How to protect your Rolex from scratches

A Rolex is built to be worn, and most owners want to wear theirs every day. But the same finishing that makes it beautiful, high polish next to crisp brushing, also shows every mark. Here is where a Rolex scratches first, and what you can do about it.

Where a Rolex marks first

• The clasp. It sits flat on desks and laptops all day, so it collects more hairline scratches than any other part.
• Polished centre links. On bracelets with polished centre links, such as many Jubilee bracelets, those links show swirls within weeks.
• The case sides and lugs. Knocks from door frames and bags land here, and the polished bevels on the lugs soften as they wear.
• The bezel. Ceramic bezel inserts are very scratch resistant, but the metal around them is not. Fluted gold bezels, on models such as the Datejust and Day-Date, mark easily on their sharp edges.

Precious metals need even more care. Gold and platinum are softer than steel, so Everose, yellow gold, white gold and platinum models pick up marks more readily.

Why polishing is a last resort

Polishing does remove scratches, but only by removing metal. Each polish rounds off the sharp edges and changes the balance of polished and brushed surfaces. Collectors pay more for unpolished cases, so a watch that has been polished several times is usually worth less than one that has been protected.

When you send a Rolex for a service, ask whether refinishing is included, and ask for it to be left alone if you would rather keep the original finish.

How to protect a Rolex day to day

Good habits help: take the watch off for physical work, keep it away from other jewellery on the same wrist, and avoid resting the clasp on a hard desk. But even careful owners will see marks on the clasp and polished links within months.

Invisible protection film for a Rolex

The most complete protection is a clear film fitted over the surfaces that take the wear. We cut it by hand to the exact shape of your reference, covering the clasp, each bracelet link, the case sides and lugs, and the bezel edge. Fitted properly it is very hard to see, it keeps the polished and brushed finishes looking as Rolex intended, and it removes cleanly whenever you want it off.

It is the same approach we have taken for clients' Datejusts, Daytonas and GMT-Masters. You can see some of them in our work, and read more about how the film itself works in watch protection film explained.

Keep it safe, too

A Rolex is also a target for thieves. Our guide to keeping your watch safe from theft covers the habits that matter, and how to insure a luxury watch covers the paperwork.

If you would like your Rolex protected, send us the model and we will reply with a quote. Wrist Guard LDN is not affiliated with Rolex.