Describing Watch Finishes

It's important to know the correct name for the finish of your watch when ordering scratch removers, watch detailing products, and watch refinishing kits.

A high polish watch finish is highly reflective and it's possible to see your image reflected in the finish when you look at it (it's like a mirror).

A satin watch finish or brushed watch finish appears as a directional grain and is matte in appearance. It will not reflect your image when you look into it closely. The satin or brushed finish can follow the lines of a bracelet, bezel, or clasp. When removing scratches and restoring a satin or brushed finish, it is important to first note the direction of the finish and then follow that direction as you use the refinishing pad or pen.

Many watches have areas of high polish and areas of satin or brushed finishes. When you remove scratches or detail watches like this, you need to mask off (household masking tape works fine) the areas that are finished differently than the area that you are working on. You also need to use different refinishing tools and techniques for each finish.

Some watch aficionados chance the finishes on their watches to create a unique 'one-of-a-kind' look. You can turn a high polish area into a satin finished area using a satin refinishing pad. You can remove the satin or brushed finish from an area using a deep scratch removal kit and create a high polish finish.

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