Titanium Seiko case muxk.

[Kevin]

Hi

I bought a non working Seiko with a titanium case and bracelet. It has to rank as one of the dirtiest watches i have ever seen

every link was encrusted and almost not moving.

After removing the non working movement I placed the case and bracelet in the ultrasonic cleaner with a mild cleaning solution.

With in a few seconds the water had turned jet black and very oily. I changed the solution a further three times and kept getting much the

same result, black water. The case and bracelet are clean to the eye now but the solution in the cleaner is still turning black.

My question is am I missing something, is there a reason the water is turning black as I cant see there being enough dirt on the case or bracelet

to cause this.

The cleaning solution I use is a mild no salt detergent designed to clean delicate metal parts.

This is not a huge problem as  the watch is looking great, im just a bit baffled.

 

Many thanks Kevin

 

[Ishima]

Unfortunately it probably just is that dirty within the gaps you cant see, I could tell you a few horror stories of ultrasonic cleanings for customers i wish id never agreed to. I'd be tempted to keep persevering with it, i wouldn't want to wear a watch i knew was 'contaminated' like that even if it looked to be okay on the surface. 

Edited December 21, 2017 by Ishima

[clockboy]

With really dirty bracelets & cases I always clean by hand first using warm soapy water & an old tooth brush. Then ultra sonic clean. This method saves time & the cleaning solution.

[Pip]

I agree with @clockboy - I've ended up with a tub of mulligatawny soup too many times!

[wls1971]

It could be that the person that originally owned the watch worked somewhere that contaminated the watch such as printer or dye worker.

I used to work in the chemical dye industry, these where normally supplied in very fine powders that tend to get every where . There would be plenty of spaces between the links for this to get into, I used to wear cheap rubber strapped quartz watches these where easy to clean.

Even with full protective clothing on and face mask these powders would find there way into anything you wore.

I would say it could probably be contamination from the original owner.

[Kevin]

Thank you chaps.

I resorted to the high pressure airline, and a seventh run in the ultrasonic bath.

Water is now staying clean.

Kevin

[Neileg]

With a contaminated SS bracelet I have found a long soak in WD40 followed by hot water and detergent was very effective. Not sure about a plated finish though.
Neil


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[Outlaw]

Hi Kevin,

Yes, very dirty watches are a problem for contaminating the solution that you use in your ultrasonic cleaner and making it useless for another cleaning job. I'm not sure that there is a sure-fire way to avoid this on the extremely dirty watches every time but there are certain things that you can do to reduce the amount of dirt on the casing/bracelet before you pop it in your ultrasonic tank.

I use the ultrasonic tank now as the final stage of the clean. I used to first use peg wood to remove all the obvious and large chunks of 'crud' then use a scratch brush (compatible with the material it is rubbing against' to get in to the hard to reach areas. I would then use a nylon bristle brush to get any left over stubborn bits. Then I'd pop it in the ultrasonic and most of the time this would help to preserve the solution and allow better longevity of the product.

Now though, due to the need to offer faster turnaround times I use an Elma ES 4.5 steam cleaner which is a basic model but does the trick magnificently if you encounter a dirty bracelet or casing and time is of the essence. It means extra expense, but, well worth the investment if you are doing a lot of cleaning and time is important.

A good ultrasonic tank with a heater built-in is also very helpful. I use water and Hagerty's ultrasonic jewel clean in my tank and it seems to leave a good finish. I know I'm rambling now but one last recommendation would be to get a good drying chamber as it helps with turnaround times and definitely improves the finish. Usually the casing and bracelet only take 5 minutes in the micro dryer that I use and you get a nice streak-free finish every time and more importantly, you don't get that black dirty liquid seepage from the pin holes on the bracelet when you dry with kitchen roll for example. It's especially good if you are drying a case since you are guaranteed that no moisture will be left in a crevice and then steam up on the glass in a few days after the watch has been cased up.

I hope this helps.

David

[jdm]

32 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

Hi Kevin,

Yes, very dirty watches are a problem for contaminating the solution that you use in your ultrasonic cleaner and making it useless for another cleaning job.

Try warm water and dishes detergent. U/S is totally optional. A good brushing, job done.