What does “Polished” mean?

Polished means the case and possibly the bracelet have been buffed to remove scratches and restore shine. Polishing is often done during a service and can make a watch look much fresher, but every polish removes a small amount of metal. Heavy or repeated polishing, called over-polishing, softens edges, rounds the lugs and can blur the line between brushed and polished surfaces.

For modern watches a light, careful polish is generally accepted and may not affect value much. For vintage watches and collectible references, polishing can reduce value significantly, because collectors prefer original case shape and finishing. Signs of over-polishing include thin or rounded lugs, washed-out bevels and engravings or markings that look shallow. Buyers should ask whether a watch has been polished, by whom and when.

A typical listing line: “Lightly polished at last service, case lines still good, a few new light hairlines.” By contrast, a buyer might reject a vintage piece described as “nicely polished” if the lugs show obvious rounding.