It really depends on what made that possibly watermark. I think it looks too dark to have been just water. For water marks I use hotter than normal water to get the color to shift but if this is another type of stain, hot water could set it in. It might wash off or it may be stubborn, but conditioning should help it blend in. The darkening of the handles is usually permanent. There is usually a layer of grime caused by hand oils which can be scraped or lightly sanded off, but you have to be careful not to damage the leather surface.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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This bag appears to be lilac? lavender? from the mid 90s that imo are a tough rehab for color restoring. That and several other colors like periwinkle, white and the bright greens were not dyes that really penetrated the surfaces of the hide like say darker colors or neutrals, but appeared to be applied almost in a layer, like a coat of paint. Hence the appearance of the color wearing off the surface. Because the color didn’t penetrate the surface deeply, it wears off and that is why it doesn’t come back, get restored with conditioning. Search for periwinkle here to get an idea. Other opinions are welcome!
Interesting on the recoloring balm! I hope you post back with the results and product. That being said, I an really in awe of the restorations that people here have done. I tend to be more of a rehabber that relies on conditioning darker and neutral bags.
Wow that came out great! Who doesn’t love a yellow??
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Suggestions -Just picked up this lovely lady today and am hoping for some tips on how to remove the water stains and lighten up the handles. she's very dry after having been stored for an era (look at the patina on the leather from the zipper!),l. I'm a little worried she's not going to survive a bath. I also have to figure out a way to fold & glue that little leather tab on the handle back under and create a better zipper pull....
I've successfully dunked and reconditioned a Willis and a station bag with CPR, Blackrocks, & renapur, but those bags were from the 90s and have a very different feel to the leather.
thoughts? suggestions?
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You might try a spot of Dawn (blue) dish soap on a damp soft toothbrush or rag and work it into the hand oil stains on the handles. Careful not to apply the blue soap thick enough to leave a blue tint to the handles, although any tint might come out in a dunk. If that helps to lighten or remove some of the hand oil, it could be a lengthy process to apply it all along the handles - but perhaps worth it. Body oil is very stubborn.
A dry soft toothbrush or maybe a suede/nubuc brush along the zipper residue might lift it some too, as the green is likely to be kind of "dusty" at this point.
Good luck - keep us posted please.
A before & after of this interesting bag I rehabbed & sold. I couldn’t find a name for it, I call it a “Turn lock Ergo”. It’s like a cross between a Legacy Slim Duffle, Weston shopper & an Ergo 
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This bag is supposed to be lavender (or lilac if that’s what coach called it). This is my fist time dealing a bag that is a unique color so I did not have expectations that I could return it to its original shade but maybe something close. I’m not ready to say I’m done with it yet but I need to step away and come back to it later. Anyway, here is how it’s looking so far. I welcome any and all critiques and / or advise.This bag appears to be lilac? lavender? from the mid 90s that imo are a tough rehab for color restoring. That and several other colors like periwinkle, white and the bright greens were not dyes that really penetrated the surfaces of the hide like say darker colors or neutrals, but appeared to be applied almost in a layer, like a coat of paint. Hence the appearance of the color wearing off the surface. Because the color didn’t penetrate the surface deeply, it wears off and that is why it doesn’t come back, get restored with conditioning. Search for periwinkle here to get an idea. Other opinions are welcome!
Interesting on the recoloring balm! I hope you post back with the results and product. That being said, I an really in awe of the restorations that people here have done. I tend to be more of a rehabber that relies on conditioning darker and neutral bags.
Wow that came out great! Who doesn’t love a yellow??
ETA: The lighting isn’t great. It was late so I had no natural light to work with.
The product I used for recoloring is The Original Leather Re-Coloring Balm by Furniture Clinic that I purchased on Amazon. The colors I used are maroon and white and mixed them until I felt It was as close as I was going to get.This bag appears to be lilac? lavender? from the mid 90s that imo are a tough rehab for color restoring. That and several other colors like periwinkle, white and the bright greens were not dyes that really penetrated the surfaces of the hide like say darker colors or neutrals, but appeared to be applied almost in a layer, like a coat of paint. Hence the appearance of the color wearing off the surface. Because the color didn’t penetrate the surface deeply, it wears off and that is why it doesn’t come back, get restored with conditioning. Search for periwinkle here to get an idea. Other opinions are welcome!
Interesting on the recoloring balm! I hope you post back with the results and product. That being said, I an really in awe of the restorations that people here have done. I tend to be more of a rehabber that relies on conditioning darker and neutral bags.
Wow that came out great! Who doesn’t love a yellow??
I’m working on this same bag. In my case ignorance is bliss so I didn’t hesitate to dunk. It came out of the bath nicely and while it was drying I kept applying CPR which also seemed to help blend any mystery discoloration. I took a cotton swab with alcohol to some smaller spots that seemed to take care of them for the most part. My bag needs a repair on one of the corners which is what I’m working on now. These bags and I are about the same age and I‘d say they have held up betterJust picked up this lovely lady today and am hoping for some tips on how to remove the water stains and lighten up the handles. she's very dry after having been stored for an era (look at the patina on the leather from the zipper!),l. I'm a little worried she's not going to survive a bath. I also have to figure out a way to fold & glue that little leather tab on the handle back under and create a better zipper pull....
I've successfully dunked and reconditioned a Willis and a station bag with CPR, Blackrocks, & renapur, but those bags were from the 90s and have a very different feel to the leather.
thoughts? suggestions?
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I've got one of these bags on my rehab pile. Brown from NY City. Looking at everyone's tips/tricks/outcomes before I touch mine.
This weekend's project is 2 city bags I found at GW for $25 each. Black has shoe polish as usual so thats where i start afyer taking off the turnlock. This is the 4th black city bag I have bought at the same GW!
A before & after of this interesting bag I rehabbed & sold. I couldn’t find a name for it, I call it a “Turn lock Ergo”. It’s like a cross between a Legacy Slim Duffle, Weston shopper & an Ergo
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That went quick! I just saw you posted this week on IG. Surprised you didn't keep her.
It’s an interesting bag but I needed the funds to buy something else… & the circle of bag buying continues!
Btw, I think you are totally right about the color and the leather. While recoloring I found it did not take the color balm evenly so I had to go back over some spots like I was sponge painting. Not sure I would ever take on a bag like this again.