Hi!
This post isn't really about my Portuguese Chronograph that I got about 12
years ago and still love, it's about the box it came in. After all these
years, the rubberized surface has become sticky, with dirt and dust
practically gluing itself to it.
It's a lovely box, so I really don't want to have to throw it out... Does
anyone have any suggestions on how to clean it up without damaging it (like
accidentally rubbing off the white IWC print and text)?
Grateful in advance,
/Jan
I had the same problem and used a cooker grease cleaner. Spray each side of
the box with the degreaser and let it work for about 10 minutes. Then wipe
vigorously with a cloth. This procedure may have to be repeated several times
until the covering is completely removed.
After that, the box is more anthracite than black and the writing is
completely retained.
When this is done, clean the box well with a damp cloth.
I am very satisfied with that work.
Good luck trying
That method worked great! The top and the sides are nearly perfect after the
first run! I used the "Cillit Bang Kitchen Degreaser" (the only one I found on
the store shelf) and, after spraying the surfaces, let it set for 10 minutes -
just like you said!
Though, I did try it first on a knob for a stereo receiver that had gone
sticky in the same way, just to know what to expect.
I'm waiting for the second run on the top of the box to do it's thing, but so
far there is no hint of the surface becoming lighter nor has the printing
faded!
- Unfortunately, the felt on the bottom of the box didn't appreciate the
treatment (even though I didn't spray the bottom). However, the bottom of a
box isn't really all that relevant in my case (pun almost intended).
However, I'm really glad that the contents of the box is of much higher
quality than the box itself! :)
Edit: As the felt wasn 't up to snuff, I decided to remove it. I found
new print!
My guess is
that IWC wanted to optimize their rubber material and just covered the back
piece with felt in order to "fix it".
Nice to see that these boxes in such condition can be revived!
I just thought that I'd post a photo (albeit amateurish) of the end result.
I'm really happy with how it turned out! No yucky sticky glue-ish rubber at
all, nor has it changed color! Thank you for the help!
