Zaratsu - The King of Polishing

If you're familiar with Seiko, then you surely have heard of Zaratsu polishing. Zaratsu is a technique where the whole case is polished by hand, to absolute perfection. For a case polisher, it takes decades of practice to master the Zaratsu techniques, and only a selected few top grade Seiko watches are polished this way. Zaratsu is Zen of Japanese watchmaking. But where does the word Zaratsu comes from; In 1951 Seiko made a significant investment into Swiss polishing machinery and they were acquired by Gebruder Sallaz. The workers in the Seiko factory fell in love with them but pronounced Sallaz as Zaratsu. The rest is history - decades of sweat and tears in persuit of perfection. In our collection we have two Zaratsu Seiko.  The first one is SLA021J, a tribute to Japan's first diver's watch created in 1965. This special diver's watch is equipped with a high-grade automatic movement, calibre 8L35, which is hand assembled and adjusted by Seiko's master watchmakers at the Shizukuishi watch Studio in Morioka. A resilient one piece structure case, suitable for saturation diving, is hand polished using the Zaratsu technique which accentuates the edges and brings the additional sharpness and beauty to the lugs.  Each of the three hands has a different design, length, and width and the LumiBrite on each has a distinct shape so that the time is easily read under any circumstances. The dual curved sapphire delivers exceptional clarity from any viewing angle as well as enhanced durability. The differentiated 12, 6 and 9 markers ensure that the watch can be read without error even 300 metres down. The contrast of the dial and special, long lasting LumiBrite allow for legibility even in the darkest environments. The one way rotating bezel ensures the absolute safety that divers require. The photos of the mirror-finish reflection on the case speak for themselves. I have handled thousands of Swiss made watches and this is something you only see at the very top end of Swiss horology. Even then, Swiss cases are not hand polished, but finished by robots.

Case polishing explained

Last week we published a photo of before and after of a Rolex case polishing job undertaken by Bobby, second year apprentice. The polishing was done by hand using just various grades of emery paper and a wooden stick, with mirror finish achieved on a rotating buff wheel (cotton disc and polishing medium). The end result speaks for itself. We posted the photos on Instagram inviting our followers to rate the job anywhere between 6 and 9 out of 10. As we expected, almost all marked the job with top grade.  What we didn't expect: this photo was one of the three most liked posts with over 600 likes. Yet a couple of watch enthusiasts couldn't help but to offer rather strange opinions on the matter. There were two complaints: 1. Case polishing is bad because it removes patina 2. Hand polishing and especially buffing on the wheel is a 'bad' method. Watch cases should be lapped, not polished. Yes, for some, case polishing is a controversial issue.  Allow me to defuse it for you and help you understand the fundamentals. Once you understand those fundamentals then you will be able to make an educated decision. What is patina? Patina is a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period. Patina is also a gloss or sheen on a surface of antique furniture resulting from age or polishing. Please note: we use same term to describe completely different effects created in different manner on two different surfaces: bronze and wood. Yet in both cases, it is the patina - whether it is the sign of natural ageing, polishing with shellac and oxidation- which gives an object the distinctive 'naturally aged' shine and colour. It takes no expert to appreciate that a fine bronze sculpture should not be polished (only dusted!), neither should a fine French polished antique table be stripped down to bare wood or attacked with aggressive polishing agents. We leave bronze and wood alone- to age naturally. Stainless steel which is used in modern watches is a different story altogether. Ideally, stainless steel does not oxidize - so it cannot develop any patina whatsoever. The oxidation process of steel is simply called rust. Pitting is actually worse than surface rust - it is a nasty corrosion which kills the water resistance of watch cases. Since almost all modern watch cases are nowadays made of stainless steel, titanium or precious metal, we don't associate the term 'patina' with watch cases.  To use the term 'patina' on any watch case except bronze, is grossly inappropriate. Stainless steel cases leave the watch factory with a variety of surfaces: polished, gloss, mirror finish, brushed, sand blasted. General expectations with modern watch servicing are to at least improve the condition of scratched cases, if not to return them to as close to original finish where possible. Again, not to preserve any patina - because there is no patina to be preserved. "Please don't polish - I like my scratched case!" Fair enough! If your wish is to have all the bruise marks, dents and scratches 'preserved' than who am I to argue with your choice? Indeed, some watch owners are very particular in this respect. However, it is important to point out the obvious:  a vast majority of MODERN watch owners would prefer polished cases and bracelets, restored it to 'like new condition'.  Scratches are bad and undesirable. Disagree? Would you intentionally scratch your new car? Or a brand-new laptop, mobile phone - or a brand-new watch? Removing scratches is DESIRABLE. It's good. It's fine. Removing scratches is difficult, and we don't do it just for fun or to impress you, so relax and enjoy your new polished surface! However - there is an exception to this rule: unlike modern watches, rare, high value vintage watches SHOULD NOT BE POLISHED. Not because they are worth more when scratched, but because polishing - and in some cases even cleaning- could significantly reduce chances of assessing the originality of both external and internal parts. All the scratches, dings and dents help us to determinate if the watch is original or a Frankenstein put together from new and old parts, or a watch which has been restored correctly - or not. Polishing is an inferior alternative to lapping Yes, it is true that almost all modern stainless-steel watch cases and bracelets are polished with the help of modern multi-million-dollar CNC machinery, fully automated, in a process which no longer involves human touch. The final step of that polishing process is lapping. Lapping is a technique where a liquid polishing medium is applied between the work-piece (watch case) surface and a lapping plate. Due to the nature and geometry of those lapping plates, as well as highly controllable lapping action, this automated process produces very uniform surfaces which retain geometry. In other words, polished ‘edges’ are crisp, defined and 'sharp'. They look like they have been defined and polished by robots - which they are. In other words, when it comes to case finishing, nothing beats machine lapping. Unfortunately, lapping is highly specialized process and your independent watchmaker is either not set for lapping, or when he is able to offer such service, it is only to a limited number of watch cases / shapes / brands. It is a trade in itself - and quite frankly, has nothing to do with watchmaking. To expect your independent small watchmaker to offer case refurbishment service equal to those of mega-brand is simply unrealistic: the same as expecting everyone to fly first class or drive a Ferrari. "Oh NO! You've polished my watch and rounded the lug! I am devastated!!" Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world, and we have to put up with compromise. Watch polishing is ALWAYS a compromise. At the end of the day, you have to answer this question for yourself: which one would I prefer - "before" or "after"? Because this is all we can offer. Polished cases could mean some very minor 'rounding'. This is just a nature of the polishing process, especially when done by hand. However, an experienced polisher is well aware of the process and will do everything possible to keep the wheel buffing action just for the final mirror finish. When we remove scratches, we use a range of abrasive papers and films, in various grades, which takes a majority of polishing time and this is why our results are as per photo. Not good enough for you? Well, the best polished case is - case replaced. For that, you need to talk to your watch brand service department. We can consistently offer; 6, 7 or 8 out of 10. On a good day - even a solid nine. For perfection see our competition. Conclusion There is no such thing as patina on steel cases. Scratches are bad, so take a good care of your watch and you won't need frequent polishing. Polishing is time consuming, requires skills- therefore expensive. Learn to live with small imperfections -life is not perfect. Be happy with the end result - returning the watch case to 'brand new condition' is impossible!

Small restoration project: Panerai case polishing

This Panerai Daylight belongs to a fellow watch collector and was brought in last Friday.

As you can see it had a nasty dent right on the edge of middle case.

I made a promise to publish photos of the watch before and after polishing, so here they are, for your enjoyment.

The entire polishing of the middle case (body) was done by hand using a metal file and various grades of sand paper and took less than 15 minutes, including bezel polishing.
Panerai watches are made of quality steel and respond well to both machine and hand polish.

Watch case half way through polishing

Final touch: photo of bezel after polishing on a buff wheel.

Rolex Case Polishing

Restoring or refinishing a stainless steel watch case is not as difficult as may be thought. Unfortunately most watchmakers are either not interested in doing it properly or were never taught how to do it. Those few who have mastered the skill of hand-polishing would rather die than to reveal their secret of the trade! The trick in obtaining mirror-like finish is simple : a/ to use correct polishing medium and b/ to master polishing skills by following the correct procedure.

This tutorial is aimed not only at watchmakers, but also at watch dealers and collectors wanting to familiarize themselves with the process of hand-polishing. The procedure shown below was passed to me by my father (and to him by his brother Mihajlo Hacko, Master Watchmaker since 1948. who still does his own watch repairs!)

Guinea pig: 15 years old Explorer II Ref 16570, long overdue for decent case re-polishing.

I prefer to do all case polishing by hand.

Step 1:
To get rid of scratches, start with coarse sand paper, grade 220.

Keep it parallel and keep polishing until you remove ALL scratches, no matter how deep. This step is very important.

All scratches are gone, but the surface is very coarse and dull. That's OK. The most important thing here is to remove ALL scratches and to have the grain lines parallel with the case.

Step 2: Switch to dry paper grade 800. I use German made, but most sand papers of similar quality will do the trick. You can buy this grade at any automotive shop supplier.

Don't rush - take your time (at least 5 minutes per side). The surface is still dull but we are heading in the right direction.(note how more light is now reflected from the steel surface)

Same surface, magnified. Keep it parallel! If I can do it, you can do it too :-)

Step 3: very much the same, now with finer grade dry paper - here I use Swiss made 1600 powder coated jewellers paper available from jewellers suppliers. This is jewellers stuff, so they prefer to call it 4/0

Take your time, don't rush - 5 min. per side

The steel surface now reflects even more light and looks fairly smooth.

Step 4: More of the same. Medium: 3M Film sheet polishing (plastic)grade 60 microns and 10 microns (2-3 minutes each).

Available from jewellery suppliers only. 3M film feels like ordinary plastic sheet, definitely not your ordinary sand paper :-)

If there are still any visible imperfections go back to Step 3.

magnified

Step 5: polishing on buffing wheel

There are far too many different polishing cotton wheels available; go for medium soft cotton disk, 10cm diameter.
Apply some chromium oxide rouge (known as Green Steel Rouge)

Keep polishing. Be careful not to over-buff edges!

Once you achieve mirror-like finish, clean in ultrasonic.

piece of cake!

one more shot

Cheers !

"Until death do us part"

Two diamond dial Rolex Datejust; sold together, worn together, and as per customers' request: serviced together. The photo below shows both movements completely disassembled, ready for cleaning. The next stages are assembly, lubrication, adjustment and case polishing. The entire process takes approx. 5 hours. Sneezing not recommended !