Comments:
It's something that you should expect especially if you wear your watch frequently... Even if you are very careful wearing it, when you polish (wipe) your watch, some dust particles will somehow "scratch" your watch, that is how you got hairline scratches.. Probably that's what happened with your polished steel case...
It's not something that I would worry about..
But as for ceramic, its "quite safe" from scratches.. (even though I've heard some rare cases where 292 case got some hairline scratches) but on my ex 292, it was totally fine... what you should worry is if it got knocked very hardly... There are some cases where ceramic case cracked or even broke....
Best,
Sam
Polished SS and hairline scatches/durability issues
Hey all, I haven't been wearing much of the classic 111 style polished SS case. I did have the 127 on me and it does have a fair bit of hairline scratches but I have refrained from polishing it. However, I had received my SE boutique which is basically just the PAM 111's case. I wore it for a day or two under a shirt cuff and was extremely careful already but then after 2 wear I can see hairline scratches showing up on the polished bezel. Seriously, I had not noticed them. The whole case of the watch looks new but there are slight hairline like the spiderwebs on car paint over time.
Then I look at a friend's 111 and it seems like his is worst and the bezel upon closer examination shows hairlines. I guess the first few hurt the most but seroiusly, has quality deteriorated so much that a SS polished steel PAM can hairline so easily? I mean steel is not the most durable materials but to have hairlines slowly showing up after 2/3 wears surprised and shocked me.
Well maybe that's why I appreciate new aged material like 339's ceramic composite, 317's ceramic and even 360's PVD more... the ceramic composite and ceramic on 317 are both fairly sturdy and repeated wearing of the 292 shows no sign of hairlines and scratches. The 360's PVD is > SS polished steel and there is no visible hairline but a little ding here and there still possible.
I really am thinking that the 386 is a much better proposition as a daily than a 412. The 412 is better left for collecting... but all in all, the SS polished steel feels fragile and almost tofu like. I better make sure I don't bang it against others' watches walking on the street.
Then I look at a friend's 111 and it seems like his is worst and the bezel upon closer examination shows hairlines. I guess the first few hurt the most but seroiusly, has quality deteriorated so much that a SS polished steel PAM can hairline so easily? I mean steel is not the most durable materials but to have hairlines slowly showing up after 2/3 wears surprised and shocked me.
Well maybe that's why I appreciate new aged material like 339's ceramic composite, 317's ceramic and even 360's PVD more... the ceramic composite and ceramic on 317 are both fairly sturdy and repeated wearing of the 292 shows no sign of hairlines and scratches. The 360's PVD is > SS polished steel and there is no visible hairline but a little ding here and there still possible.
I really am thinking that the 386 is a much better proposition as a daily than a 412. The 412 is better left for collecting... but all in all, the SS polished steel feels fragile and almost tofu like. I better make sure I don't bang it against others' watches walking on the street.
Hairlines are nornal on polished steel case...
It's something that you should expect especially if you wear your watch frequently... Even if you are very careful wearing it, when you polish (wipe) your watch, some dust particles will somehow "scratch" your watch, that is how you got hairline scratches.. Probably that's what happened with your polished steel case...
It's not something that I would worry about..
But as for ceramic, its "quite safe" from scratches.. (even though I've heard some rare cases where 292 case got some hairline scratches) but on my ex 292, it was totally fine... what you should worry is if it got knocked very hardly... There are some cases where ceramic case cracked or even broke....
Best,
Sam
There's not much you can do about hairline scratches on polished
stainless steel cases. Only thing I can suggest is to get some custom shirts where the cuffs are larger so the watch doesn't rub as much against the shirt cuff. But you'll still get hairlines either way though.
- AT
tks Anthony, this is exactly what caused it, ridiculous yes...
I guess now I have to go get custom shirts to fit my PANERAI better but doing so means I am a real WIS... making shirts to fit the watch!
I finally discover that the left side of the bezel gets hairline after a week's of wearing and I wasn't banging it. Then I realize that the shirt cuff was constantly (the cuff is usually made of harder cotton material to maintain the shape) rubbing against the left side and the buttons or cufflinks will stand a chance to hit it too. However, mostly, the shirt cuff was consistently in contact with the left bezel as the watch is too big to go under or over so the cotton cuff (unbelievable as it maybe as steel, I thought, should be harder than the cotton cuffs... but apparently not) rubbing against the left side started to cause a few hairlines. Guess all part of wear and tear no matter how careful I was. I also noticed that the winder crown side of the bezel gets hairlines upon close examination and most likely due to my winding the watch and fingernails hitting the bezel.
Maybe that's why some shops PRETEND to wear white gloves when handling watches... but here's also what I find funny... sometimes there are oil and smudges on the bezel and I swear, if you use your finger to rub it off, there will possibly be hairline. It is this bad... polished SS shows hairline easily.
That's why PVD is needed (DLC) but best is cereamic! We need new age materials or brushed steel but the 111 or 412 will inevitably keep getting hairline.
I finally discover that the left side of the bezel gets hairline after a week's of wearing and I wasn't banging it. Then I realize that the shirt cuff was constantly (the cuff is usually made of harder cotton material to maintain the shape) rubbing against the left side and the buttons or cufflinks will stand a chance to hit it too. However, mostly, the shirt cuff was consistently in contact with the left bezel as the watch is too big to go under or over so the cotton cuff (unbelievable as it maybe as steel, I thought, should be harder than the cotton cuffs... but apparently not) rubbing against the left side started to cause a few hairlines. Guess all part of wear and tear no matter how careful I was. I also noticed that the winder crown side of the bezel gets hairlines upon close examination and most likely due to my winding the watch and fingernails hitting the bezel.
Maybe that's why some shops PRETEND to wear white gloves when handling watches... but here's also what I find funny... sometimes there are oil and smudges on the bezel and I swear, if you use your finger to rub it off, there will possibly be hairline. It is this bad... polished SS shows hairline easily.
That's why PVD is needed (DLC) but best is cereamic! We need new age materials or brushed steel but the 111 or 412 will inevitably keep getting hairline.
All another reason why I usually prefer brushed cases
instead of polished cases. Brushed cases tend to maintain their look better and seem to not show hairline scratches as much.
Cheers,
Anthony
Agree, yet, to think of a cotton shirt cuff causing hairlines...
was a bit absurd to me on a military watch... I guess I never thought much about it until now mysterious hairlines start showing up. No choice it's life.
Isn't it the other way around?
...the absurdity of worrying about tiny cosmetic blemishes on a 'military' watch?
it is absurd but then buying same watches over and over and over again
is as close to insanity as you can get according to the wife... why on Earth would people buy 2 of the same exact models or the same luminor case with a torpedo without a torpedo with a little power reserve here and there... when they all look the same? The World is absurd I guess LOL.