Brushed or polished? How to read finishes on QC photos (and why the light fools you)

Watches Newbie Corner
1

Newbie question: in QC comments I often read “soft brushed/polished transitions” or “brushing too coarse”. How do you judge that from a photo, when to me they all look the same?

[[PHOTO: Dettaglio di una cassa con anse satinate sopra e fianco lucido, linea di passaggio ben visibile]]

Editorial summary, not independently verified.

2

Definitions first. Brushed: a surface worked with fine parallel lines, matte. Polished: a mirror surface. On many watches the two finishes share the same case, and the tricky part is exactly the border. Well-known examples: on the current Submariner the top of the lugs is brushed and the flanks are polished; on the Royal Oak the bezel is brushed with polished bevels.

3

What to look at on the photos:

  • Border line: sharp and straight, not blurred or wavy.
  • Direction of the lines: all in the same direction on a given surface.
  • Grain: even, not coarser in one spot.
  • Polish: straight reflections, without the waves that point to surfaces that aren’t flat.
4

The problem is the light. Under strong direct light, brushed can look polished, and under soft light, polished can look matte. That’s why a single photo isn’t enough: you need at least two angles, ideally one with diffused light.

[[PHOTO: Stessa ansa fotografata con luce diretta e con luce diffusa, a confronto]]

5

The same goes as for the crystal: there too the light changes everything, see sapphire, AR coating and Cyclops on photos. And the photo requests are the ones in how to ask for a QC, plus a close-up of the lugs and bracelet.

6

And if the transition is a bit soft, is it a serious flaw?

7

It depends on how noticeable it is on the wrist. A slightly soft transition is one of the most common flaws and doesn’t affect how the watch works. Brushing in the wrong direction or a wavy polish stands out more. The vocabulary (lugs, case middle, bevels) is in the glossary of movements and parts.

8

Summary:

  1. Brushed = fine parallel lines, matte; polished = mirror.
  2. On photos: sharp border, lines in a single direction, even grain, polished reflections without waves.
  3. The light fools you: at least two angles, one with diffused light.
  4. Slightly soft transition: a common, purely cosmetic flaw; wrong direction or wavy polish stand out more.

Editorial summary, not independently verified.

9

Right. Point 3 applies to almost everything you judge on QC photos.