09/09/2026
A little TLC on the keyless parts of this Omega pocket watch, including the minute and hour hands. I removed some slight pitting and worked through grits of 400 to finally arrive at 7000.
The next step for the hands is to gently heat until the colour changes from straw yellow to blue, to cherry red. Then rapidly cool. Polish away any carbon and reheat through the colours until you arrive at that deep blue steel look…or Zoolander steel! (Google it).
The timing is important in controlling the depth of blue. The bluing isn't just for aesthetics; it gives strength and elasticity to the steel. However, to obtain that added value, you must immediately cool the steel once you have achieved a dark blue tone. This cooling action locks the steel molecules in place; now you have springy steel. You can leave the colour as is or finely polish it back to a mirror finish.
