But I'm pragmatic enough to know that if a watch is otherwise a lost cause, then it makes sense. Better than that being sat in a pile of demolition rubble, for sure!

Where a case has been mirror polished already (probably because that is by far the easiest finish to obtain), then brushing loses nothing (bar a bit more of the case material) as the original finish was lost already. But if the original finish is still at least partly evident, I like to leave alone.

It's worth stressing that there is no right answer here - it's all down to personal preference. But when someone has taken a saw to the case (!), it seems restoration is the way to go - I can't imagine it's something we'll have to consider often!