I also brushed the bracelet - c61

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Jaeiger
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I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Jaeiger »

Out of a combination of being tired of picking up a million scratches from no discernible sources, and also a general sense that the polished center links cheapened the look of my c61 trident, I went ahead and brushed the bracelet. Other than the other major post detailing this process I haven't heard much about this so I thought Id make a post describing how I went about it.

Instead of the usual scotchbrite, I just used 800 grit sandpaper. I found that it had much finer and smoother grain than did the scotchbrite pads. I then added a bit of a subtle satin-y finish with a generic fiberglass scratch pen off amazon. Taped the outside links to preserve the OEM finish on those; my process ended up with a slightly more matte/less shiny finish.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the result, as it gives the watch a much more robust, professional look, while the polished lug tops helps retain its dressiness. Pics below:

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Image

Image


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andyg
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by andyg »

Much better than the "catalogue fashion" bling of the original polished centre links. :thumbup:
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Hicksmat »

I hate shiny watches so this looks good. Might do the same myself.


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welshlad
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by welshlad »

Well done, it looks like you've done a cracking job there. :thumbup:
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Berkshire »

Well executed but my preference was the bling. :wink:
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Kip »

A job well done.

I actually like the bracelet either way, But there are those that will say the bracelet now does not match, just as there are those that state that the polished was to blingy. :?
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Fnew »

That looks good. Personally, I like both looks of the bracelet and have thought about ordering a second one just so I could brush the center links.
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Aifo »

I didnt think the polished center links cheapens the watch, but full brused bracelet does add the feeling of tool watch and it seems a job well done indeed.
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by theaub »

Nice job. I think the mixture of shiny and brushed on bracelets is neither fish nor fowl. Brushed are more classy and less hassle.
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by Jaeiger »

Thanks for the replies all! For those who are worried about this being irreversible, I tested out polishing the link closest to the diver's extension after brushing, using cape cod polishing cloths. It does appear to be possible to get back to a fully brushed finish, but it'll take quite a bit of scrubbing (about ~5 minutes on the one link got me to about 2/3 of a full polish). The one caveat I will give is that, as Kip said, it doesn't quite match the polished lug tops as well anymore, but not necessarily in a bad way. Just trades off that dressiness factor for more tool-like factor. Perhaps that's why Rolex (and Steinhart) brush the tops of their lugs and polish the sides?
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by JamesH »

Looks good. I really dislike polished bracelets (I think for dress watches that only get worn occasionally they are OK) I think they are unneccesary and like you say very prone to picking up scratches and marks. I've often thought about getting a bracelet for my C61 but I'm a bit worried that if I tried to brush the centre links myself that I would mess it up somehow and it would look not very good. CW should really offer a brushed version of their bracelets.
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by vikingdrvr »

JamesH wrote: CW should really offer a brushed version of their bracelets.
+1 on that!
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by JamesH »

vikingdrvr wrote:
JamesH wrote: CW should really offer a brushed version of their bracelets.
+1 on that!
It's one of the things that I dislike about the CW brand, sometimes they try to be to blingy, in this instance with the bracelets but also with some watch designs. I might be wrong but I think all of the bracelets have polished centre links.
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by welshlad »

The new C65 bracelet is all-brushed and will fit the C60, so will be a viable option in future (although it won't have a diver's extension on it, but probably not an issue for most people). Doesn't help for the C60 though.
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Re: I also brushed the bracelet - c61

Post by ianblyth »

Good job. This was done on the C60 as well.
http://www.christopherwardforum.com/vie ... 53&t=14429
Jaeiger wrote: general sense that the polished center links cheapened the look of my c61 trident
Nonsense. It gives it class. And if a polished centre band is good enough for Rolex then it is good enough for CWL.
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