A case that retains its original factory edges, bevels, and chamfers, never having been buffed by a service centre. Highly prized among vintage collectors for preserving the watch's original proportions.
Watch cases are typically polished during routine servicing to remove surface scratches, but polishing gradually rounds off and softens the sharp edges, bevels, and lug chamfers the case left the factory with. Over multiple services across decades, this can noticeably change a case's proportions and silhouette from its original design.
A case described as unpolished or sharp has avoided this, retaining its factory geometry exactly as produced. Among vintage collectors especially, this is treated as a significant value factor, since it preserves the watch closer to its original state and is impossible to restore convincingly once lost.
Polishing gradually rounds and softens the case's original factory edges and chamfers. Over multiple services across decades, this can visibly change its proportions, and vintage collectors specifically value cases that have avoided this.
Not convincingly. Once the original factory edges and chamfers have been softened by polishing, that geometry can't be genuinely restored, only approximated, which is why unpolished cases are valued so highly.
Not necessarily. A watch can be serviced internally without the case being polished, servicing and case polishing are separate decisions, though many service centres polish by default unless asked not to.