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I got an Omega Seamaster Chrono Diver 300M about a month and a half
ago, and I have a couple questions and comments about my experience
with it:

-Some parts of the watch case and bracelet are rhodium plated. I
noticed after a couple days that there were ultra-fine 'scratches',
more like 'rainbow reflections' on the rhodium plating. Then after a
few weeks, they multiplied into hundreds of very fine scratches, some
sort of big, all over the rhodium. They are usually only visible at
certain angles, but since there are so many, it really dulls the
appearance of the rhodium. I have no idea where the scratches are
coming from. I clean the watch weekly in a tub of warm water and mild
car wash soap, and a soft toothbrush, followed by drying with cotton
terry towels. Why is Rhodium and Stainless Steel (the SS also has MANY
scuff marks and scratches) so easy to scratch? The watch almost never
touches my clothes or anything else.

-How can I get the rhodium looking like new again? Is replating
possible if the watch is not ALL rhodium plated? Some parts of the case
are rhodium plated, most is bare stainless steel. Also, the bracelet
links have little rhodium parts in them. Is this replatable somehow?
Does the rhodium get attracted only to other bits of rhodium during the
electroplating process?

-What is the best way to prevent scratches and clean the watch? I would
have no problem using some kind of ultrasound cleaner or what have you.
Can ultrasound cleaners be used on mechanical movement watches like
this one? This watch also has a sapphire crystal, would it shatter if
exposed to ultrasound?

-The stainless steel has many scuff marks, can these be buffed out?
Part of the bracelet, the clasp, has what looks like laser engraved
writing, would buffing it wear down the edges of the writing and make
it look softer?

-Is there some way I could buff the rhodium and the stainless steel
myself and remove the scratches? Maybe a dremel like tool or something
with some kind of abrasive compound?

Thanks everyone!


Have you considered asking your jeweller to make a satin or matte finish on
the watch? It will still scratch, but scratches will be much less visible.
It's not really a great sollution cause the watch would look somewhat
different, but if you don't tolearte scratches... I'm also like that, love
to keep things brand new. But it's best to learn to enjoy things instead of
searching for microscopic scratches:-) By the way, when you polish a metal's
surface it's scratched right away (cause polishing is "done by scratching")
but scratches are so little that you don't even notice. Regards!