# Brushed or polished? How to read finishes on QC photos (and why the light fools you) **URL:** \ **Category:** Newbie Corner\ **Tags:** question\ **Created:** [October 31, 2026, 10:22am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687 "2026-10-31T10:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quadrante\_curioso](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/quadrante_curioso/32/314_2.png) [@quadrante\_curioso](https://superreps.net/u/quadrante_curioso)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:22am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/1 "2026-10-31T10:22:42Z")
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._ ---
**Author:** ![bilanciere](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/bilanciere/32/268_2.png) [@bilanciere](https://superreps.net/u/bilanciere)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/2 "2026-10-31T10:23:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![occhiodilince](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/occhiodilince/32/299_2.png) [@occhiodilince](https://superreps.net/u/occhiodilince)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/3 "2026-10-31T10:23:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![zaffiro\_pignolo](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/zaffiro_pignolo/32/314_2.png) [@zaffiro\_pignolo](https://superreps.net/u/zaffiro_pignolo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/4 "2026-10-31T10:23:35Z")
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]] ---
**Author:** ![corona\_ribelle](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/corona_ribelle/32/289_2.png) [@corona\_ribelle](https://superreps.net/u/corona_ribelle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/5 "2026-10-31T10:23:53Z")
The same goes as for the crystal: there too the light changes everything, see [sapphire, AR coating and Cyclops on photos](https://superreps.net/t/sapphire-crystal-anti-reflective-cyclops-magnification-qc-photos/336). And the photo requests are the ones in [how to ask for a QC](https://superreps.net/t/how-to-ask-for-qc-or-legit-check/105), plus a close-up of the lugs and bracelet. ---
**Author:** ![quadrante\_curioso](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/quadrante_curioso/32/314_2.png) [@quadrante\_curioso](https://superreps.net/u/quadrante_curioso)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:24am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/6 "2026-10-31T10:24:11Z")
And if the transition is a bit soft, is it a serious flaw? ---
**Author:** ![rotore\_sincero](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/rotore_sincero/32/271_2.png) [@rotore\_sincero](https://superreps.net/u/rotore_sincero)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:24am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/7 "2026-10-31T10:24:29Z")
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](https://superreps.net/t/watch-movements-parts-glossary/111). ---
**Author:** ![occhiodilince](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/occhiodilince/32/299_2.png) [@occhiodilince](https://superreps.net/u/occhiodilince)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:24am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/8 "2026-10-31T10:24:46Z")
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._ ---
**Author:** ![bilanciere](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/bilanciere/32/268_2.png) [@bilanciere](https://superreps.net/u/bilanciere)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:25am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/satinato-o-lucido-come-leggere-le-finiture-nelle-foto-qc-e-perche-la-luce-inganna/31687/9 "2026-10-31T10:25:04Z")
Right. Point 3 applies to almost everything you judge on QC photos.