How to Easily Remove Scratches from Your Watch Crystal

For watch lovers, a fresh scratch on an otherwise flawless crystal is a devastating sight. The feeling can be even worse on a brand-new watch, or one that just returned from servicing. But before you send your tainted timepiece back for a crystal replacement, you may want to consider a home remedy. First you need to determine what can be done — and that depends on the type of crystal you’ve scratched.

Up until the 1980s, nearly all watches came equipped with an acrylic crystal to protect the dial and hands. Acrylic is used for its low cost and its capacity to be polished. A trip to the watch forums in search of scratch-fix techniques for this crystal type will yield about a dozen different remedies. Everyone seems to have the “correct” way of doing it, when, in reality, it’s hard to go wrong as long as you follow directions. The most commonly endorsed polishing agents are Polywatch, Brasso, Displex and toothpaste. The process consists of (1) covering up the bezel with tape, so as not to damage it during polishing; and (2) using a soft polishing rag (or something similar), to work a small amount of your chosen substance into the scratch in a circular motion. In general, it should take a couple of minutes to get rid of the scratches, as long as they’re not too deep. If your watch has very deep scratches, it might be worth paying for a crystal replacement.

Although acrylic crystals are still used on less expensive watches, many manufacturers have moved on to mineral glass. Mineral glass is created with a melting process involving glass and hardening minerals, a process that creates a material seven times harder than acrylic and far more scratch and impact resistant. That’s all well and good, but unfortunately this hardness creates difficulties when it comes to polishing. Many watchmakers simply recommend replacing these crystals, as the cost is negligible when compared to the parts and labor involved in doing it yourself.

Sapphire crystal is used by the high-end watchmakers. Sapphire scores a solid 9 out of 10 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale, just below diamond, making it even more scratch resistant than mineral glass. With its awesome capabilities, sapphire comes at a premium. Depending on the kind of watch you own or where you go for repairs, a sapphire crystal replacement can run anywhere from $75 to $250. A little bit of research and some elbow grease can restore your crystal for less than $30. Even though sapphire is harder than mineral glass, the extra effort is worth the payoff. But before diving into our sapphire-polishing process, take note: this remedy should be reserved for crystals with an internal anti-reflective coating, unless you are okay with removing said coating. Additionally, this remedy works best for shallow scratches. Repairing deep scratches is much more labor intensive, and you can end up with a distorted crystal.

Step 1: Tape your bezel.

Protect your bezel from the diamond paste with masking tape, in the same way you would protect wood trim when painting a room.

Step 2: Begin buffing.

Apply a small amount of 3µ paste to the scratch, working it in a firm circular motion with the cloth. After a few minutes, you should start to see the scratch disappearing.

Step 3: Continue buffing.

Once the scratch has faded, wipe away the excess and apply the .25µ paste. Pick a new spot on your cloth and begin the same circular motion as before. This ultra-fine paste will give your crystal the glass-like finishing it once had. When you’re satisfied with the disappearing act, wipe away the excess paste and inspect your work.

Step 4: Repeat (if necessary).

If the scratch remains, rinse and repeat from steps two and three. If it’s gone, rinse and wipe away residue or fingerprints with a watch cloth.

Everything You’ll Need

0.5 Micron Lapping Paste by TEMO $7
3 Micron DP3 Dia-Paste by DMT $17
Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape by 3M $3
Microfiber Cleaning Cloth (6 Pack) by MagicFiber $9

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

How the Old-School Signet Ring Found a Modern Appeal

When Mona Jensen and her husband Morten Isachsen got married in 2010, neither one of them could find the perfect wedding band. And after an extensive search for something appropriate that felt personal, Jensen — the designer behind the Norweigan jewelry brand Tom Wood — and her fiance alighted on a pair of vintage signet rings. To commemorate their union, they had their wedding date engraved on the flat, oval surfaces of each one.

“After that, I started to like the weight and feeling of the wedding ring, it became an important part of my daily wear,” Jensen said. “So it was very natural to start out with signet rings as I knew them well by wearing one for years.”

Her first jewelry collection for Tom Wood, launched in 2013, was focused around “a modern interpretation of the rings,” she said. “They are still an important part of our collections.”

Cushion Inka Black Ring by Tom Wood $433

Fast forward a few years, and Jensen is far from the only jewelry maker offering the rings. Brands large and small have caught onto its appeal. And that might be because this recently trendy ring has a history older than the modern concept of trendiness.

Long before we suffered the irony of clicking a box to prove to our robot overlords that we are, in fact, flesh-and-blood humans, an engraved seal was mankind’s way to demonstrate that certain important documents were signed for and authenticated. And a signet ring was the tool by which many people were able to readily leave such an imprint.

Sterling Silver Multistone Ring by Foundwell Coming Soon

Signet rings, which have been worn by Ancient Egyptian royalty and modern rappers alike, are history’s first and most lasting mark of self-identification — the original signature. Historically, their bezels were set with an engraved relief of a family crest, or some other marking that would help to classify its wearer. These wearable stamps could be pressed into warm wax, leaving an impression that said, in effect, “I approve.”

“I like the historical aspect and tend to get a lot of inspiration from vintage pieces that have a bigger reason to be a part of a person’s life,” Jensen said.

For Tom Wood, Jensen offers a variety of signet ring styles, some smooth, some with whimsical markings, others decorated with coins and many inlaid with stones like turquoise, lapis or mother of pearl. Lots of other brands are also on board. From the subversive blank bezels offered by the French labels A.P.C. and Maison Martin Margiela to the Game of Thrones-leaning designs at David Yurman, there are endless options for guys looking to get into the trend. (And if you want to carve your crest or initials into the surface, you can still reach for clean, modern designs like the ones from Tiffany & Co.)

Sterling Silver Ring by TAKAHIROMIYASHITA THESOLOIST. $760

“Not so long ago, wearing jewelry was a pretty bold statement for a man, but we’ve noticed a significant increase in the offering for men, and in particular, with signet rings.”

The style has resurfaced throughout history in various iterations. Its best-known descendants, the class ring and the championship ring, serve the dual function of being decorative and proving membership to a specific club or institution. Which makes sense: these rings originally belonged almost exclusively to the noble classes, so they carry a reputation of exclusivity and serve as a not-so-subtle signifier of privilege. And while these days we don’t need to go to such extremes to show that we approve of a contract or graduated from a certain school, the signet ring is so recognizable and adaptable, especially in its purest form, that it’s still a key piece in the jewelry market.

Cigar Brushed Silver Ring by Miansai $95

“I think the signet ring is the entry point into men’s jewelry,” says Simon Spiteri, the senior buyer at the luxury online men’s retailer Mr Porter, noting that there are as many signet rings offered with decoration as without. “They often are simple and understated, so it’s not an overwhelming or intimidating purchase.”

And there are lots of options on the market right now. Earlier this year, a report from Reuters emphasized that the men’s luxury market was set to outpace womenswear in coming years, led by accessories and shoes. This proliferation of signet rings mirrors both that growth, but as well as changing attitudes toward what a guy can get away with wearing. “Not so long ago, wearing jewelry was a pretty bold statement for a man, but in the in the past five years, we’ve noticed a significant increase in the offering for men, and in particular, with signet rings,” says Spiteri.

Heirloom Sterling Silver Onyx Ring by David Yurman Coming Soon

In these times when the formerly understood status symbols are being upended — sneakers are now office-appropriate, slouchy track pants are being worn in lieu of selvedge denim — these sorts of throwbacks can be a sly way to broadcast a certain upper crust aura. But that’s not to suggest that every plugged-in millennial wearing one of these things is trying to go undercover as gentry. “I’d like to think consumers are thinking about sealing envelopes in wax with their signet rings, but it’s all about the style,” says Spiteri. “Today, you go on Instagram and see a range of guys like Jeff Goldblum, A$AP Rocky and Colin Firth wearing signet rings and think, ‘I can wear that.’ More and more, it’s become a wardrobe essential.”

The 16 Best Men’s Grooming Gifts That’ll Improve His Morning

There’s no shortage of guys out there who care about they way they look — and spend a lot of time in the mirror so they can put their best face forward. But a lot of them have grooming regimens that are so plugged in and optimized that it can be hard to find holiday gifts that aren’t redundant or downright insulting. If you’ve got such a guy on your list, fret not: Below you’ll find a handful of gift suggestions that will make enhance his morning routine.

Lorenzi Milano Toothpaste Squeezer

Even for guys who have great smiles, the routine maintenance of brushing your teeth can feel more like a chore than anything else. This luxurious toothpaste squeezer adds a little fun to this important ritual — and ensures that he gets every last drop out of whatever tube of toothpaste he likes most. Which means eventually, it’ll pay for itself.

Quip Subscription

One of the great benefits of the millennialization of products? No-friction automatic refills. An annual Quip subscription comes with new brush heads that are delivered every three months. It’ll keep his smile (and his most important oral-care tool) fresh.

Marvis Toothpaste Gift Set

Minty toothpaste is so ubiquitous that it’s almost boring. But what’s not boring is Marvis’s collection of great-tasting toothpastes, all of which are inspired by trips to far-flung destinations.

Baxter of California Safety Razor Set

Guys who prefer to go clean shaven have a lot of options for getting hair off their cheeks and chins. But the longtime gold standard is a safety razor, like this one from Baxter of California. Paired with a boar-bristle brush, it’s one of the best ways to get a close shave with no irritation — and minimize the risk for razor bumps.

Penhaligon’s Sartorial Shaving Soap

One of the best smelling soaps on the market, Sartorial is a few cuts above anything you can find in a can on a supermarket shelf. And don’t let its price fool you — we know guys who’ve gotten over a year of use out of a single puck. When they’re done, refills (at $30 apiece) fit neatly into this well-shaped wooden bowl.

Wahl Stainless Steel Beard Trimmer

If he prefers electric, treat him to this stainless steel beard trimmer. It’s one of our favorites here at Gear Patrol — and the one we recommend as the best all-around trimmer on the market.

Gillette Razor Maker Handle

For true individuals, nothing beats something customized. Gillette’s Razor Maker offers the ability to 3D print a custom handle that will work with the preffered cartidge of your gift recipient’s choosing. You can even have their name engraved on its base.

This Is Ground Ritual Wash Kit

Dopp kits have no shortage of problems, but This Is Ground’s new wash bag is thoroughly considered. Its shape makes it easy to hang up when you’re on the go — and, more importantly, to fit those tall, skinny TSA-approved travel bottles.

ONME 15-Piece Manicure Toolkit

If you want to stay fresh on the road, a manicure kit is one of the best routes there. This one features all of the tools you’ll need to keep your fingers and toes in prime condition.

Martin Margiela Replica Candle

Without saying too much: Every bathroom feels (and smells) better with a candle in it. This is one of the best you can get.

CB2 Curve Match Ball Striker

Without saying too much more: How are you going to light candles without matches?

Jack Black Turbo Wash 33 oz. Bottle

Long before the current verve for naturally derived grooming products, Jack Black made a commitment to combine nature’s best ingredients with science’s best delivery mechanisms. Its flagship bodywash is its best-selling product — it works, but it also smells amazing.

Dew Puff Facial Sponge

Facial sponges, like this one made from the Japanese konjac root, sit between washing your face with your hands or with a high-speed facial brush. They offer a gentle exfoliation that doesn’t irritate the skin but still helps with cell turnover.

Jaxon Lane Bro Mask

You might laugh at the name, but Jaxon Lane’s Bro Mask is one of the best masks for guys on the market. Its hydrogel sheet is packed with antioxidants to treat dark spots and acne, peptides that wrinkles and loads of other active ingredients that give your skin a glow. Each pack includes four masks, and each mask is split into two halves, one for the top of your face and one for the bottom. Which means that if you have a beard, you can still use one part on your forehead, cheeks and nose.

Aesop Fabulous Face Oil

In the dead of winter, there’s nothing more moisturizing than a facial oil designed to deliver serious hydration to tired, congested skin. This product from Aesop lives up to its name.

DS & Durga Cowboy Grass

We’ve tested a lot of fragrances here at Gear Patrol, but DS & Durga’s Cowboy Grass is one of a small handful that we keep coming back to over and over again. And we’re willing to bet whoever you gift it too will too.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

Inside the Stores Shaping the Future of Brick and Mortar Retail

From Issue Seven of Gear Patrol Magazine.

It’s hard to remember now, almost a decade after it was founded, but Aether‘s first physical store wasn’t a shop. At least not in the traditional sense. It was a trailer. When the brand started offering minimalist technical apparel in 2009, it sold its wares through a few wholesale accounts and on its website. But then, after a couple of years of growth, the time came to find a way to reach new audiences. So its founders, Jonah Smith and Palmer West, customized an Airstream, dubbed it the “Aetherstream” and started towing it around America. “Our initial approach was this mobile pop-up store that could go around the country and not look like a typical pop-up,” Smith said.

The success of the Aetherstream led to stand-alone stores: one in a traditional building in New York and another in San Francisco, where instead of using standard construction techniques, the brand stacked three shipping containers on top of each other to house its clothing. “We transitioned into our own store at the same time we transitioned out of traditional wholesale accounts,” West said. “We found that if we could present our story, we could dramatically outperform what our hundred-and-some-odd wholesale accounts were doing for us.” These physical locations gave the brand a chance to share its design ethos, contextualizing the clothing in the process. “If you like our stores, you’re probably going to like our clothes,” West said.

Aether is one of a handful of brands changing guys’ perceptions of going shopping — and it’s part of a small class of stores doing that without adding too many superfluous details to the shopping experience.

Aether’s San Francisco store is made up of shipping containers stacked on top of each other.

“There’s a certain integrity that a brand should maintain,” said Garen Barsegian, the 32-year-old founder of New York’s Whooden Collective, a multidisciplinary creative firm that creates content for media companies, agencies and brands. “The idea of adding extra things to stores is a marketer’s idea or an accountant’s idea — those are the wrong people to be making choices like that for a brand.” While some features add to the product experience and can help shopping decisions — like treadmills in the Nike store — others don’t. “Would I go to the Nike store to play basketball? No,” Barsegian said.

And he would know. In his line of work, Barsegian has to look his best — and think deeply about how to help brands attract new customers while keeping current ones interested. But because he frequently works twelve-hour days, he has to limit how much time he spends in physical stores. “I want to make life as easy as possible,” he said. “For things that are high-dollar-amount items that require you to feel and to touch, I prefer to go into the store. Once you have your favorites, it’s easy to just reorder [online].”

It’s part of why he does a portion of his shopping at Mr Porter. “It’s nice when you can have something same-day messengered to your office. You can try it on, you don’t have to think about it and then they take it away,” he said. That ease makes it all the more challenging to get guys into stores.

“If someone comes into your space, and they feel good, they’re going to want to come back and spend time in there.”

“The most important thing is that it’s quick, it’s instinctive,” said Toby Bateman, the Managing Director for Mr Porter. “When we look at the journey the customer takes on-site, it’s got to be really simple.” When Mr Porter launched in 2011, it was one of the first e-commerce sites dedicated to men’s clothing. It was able to tap into the resources of The Net-a-Porter Group, its female-centric parent company, to offer an unparalleled user experience with great service, an intuitive interface, personalized packaging and inspiring on-site content. The brand offers a staggering array of clothing from high-end luxury brands to accessible casual brands and, most importantly, launches new products three times a week.

“Physical stores don’t tend to launch new products every week,” Bateman said. “They get a delivery at the beginning of the season, they put all the stock out on the shop floor and they merchandise it.” The rolling release process is integral to Mr Porter’s success and has created a new way for men to think about clothing. “That has caused a seismic shift in the way that men approach shopping,” he said. “It’s gone from being traditionally a need-based activity for a lot of men, to men now getting really engaged in clothing.”

It’s a change that’s led shoppers to expect even more from the physical stores they visit. Before starting at Mr Porter in 2010, Bateman worked in department stores for 15 years, watching the industry evolve with the rise of e-commerce. “I think there’s more interesting product, it’s more dynamic,” he said. “There are more opportunities to be individual and to make a statement for your own particular style and to have the freedom and the resources to help you develop that style.”

Filson’s New York City store was thoughtfully filled with art, artifacts and materials from the Pacific Northwest, where the brand was founded.

With online stores offering an incredible assortment of products and unparalleled service, what’s the purpose and the function of physical stores today? It’s a question that’s more pressing than ever before. In April of 2018, CoStar Group, a leading tracker of commercial real estate, reported that retailers in the United States had closed 77 million square feet of store space, priming the industry to set a new record for store closures. (In total, 2017 saw 105 million square feet close.)

But there’s a bright spot in the style space. Brands that sell clothing realize that stores can no longer just be places where you make a transaction. They’re important stages where brands and retailers can tell their stories and help their products stand apart — and make the argument that they’re more in tune with you than their competitors. And as a result, more thought is going into store design and experience than ever before: brands are commissioning local artists for interiors and are integrating cafés, bars and barbershops to further cater to customer needs. While this shake-up in the market creates an interesting challenge for businesses, it’s overwhelmingly positive for male consumers.

Under the leadership of its chief creative director Alex Carleton, Seattle-based Filson has overhauled its in-store experiences. “It would be a very different experience to go to Yellowstone and stay in a modern white box brought to you by Marriott, as opposed to staying in the Old Faithful Inn.” he said. “That’s how we looked at creating retail for Filson. We wanted to create spaces that reflected the quality and the heritage and the history of the brand.”

“Going into a store, trying a garment on, feeling it, seeing how it fits you — that’s an emotional experience.”

In 2015, Filson opened its flagship store in Seattle, a soaring space with a vaulted ceiling supported by massive wooden beams. The unique space, opened to coincide with the brand’s 120th anniversary, feels more like a modern hunting lodge than a place where you’d go to buy a briefcase.

Following that success, Filson opened a New York City flagship this fall. “I can safely say it will not look like any other place in New York City,” Carleton vowed. And he might be right. After all, how many other stores use reclaimed Douglas fir, sourced from an 1850s barn once housed on a fourth-generation family-run cattle ranch in Ashland, Oregon, in their entryways? Featuring traditional wood joinery, the seven and a half tons of reclaimed barn wood is complemented by art from Pacific Northwest artists Aleph Geddis, Alexis Hilliard, David Fjeld and Jeffrey Samudosky. The 6,000 square-foot, two-story store includes a ground-floor men’s department complete with a bar. There’s another bar, as well as a sitting room, in the women’s department on the mezzanine level.

“We don’t reference other retail stores,” Carleton said. “We reference museums, we reference galleries, we reference parks, we reference recreational sites. We reference everything but retail.”

The focus on a unique experience that is not derivative of other shops is key to the brand’s success as it continues to plan other flagship stores in major cities. As Filson forges ahead in the digital generation, Carleton continues to champion the brand’s deep history, creating distinctive experiences for customers. “I think too many retailers are focused on trying to be all things to all people, and we absolutely are not that brand,” he said. “And I think in today’s market, when everything is available, really the only thing you have is your own personality.”

Though Filson is drawing on a rich history, the goal is something far less tangible. “We’re focusing on the feeling of the space as opposed to just the metrics of the space,” said Carlton. “If somebody comes into your space and they feel good, and the people are personable, and the energy is right, and the character of the place is great, you’re going to want to come back and you’re going to want to spend time in there,” he said.

“You’re going to want to connect with the brand,” Carleton added, “and the way you connect is by walking out with something in your hand.”

Or, alternatively, by going into a store and letting a sales associate place an online order for you, to be delivered to your home or office later. That’s the way it works at Warby Parker. The eight-year-old direct-to-consumer eyewear brand was founded as an e-commerce operation. And while you can still buy its glasses online, it now has 75 physical stores across the United States and Canada.

“I think we surprised a lot of people when we started opening stores,” said Warby Parker cofounder and co-CEO David Gilboa. “At the time, there was this perception that e-commerce was really the wave of the future and that all physical retail was going away.” But the idea to open brick-and-mortar came from customer demand. People wanted a chance to try different frames and have face-to-face conversations about prescriptions and optics. “We’ve seen really great synergy between having a great online presence and a great off-line presence,” Gilboa said. “When we open a store in a new market, we see an immediate spike in [online] sales in that geography and a sustained elevated lift in sales in those cities.”

Warby Parker made a conscious choice to showcase the brand’s wide range of affordable eyewear in a nontraditional setting. “When you walk into one of our stores, you’ll immediately notice it looks nothing like a typical optical shop,” Gilboa said. “Instead of having our frames behind lock-and-key in cases, we have all our frames out on open library shelves.” The brand merges elements of online efficiency within a physical space, and in-store advisors utilize customers’ past shopping history to offer optimal service.

With plans to open another 15 retail stores by the end of 2018, Gilboa is confident about the future of brick-and-mortar retail. “There’s always going to be a desire for humans to interact with other humans,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure that we have a product and experience that is convenient and engaging, and it also has to be integrated with our online experience.”

But it’s not only online start-ups that are finding success in this new landscape. San Francisco’s Unionmade, founded in 2009, is one of a group of smaller multi-brand retailers that have managed to keep their doors open, and that’s largely due to a focus on its customers’ needs.

“We have a really strong brick-and-mortar business because we have a differentiated experience that’s being offered,” said cofounder Todd Barket, who attributed that strength to loyal customers from before Unionmade offered e-commerce. After spending 20 years at Gap as the head of visual merchandising, Barket created a store that merchandised its products around ideas, presenting different points of view and a mix of well-made brands. The store’s inventory has evolved over the past decade from an assortment of denim-centric heritage brands to include a number of complementary contemporary designers. And following a recent renovation, these newer styles are displayed in their own part of the store.

“I think there are people who have moved beyond denim and button-down oxford shirts and t-shirts who want something even more unique or more interesting,” Barket said. “I wear a sweatshirt so I shop both sides [of the store], but I may want a weird drop-crotch wrap chino pant from Prospective Flow. We’re all about mixing everything.”

“There’s always going to be a desire for humans to interact with other humans.”

Unionmade built its own e-commerce store in 2011 after numerous requests from customers. The site promotes the brand’s point of view with a much wider customer base, and in hand with social media, strengthens the overall business. “I’m convinced that if we didn’t have online, our brick-and-mortar business wouldn’t be what it is,” Barket said.

But for him, there’s a major point of difference between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar. “Going to a store, trying a garment on, feeling it, seeing how it fits you — I think that’s an emotional experience,” he said. “I think shopping online is something out of convenience; it’s like checking boxes and kind of getting things done.”

But for many growing brands trying to gain new customers, traditional storefronts with long-term leases don’t seem like a strong investment. In 2017, Aether began experimenting with a temporary modular store on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The set-up consists of dressing rooms, full-length mirrors, tables, checkouts, shelves, racks and displays, all of which fits into a Sprinter van. “It gives us the flexibility and the ability to be in front of a new group of people in a quicker period of time without the financial commitment of a traditional store,” Smith said. Along with a five- or ten-year leases, retail stores normally require costly interior construction before opening for business. Aether finds short-term leases and circumvents initial build-out costs with its modular system. “We can paint a space and be selling clothes within forty-eight hours,” Smith said.

The modular store was so popular that Aether has plans to use another similar system on the West Coast. “This is a way that we can try neighborhoods, cities, areas where there’s a group of people coming that might not be familiar with the brand,” Smith said. “And one of the big jobs of retail these days is to get in front of people so they know what the brand is.” The success of Aether’s modular store has proven that beautiful design and flexible spaces aren’t mutually exclusive, which creates exciting possibilities for the future of retail in underserved markets across the country.

These Basics from Goldwin and Geoff McFetridge Are Too Cool to Pass Up