Reply To: Can you polish a glass crystal

[clam71]

Hi all. I’m in the process of polishing a crystal in an 18s case. It’s very thick.
Actually I thought it was a bit ugly until I put an 1888 Waltham movement into it.
The thick case matches the thick glass. The whole thing is heavy !! Love it !!
The crystal is a tad short of 1/8 inch thick and is almost flat.
It’s loaded with scratches. None of them extreme. So….
Bob pointed you to cerium oxide powder which takes patience, as He said.
I bought a pound of it on ebay. a double-lifetime supply !
I also bought silicon carbide (a pound) 1500 grit. It’ll take off material faster than
the cerium oxide. It’s put a foggy haze in the crystal so far but when I’m finished,
the cerium oxide should make it look brand new. At least I hope !
You’ll need something in the way of a dremel tool with a polishing pad.

I’ve actually put a new crystal into another 18s case. It was exactly the right size.
I put a fine bead of epoxy around the bezel and when half cured, removed the
excess with a utility knife blade under my microscope. Only a trained eye could tell !
But not likely the way to mount a crystal, I guess.
Anybody out there know how the pros do it ? What tools are involved ?
A fine watch movement looks cruddy in a nice case with a scratched and worn crystal.
But a near perfect dial, a fine case and a brand new crystal makes for a stunning antique !

By the way, silicon carbide and cerium oxide works very well for polishing any metals
My 18s case shines like a mirror. Be careful though. The surface metal is plated on, usually.
Take too much off and it’s ruined. Or at least will need to be re-plated.
Oh, Bob… I’m still having fun….