It’s natural for wear and tear to show on wristwatches. Over time, even the most careful watch owners start noticing scratches on their watch glasses. Daily use would inevitably bring on that.
Knowing how to remove scratches from watch glass can extend the life of your watch considerably. It would keep looking pristine.
We take you through some of the best methods and tips & tricks to try at home, whether you’re dealing with small, surface scratches or deeper ones.
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Understanding Watch Glass Types
Wondering how to remove scratches from the watch glass? It is important to know what type of glass your watch has. Watch glass generally comes in three main types:
- Acrylic (Plastic): Found in budget and Vintage watches
This material is prone to scratches but also relatively easy to buff out. - Mineral Glass: Found in mid-range watches
Mineral glass is harder than acrylic but also more difficult to repair. - Sapphire Crystal: Found in high-end watches
Sapphire is extremely resistant to scratches, but at the same time the hardest material to work with in the event of scratches occurring.
Knowing your watch glass type will help you choose the best way to approach how to remove scratches from wristwatch glass and which products to use.
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Supplies You’ll Need
For removing scratches from various types of watch glass, the basic supplies needed are as follows:
- Microfiber cloth: To clean and polish the glass without causing additional scratches.
- Polishing Compound (Polywatch): Polywatch works great on acrylic and can sometimes help with mineral glass. It has been designed especially for watches.
- Toothpaste: Toothpaste is very effective – surprisingly so – on light scratches for acrylic watch glass. You can resort to using it when no professional compounds are available.
- Baking Soda Paste: A DIY solution that can help in how to remove scratches from watch glass at home.
- Cerium Oxide Powder: Used with a drill, this is a more advanced method for mineral and sapphire glass.
- Masking Tape: Use this effectively to protect the watch case and bezel during the polishing process.
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Methods for How to Remove Scratches from Watch Glass
1. Toothpaste for Acrylic Glass
Toothpaste is mildly abrasive and works well on acrylic surfaces.
One of the simplest approaches to how to remove scratches from watch glass at home involves using toothpaste.
The steps to follow are:
- Cover the bezel with masking tape to protect it.
- Apply a small amount of non-gel toothpaste to a microfiber cloth.
- Gently rub the toothpaste in a circular motion on the scratch. Continue for a few minutes, then wipe away the toothpaste.
- Rinse and dry the glass to check the results.
For light scratches, this is an effective solution. But this will not be effective if you are dealing with mineral or sapphire glass
2. Polywatch for Deeper Scratches in Acrylic Glass
If you want to know how to remove deep scratches from watch glass on an acrylic surface, Polywatch is highly recommended. It’s specially formulated for plastic watch glass.
- Apply a small dab of Polywatch to a clean microfiber cloth.
- Rub it gently over the scratch in a circular motion for about 2–3 minutes.
- Wipe off the excess with a clean part of the cloth and inspect the glass.
Polywatch can usually handle even deeper scratches and is often the best way to remove scratches from watch glass for acrylic surfaces.
3. Baking Soda Paste for Light Scratches on Mineral Glass
Using a homemade paste made with baking soda is a good option if you are wondering how to remove scratches from watch glass at home on mineral glass, and effectively so.
- Mix baking soda and water to form a thick paste.
- Apply a small amount of the paste to a microfiber cloth.
- Rub the paste into the scratch in gentle, circular motions.
- Rinse the glass thoroughly with water and dry.
While this may work on small scratches, mineral glass is tougher to polish, so you may need professional help for deep scratches.
4. Cerium Oxide and Power Drill for Mineral and Sapphire Glass
For how to remove scratches from the glass of a watch when dealing with mineral or sapphire glass, cerium oxide combined with a power drill can be effective.
It is an advanced method and can remove both small and deep scratches from these harder materials.
- Mix cerium oxide powder with water to form a paste.
- Apply the paste to the watch glass.
- Attach a felt polishing wheel to a power drill.
- Carefully polish the scratch, using the lowest speed setting and applying gentle pressure.
- Wipe away the paste to check the results.
It’s recommended to use this method only if you’re comfortable with power tools, as too much pressure or speed can cause further damage.
Tips on How to Remove Small Scratches from Watch Glass
For smaller scratches, the methods above do the trick. To make it even smoother, here are a few additional cleaning tips:
- The glass should always be cleaned thoroughly at the beginning. This helps avoid rubbing in any dirt that could cause new scratches.
- Only microfiber or soft cotton cloth should be used, instead of paper towels or rough cloths.
- Gentle circular motions help cleaning, without much pressure.
Patience is key on how to remove the scratches from watch glass. It may take several minutes of polishing to achieve a smooth finish, especially on tougher materials.
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When to Seek Professional Help
If the above methods fail, or in the case of sapphire crystals, professional help may be necessary. Jewelers and watch repair specialists have specialized tools for how to remove scratches from watch glasses of high-quality watches. Thus your stress of how to remove deep scratches from watch glass gets solved by them easily, using advanced techniques.
Conclusion
Learning how to remove scratches from watch glass is a useful skill. It saves both time and money.
From simple toothpaste hacks for acrylic glass to more advanced cerium oxide methods for mineral and sapphire glass, the steps described above are meant to provide you with a wide range of options to try at home. With just the right tools and time at hand, one can assess the scratch severity and dive right in. Your watch will look like a clearer, cleaner version of itself.
Just remember to use the right tools, take your time, and assess the scratch severity before diving in. Your watch will thank you with a clearer, cleaner look that keeps it as good as new!
