Poor man's watch thread

[Jazzmenco]

 

[Jazzmenco]

 

[mimo]

That's an interesting beast, Jazzer, tell us a bit about it?

 

[Jazzmenco]

It is a Chase Durer conquest model. They specialize in military and pilot style watches. Picked it up on eBay a few years back when I was just "getting into it".

 

[mimo]

They have some fun designs. I wish they were mechanical. #quartzsnob

 

[Jazzmenco]

This is automatic, I believe most of their models are. I still allow a few quartz in my collection but I much prefer mechanical also.

 

[mimo]

Thanks for the clarification! Seems just my luck the ones that leapt out to me on their website all said "ETA Quartz". But I see there are some current auto versions too. Tempting!

 

[mosy]

How much does it cost to get a vintage watch repolished so that the scratches in the case are minimized?

 

[starro]

How much does it cost to get a vintage watch repolished so that the scratches in the case are minimized?

Do it and you destroy the value of the watch.

 

[Jazzmenco]

 

[mosy]



Do it and you destroy the value of the watch.

Interesting. Can you explain? do vintage watches need scratches for their value? What if it's not an expensive watch and I just want it to look as new as possible?

 

[starro]

Interesting. Can you explain? do vintage watches need scratches for their value? What if it's not an expensive watch and I just want it to look as new as possible?

Sure. Collectors and buyers of vintage pieces look for 2 qualities: originality and consistency. A watch with all original parts--dial, crown, case, movement--sells for more than one with a refinished dial, or a franken. Similarly a watch where the patina on the dial matches the scratches on the case and the wear on the movement will sell for more than a mismatch (e.g. aged dial but shining case and bracelet); ceteris paribus of course.

Of course, most vintage watches do not have much in the way of real value that a serious collector would be interested in. Even so, I'm still personally against polishing, for 2 reasons. One, polishing is the removal of metal, so overpolishing wears down the case much more quickly. And two, scratches happen naturally to everyone (so we should all get over our irrational peeve). So if you go the polish route, you will get only a few months of a pristine surface before you put new dents in it. If you go OCD with polishing every time you see a scratch, then we return to point #1, the premature wearing down of the case.

But, to answer your original question, yes any jeweler or watchmaker can do this. In fact if you don't want them to you'd have to tell them not to when you bring in the watch for service. And of course, there's a big range in the quality of polishing.

 

[dfwcowboy]

Buy in bulk? That sounds like a better argument for avoiding like the plague. 3 out of 7 dead almost immediately and one more on death's door - why would you ever buy another? What are the odds the 3 still working stay that way for any length of time? Money down the drain is still money down the drain even when it's not a lot of money total. I'll take the Seiko 5. Every single time.

There's a certain novelty aspect to the HMT that you don't get with a Seiko. It's like comparing a Holga to a Nikon. It's a small miracle they work at all.

 

[mimo]

The same kind of novelty as a Trabant versus a Volkswagen.

 

[RogerP]

Interesting. Can you explain? do vintage watches need scratches for their value? What if it's not an expensive watch and I just want it to look as new as possible?

A very large subset of vintage enthusiasts are absolutely mad for originality. I swear some would rather see an actual rust-caked dial over a refinished one because it is "original oxidation!". Proponents of such a view will invariably wrap themselves within the cloak of "serious collectors" - you know, as distinct from frivolous collectors who actually want a watch to look halfway decent. And would choose to replace or repair visibly damaged parts on a vintage watch just as they would with a contemporary watch. Which viewpoint is more "irrational" is no doubt a matter of individual perspective.

One thing that is beyond dispute is that the original-or-die viewpoint is so prevalent among vintage enthusiasts that any restoration will likely have an overall negative impact on future resale. This matters not at all if you have no intention to re-sell the watch. And it matters very little if the watch in question is not particularly costly. I mean, if you "destroy the value" of your $500 vintage watch such that it is now worth $250 - can you live with that? I suspect probably yes. And one thing the "serious" collectors won't readily acknowledge is that there IS a market for a watch that is properly polished, with worn, damaged or visibly beat-up parts replaced. Because not everyone views fungal growth on a watch dial as "patina". And the impact on resale value is on the whole something less than they would have you believe.

Life is short. If you will wear the watch more - and enjoy it more - if it is refurbished then rock right the hell on. So long as you are indifferent to the inevitable scoffing and mutterings of disapproval from the "serious collectors".