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Vintage watch restoration

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Created by Harrow > 9 months ago, 9 Jan 2022
Harrow
NSW, 4521 posts
9 Jan 2022 10:51AM
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Thought I'd skip through this, but before I knew it, I'd watched the whole thing. This guy really knows his way around a watch, fascinating.

cisco
QLD, 12361 posts
9 Jan 2022 12:54PM
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That was a facinating watch (pardon the pun). Wouldn't be a lot of people around these days skilled enough to do that.
It makes working on my 84 Fairmont engine look like heavy duty farm machinery.
Thanks for posting.

Bananabender
QLD, 1610 posts
9 Jan 2022 4:48PM
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I restore manual watches as a hobby. Currently working on rare movement . Bought it in pieces from Panama currently waiting on a tiny tiny part from U.K to complete.
No place for unsteady hands










Imax1
QLD, 4926 posts
9 Jan 2022 4:58PM
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And to think they made tiny watches over 300 years ago. The tiny gears were hand filed from brass sheet . There was an amazing doco on how they used to make them.

Bananabender
QLD, 1610 posts
9 Jan 2022 6:12PM
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There is a critical shortage of watchmakers for manual watches and the likes of Rolex and Omega are running apprenticeships . Quality vintage manual watches are going up in price faster than houses in Syd.. Apparently the Rolex shops in Europe and US are literally empty of stock. No watchmaker here in Aust. or o'seas would repair my yacht regate watch seven years ago so I taught myself . Its an addictive rabbit hole to go down

crustysailor
VIC, 871 posts
10 Jan 2022 9:05AM
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thats a full on hobby BB. Must be quite calming!

I had always wanted a 'real' watch oneday, and was able to get an Omega Seamaster last year, which will go on as a family heirloom.
Unfortunately we were in a car accident, and the watch was damaged.
I sent it back to Omega, and it was rebuild basically, including new bracelet and face dials, bezel etc.

All for nix.

Bananabender
QLD, 1610 posts
10 Jan 2022 2:35PM
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It mostly is calming crusty. A lot of patience is needed to do everything correct though. I have rebuilt around 45 over the last six years ,never sold any, gave decent ones like Omega or Tudor or real Dive ones to family and siblings. BUT it is an expensive hobby . My best challenges are the likes of the tissot seastar above that arrives in pieces and you need to work out how it all goes and what parts are stuffed. The movement for that tissot is the base movement used by Omega in their Speedmaster moonwatch taken to the moon in 1969 .
Thats a nice thought crusty ,just don't have six kids hey. Reputation is everything to the likes of Omega so I am not surprised. Omega now keep everything in house and no longer supplies parts to other watchmakers or anyone else worldwide .

myusernam
QLD, 6154 posts
11 Jan 2022 9:07AM
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Calming?! We must have opposite personalities. Fiddly stuff drives me nuts

Bananabender
QLD, 1610 posts
11 Jan 2022 6:14PM
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Na, With the correct loupe one can pass a camel through the eye of a needle

AquaPlow
QLD, 1064 posts
12 Jan 2022 10:57AM
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Select to expand quote
Harrow said..
Thought I'd skip through this, but before I knew it, I'd watched the whole thing. This guy really knows his way around a watch, fascinating.



Harrow - on the money thx enjoyed
Its that slow time of year 4me - replacing/rebuilding HDD's in couple of NAS boxes - (masses of idle time ) basically robotic contrast of required skill sets!!



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"Vintage watch restoration" started by Harrow