Above
2-year gloss retention dataset.
Tests conducted by Q-Trac in the Arizona desert using the real world Natural Sunlight Concentrator and measuring gloss stability (retention) over 24 months.
Explanation
The graph shows gloss levels over time. The start point gloss readings are considered as 100%, or full gloss. Subsequent gloss measurements are recorded as % of starting gloss level.
The 4 traces represent fading gloss over time for a polished marine paint. AWLGRIP® a leading high performance marine paint was used throughout this test.
The top-most trace shows the gloss performance of marine3S. Faded paint has first been restored with G|techniq P1 polish, then coated with G|techniq C1 Crystal Lacquer.
The second top-most trace shows the worsening gloss performance of the same process, but without the protective measure of applying C1. Ie this is what can be expected by polishing with P1, then not finishing off with a protective coating.
Whilst the performance of P1 polish alone is not as strong as the full marine3S combination, as we would expect, it still performs very strongly against the traditional compound abrasive (bottom most trace).
As can be seen compound abrasive has a dramatically damaging effect on marine paint, retaining less than 40% gloss after 24 months. Given that this is the most commonly used method to fight fading gloss and colour on marine craft around the world, simply swapping your existing polish with P1 seems like a no brainer.
Our competitors
The second bottom trace shows the effect on polishing that coating thereafter with an advanced polymer wax has. It performs better than polish alone.
But importantly, this combination still significantly underperforms G|techniq P1 polish alone. It's completely blown away by the full marine3S combination.
We feel this is an important result, as it underlies the effectiveness of P1 polish for use on delicate paints. As we say, P1 is hard on scratches, kind on paint.
Top Tip
So, if you've got a yacht, simply swapping your existing polish for P1 is like putting money in the bank. Or, to put another way, it's like not setting fire to any more bank notes. Multiply these gains further still with the full power of marine3S.
Of course, you don't need a yacht to benefit from G|techniq 3S. If you've got a car, an aircraft, or toy box full of goodies, the same principles apply across the board.
Forget the data! Just show me what it means
Although it's important in determining if we're on the right path or not, the data doesn't tell the whole story.
No. For the complete picture you need to really see how the same paint performs over time when protected and treated in different ways.
So here's a photo taken at 24 months exposure by our Hong Kong weather testing lab. This time its a high performance, high gloss poly urethane paint from DuPont. The test panel has been exposed to one of the world's toughest climates, with high temperatures, heavy pollution and humidity thrown in for good measure.
The big visual difference here is not just the loss of colour and gloss over 24 months, but also the staining and other surface marks that we have to endure in the real world.
And the great news is that with G|techniq 3S, you not only get great gloss and colour, but real protection from grime and stain build up.
