to even out the finish. *Note: You may want to avoid the crown and crown guard as these areas are particularly difficult to get the polish residue out of. Don't get in a rush and pay careful attention to the shape and curves of the case-you don't want to polish down any corners that are supposed to be there-i.e. the small edge on the bezel in area directly level with the crystal-best to follow the contours of the case. Give the case a good buffing with a clean section of cloth, you'll notice that it takes two or three passes to get all the polish residue buffed out. Pay careful attention to the area immediately around the crystal and where the bezel meets the case-use your fingernail under the cloth to get the polish out of these areas. I wouldn't bother with polishing the case back, but if you do, pay close attention to following the pattern of the brushed finish.
I follow this up by polishing the case with Cape Cod polishing cloths. Since the cloths are pretreated, I like to cut the large cloth into two-inch squares that are easier to handle.
Using Cape Cod cloths: Start the same way as above, rub with the scratch and then again using a circular motion. If the scratches are really fine, rub softly, otherwise, rub harder-this is something you'll get a better feel for the more you do it. I will usually buff off the first application of Cape Cod completely, then apply again, this time using light pressure and following the lines of the case, i.e. following the bezel all the way around and rubbing the sides of the case in a back and forth motion. For the final buffing, use a soft terry towel, again, using a fingernail to get into the grooves around the crystal and bezel.
The shine you'll see on your watch will rival the shine it had in the dealer's case!
As I've gained confidence in using these two polishes, I can usually sit down and polish out my 6 yr old Omega Moon Watch case in about 20 minutes, start to finish.
Thank you again and enjoy your watch
Some Snaps of my 6 yr old Omega Moon Watch :
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