no, no, no, please!!! don't mess things up.316l is 316l while 904 steel is 904;. no need to invent the wheel here and contradict all that chemists, scientists and similar people state: these are different materials. take jewelry as an example: Swarovski shines as beautiful as Damiani, right? but, the stones are completely different!!! one is precision-cut crystal glass, while Damiani is pure precious stones and diamonds. Shine the same, well, almost the same, but the value is significantly different. So is with gold. 18K and 10K gold has absolutely different gold purity index and the price is als0 different respectively. So is steel, 904 and 316. If you can't see it with the naked eye, it Doesn't mean the different doesn't exist. you as an unprofessional can't spot the difference, but professional watchmaker will see it immediately. After polishing, a 316 steel watch looks good, but inferior to a 904l one. Again: if you cant' see it, it doesn't mean there is no difference!!!