Bloody soft 904L ! Need some tips on some case damage.

[JDM180]

Was swapping Crystal's on my Noob GMT and that damn bezel wouldnt budge even in the bezel vice, had to take it to a case opener wrapped in electrical tape and even though the tape didnt wear through or anything just the force against the case has indented the twatting thing around the lug and crown guard !

Any tips to restore it ? My initial thought was to try and sand it flat again then rebrush with a medium bergeon pad but I'm worried about the amount of metal that would need removed to completely get it flat again and it's right in the sharp edge of the case. Any tips?

 

[Mr_B]

I'd leave it as is, like you said you'll probably take away too much material sanding it back.

 

[Guigui2737]

Same for me, I will probably just leave it like this.

 

[Raddave]

This sux , but you know its not all about steel composition that makes it stronger , its also about the density , steel compresses , the more the billet is compressed the harder it is to deform , im sure the rep companies dont go through the same stringent folding techniques as Rolex , so even though its the same metal , it might not have the same characteristics .....look up shot peening if you dont believe me

 

[KJ2020]

If it were mine I would sand it down and rebrush it. I've taken down a lot worse dents. It's not something you want to do if you don't have the patience or a little skill. If you've never done it before practicing on an old junk case is advised. The lug ding is easy, it will come down fast with no noticeable difference. The CG will need to be reshaped a little and there's a good chance both will have to be done. But once complete it should not be detected as abnormal. I would not be able to look at that watch as is and ever be happy with it.

Here's a lug dent I fixed

 

[garfunkle]

leave.

 

[JDM180]

If it were mine I would sand it down and rebrush it. I've taken down a lot worse dents. It's not something you want to do if you don't have the patience or a little skill. If you've never done it before practicing on an old junk case is advised. The lug ding is easy, it will come down fast with no noticeable difference. The CG will need to be reshaped a little and there's a good chance both will have to be done. But once complete it should not be detected as abnormal. I would not be able to look at that watch as is and ever be happy with it.

Wow that's some skill mate , I've done a little amateur case work before but not to that degree, I couldnt leave this and have just been going through different grades of sanding paper with it with a wooden flat , Still needs cleaned up but actually i think the crown guard came out pretty much undetectable ( once ive polished the edge up) , I've got the light mark out of the lug but am thinking I can see where I've worked it, but it might just be in my head at this point !

I had some more cape cod cloths and a rebrush wheel and sponge coming for tidying up another watch so when they arrive il try and tidy it up some more and see how it looks.

 

[KJ2020]

Oh hell yeah bro, that's going to look fine. Polish and brush and be happy again.

 

[Complete]

That looks great! Good job.

I have hope for my SD4K that a put a little mark on a lug popping a bezel.

What glue will you use for the bezel insert?


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[p0pperini]

That’s impressive ding removal OP. Could you pop round and sort out my Cayenne?


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[JDM180]

That looks great! Good job.

I have hope for my SD4K that a put a little mark on a lug popping a bezel.

What glue will you use for the bezel insert?


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I have double sided tape made/cut for inserts il use.

 

[JDM180]

That’s impressive ding removal OP. Could you pop round and sort out my Cayenne?


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Haha thanks , Ooo I only work on reps !

 

[Complete]

I have double sided tape made/cut for inserts il use.

Thanks for the tip. I’m going to try out these from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07D6T2KYS/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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[p0pperini]

Thanks for the tip. I’m going to try out these from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07D6T2KYS/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have those. They save a bit of time as you have a ready-made curve (I always cut them into smaller bits tho, and also use the inner "spare" circle to make more, to economise!).

But they're literally just 3m double-sided tape cut to a shape - it's way cheaper to buy a roll of the tape and cut small pieces off it as appropriate.

 

[Raddave]

I have those. They save a bit of time as you have a ready-made curve (I always cut them into smaller bits tho, and also use the inner "spare" circle to make more, to economise!).

But they're literally just 3m double-sided tape cut to a shape - it's way cheaper to buy a roll of the tape and cut small pieces off it as appropriate.

how thick are they ?

 

[porkpig2010]

I would leave looks like a wear mark

 

[JDM180]

how thick are they ?

Very thin , Just like the residue that's left when you remove a rep one thats stuck down.

One the backing is peeled it's just a thin film

 

[KJ2020]

how thick are they ?

They are quite thin, probably about 1mm. Sometimes I have to use more than one, or one plus 6 or 8 strips stacked one extra on top around the circle.

 

[Raddave]

They are quite thin, probably about 1mm. Sometimes I have to use more than one, or one plus 6 or 8 strips stacked one extra on top around the circle.

Ive never seen the thin stuff in a roll before

 

[KJ2020]

Ive never seen the thin stuff in a roll before

This is 1.0mm, I use this sometimes. It's actually thicker than the tape rings, so they must be about .05mm

The roll tape has to be cut down in width which can be challenging as it is quite sticky and will get stuck to your cutting tool. I use manicuring scissors to cut it. It isn't fun but the stuff is great for keeping inserts on securely.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Heavy-Mounting-Clear-length/dp/B007Y7EXTQ?ref_=ast_slp_dp&th=1&psc=1