How to clean watch crystal
Choosing the right rinse aid
Use toothpaste, glass polishing paste, or Brasso polish to clean acrylic crystals. If your watch is inexpensive, it may have acrylic crystals, sometimes known as plastic or hesalite. It is also more likely to have acrylic crystals if made before 1980. If the watch parts crystal resembles plastic or is very light, it is most likely acrylic.
If you use toothpaste, ensure it’s not grainy, as it can scratch the glass.
Use any paint on mineral glass crystals. If your watch is affordable, it probably has mineral crystals. This type of watch glass is usually found in cheap watches. These are panels of glass that have been heated or chemically treated to resist scratches and may appear hazy. If your watch has mineral crystals, you can use whatever polish or paste you apply to acrylic or sapphire crystals.
Mineral glass is more scratch resistant than acrylic and is less likely to crack or shatter when exposed to extreme temperatures or when hit at an angle.
Polish the sapphire crystal with 0.5-micron lapping paste or 3-micron DP3 diamond paste. If you own an expensive or luxury watch, chances are your watch has a sapphire crystal. It is the most costly of the three types of watch glass and is often preferred for its resistance to scratches and damage. The glass won’t look blurry, either. It is recommended that you use a polish made specifically for sapphire crystals to avoid scratching or damaging the surface of the crystal.
Sapphire crystal is more complex than mineral glass or acrylic crystal and is more resistant to cracking and shattering than other types of crystal.
Contact the manufacturer if you don’t know what type of crystal your watch has. It’s not always easy to determine what kind of glass your watch has. Suppose you’re unsure what type of glass is based on price or age. Email or call the manufacturer. They will be able to help you determine the type of crystal used to manufacture your watch.
Do not use polish to clean watch crystals you are unsure of, as this may cause further damage.
Polishing scratches on your watch crystal
Protect your watch by using painter’s tape. Scratches on all watch crystals can be removed by hand by polishing the crystal surface. Before you begin, you should cover all parts of the watch near the glass with tape, paying particular attention to the watch bezel, which is the top ring surrounding the watch glass.
Use painter’s tape to protect the rest of the watch from damage during the polishing process.
While covering the band or band is unnecessary, it may be best to remove them to make the polishing process more accessible.
Apply a pea-sized amount of polish. You must be careful with how much polish you apply to the watch glass. This is because too much can complicate the polishing process and increase the chance of damaging the rest of the watch.
Use a soft cloth to polish the watch glass. After applying the polish or paste, use a soft cloth to buff the watch face’s surface gently. Make smooth circular motions. Continue polishing the glass until the scratches are gone.
Maintain light pressure as you polish the glass for 2-3 minutes.
Consider replacing the glass if the scratch is too deep. While the buffing process will usually help remove the scratch, sometimes the scratch or crack is too deep to repair with a simple buffing routine. If you can’t remove scratches on your watch glass by polishing it, consider replacing it.
Take your watch to a local repair shop and have them replace the watch crystals.
