Portuguese Automatic 5001 - Scratch removal

I am a proud owner (purchased 4 weeks ago) of a Portuguese Automatic 5001 (black dial) 7 day power reserve - what a beautiful watch.
I am upset that the steel case has a small dent on the side (very small) just above the winder. My question is, when serviced, can this dent/scratch (and any others that might be made) be removed?
One of the problems with wearing a beautiful IWC is that they can inadvertantly be scratched.
I would be very happy to hear that it is possible to remove any scratches during servicing!
Please let me know.

Yes. It's unfortunate - when you feel and hear the loud "thud" after inadvertently cracking your wrist against a desk, door, metal railing, or other hard object. "What did I do ?!!??!"

I collected several dings, dents and scratches along the bezel and lugs of my 5022 Portuguese - and when I had it serviced after 4-years of wear - it came back in pristine, NEW condition. Perfect. It's amazing what they are able to do.

Hi I seem to aquire more dings and dents than the average IWC owner due to my work.
My wife constantly nags me not to wear my BP for work due to my mood swings after recieving my latest addition.
I had a service and refurb and I swear when it came back it was in pristine condition, I would say it looked better than it did from the showroom that I purchased it.
Alas I still wear it for work as I feel naked without it on my wrist but safe in the knowledge that it can return from schaffhausen after they have worked there magic.
rgds

Hi Robbie, first of all, congratulations on a great acquisition! I've had my 5001 for a year and it's my everyday watch. Along the way, I've collected innumerous dinks and dents mostly due to my own negligence. They annoyed me to no end initially, but one day, a friend asked me how I could ever identify my watch if it ever got mixed up with another of the same model. The answer was simple: there was one diminutive spot on the minute hand that had a slightly duller reflection, and there was a tiny scratch above the 11th hour marker.

My point is, all IWCs being what they are, will always arrive at the owners' doorsteps in the same immaculate condition. It is exactly these imperfections that truly make your watch different from any other out there and become an extension of your own character.

oops didn't mean to copy and re-post your comments JL!
Many thanks for all your comments and words of wisdom.
I am very happy to hear that the IWC service will return my beautiful watch to pristine condition, saying that I will still take as much care as possible to avoid further dings and dents, but wearing it every day the liklehood is a few more will happen.
One last point - I wear my IWC every day but rarely on a weekend. By midday Monday the power reserve is back to full 7 day power. This is astonishing and proves that the 5001 calibre is simply brilliant!

I think JL is absolutely right. Where would our timepieces be if not for the journey in life they take with us. The first dent is painful no doubt, but the partnership just grows deeper with every ticking second.

basically, I'm totally with this, but hey, discover 2 dents on the case because your wife slapped my IWC with her two rings...that's painful.

Ok, I'll hold fast avoid sending to IWC for a servicing, but I was wandering how can they remove a ding/dent from the case: I mean a scratch can be brushed off, but how can make disappear a thing that has caused a "deformation" in the shape of the metal without removing the metal itself and then modify the watch' shape?

Let me know if anyone knows about...

It is my understanding that when the watch goes back in for a service, part of the process involves treating the case with some form of laser treatment that builds the metal back up prior to linishing, polishing and any other finishing process to ensure the dents and scratches are filled and no longer visible- a bit of information I gleamed reading the little service booklet whilst I was waiting for my recently serviced watch to pop thru the magical delivery hole in the wall at Richemont a couple of weeks ago. Those IWC publications are a wealth of information :)

Any watch will pick up dings and scatches. Some are more prone than others - e.g. Panerai are particularly prone to bezel scuffs etc and the Port 5001 is another tall watch that is very easy to catch, but as others have said, you're better off living with them until it needs servicing in a few years when it will come back as new.

If you get it polished so early it will only last so long before you catch it again.

Just enjoy the watch - it's a classic.

Exactly - what good are these beautiful time pieces of ours if we cannot wear them, use them, look at them many times per day - and truly enjoy them??

Use them, within reason of course - remember they can always be fixed by the magicians in Schaffhausen :o)

Hi, I note how everyone says watches come back from Schaffhausen looking pristine with dings/dents removed. However, my question is do IWC service centres in other countries (in my case the UK) also have the facilities to 'remove' dings. I'm about to send my Mk 16 to the London service centre and I understand it will be serviced in London , not sent to schaffhausen. The lugs have a couple of dings which I'd like removed. Will they be able to do this in London, or, should I ask for the watch to be sent to Switzerland (no doubt at extra cost)?