Watch servicing

Technology moves on, my last quartz watch lasted 20 years, I've just replaced it with an identical model. Cost me £20 or so. Wind up watches are obsolete, so very little demand for getting them mended apart from those stupidly expensive things sold in Sunday magazines, and if you're rich enough to buy one of those, you're rich enough to pay an exorbitant price to have it mended.

Which 'kind of ' moves the original question on, to what is it that we want of a watch ?

Like a Moore and Wright micrometer to measure things accurately, or a Lidl version which can double up as a G-Cramp now and then ?

And after watching (bad pun) "Longitude". Not only will Harrison be spinning in his grave, HIS pivots will definitely need a refurb if not replacing.

"Throw away chronometers?

Regards Ian.

I watched a few episodes of "repair shop" but had to stop. I have a couple of problems with it. First they are not passing on knowledge in particular details of materials used. e.g. a ceramics expert doing a repair with clearly two different adhesives but not a clue as to what type they were or why. Another using a "special solvent" on a motor in a plastic toy again with no details or even a warning that many solvents would destroy the plastic. secondly they show lots of poor practices, bodges, misuse of tools etc.

Back on topic my everyday watch is a 20 year old Breitling Aerospace (the old, compact thin titanium design not the modern chunky "jewellery" bought with my small part of the legacy of a relative who was an amateur horologist. The minute hand fell off last month. No sign of a broken staff so just need putting back on as far as I could see. As it was due a battery it was put in for a service and estimate (factory repair). This came back when I was out of the country for work and included repair, service, new crystal and case polish at just under £900. I would have said no thanks and done it myself but SWMBO said OK. Guess that's my birthday present sorted.

Robert G8RPI.

Robert G8RPI.

Micrometers and watches aren't a good example, even if it is assumed that Lidl sell Micrometers so nasty they are only good as G-clamps! (What's shocking about Lidl tools is how good they are, not how bad.)

Steve started the thread by saying:

I have a very nice German automatic watch - a Sinn 656. ... It loses 2 seconds a day...

I believe the Sinn 656 cost about £1000 new. While Sinn have a reputation for "quality", and Steve's watch is certainly good-looking (I'd happily wear one), it's not a respectable time-keeper. Technology has moved on and it's rather easy for inexpensive electronic time-pieces to leave their expensive mechanical cousins in the dust. Accuracy, precision, functionality, shock-proofing, magnetic tolerance, and water-resistance can all be done better without a delicate mechanical movement.

So, if anyone buys an expensive mechanical watch, it's not because they are especially good time-keepers. What you get for your money is a watch that looks and feels good. It shows other wealthy people you might be wealthy too, providing entrance to their social network. Of course, they also appeal to the socially insecure seeking respect: gangsters, drug-dealers, dictators, sports-stars, Lottery Winners and second-raters with a bit of spare cash.

This £1500 Sinn 856 I like very much. It's plain good taste. I'd wear one if I wanted to dress well, perhaps to impress a discerning lady:

These two, costing $55,000,000 and $18,000,000 respectively, I consider the epitome of poor taste:

May just be me, but isn't the most ghastly of this pair the expensive one?

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 06/01/2020 13:03:12

Pictures Dave? Was that million?

I have a rather special, if relatively inexpensive battery powered watch. The first model from a series of moderate collectability (only worth about £85).

The movement failed so I sent it for replacement, new battery and nitrogen fill, with a note saying not to change the slightly scratched glass as it is part of the character of having had it from new.

They didn't charge...

Neil

I've got a very nice Longines watch which I haven't worn for about 20 years and I haven't worn any watch at all for the past 15 years or so!

Somebody else always knows the time! Or I just look at my mobile phone!

Not going to pay 55 million dolllars for one though!!!!

Ian

Afraid so, the first is a Graff Hallucination, the second a Jacob & Co Billionaire Watch. I suppose the idea is to humiliate some poor Rolex owner by tricking him into boasting about his cheapskate Oyster Perpetual and then rubbing his nose in a properly expensive watch!

Dave

You're right, they are utterly disgusting at almost every level.

Purchased a mechanical self winding Seiko watch when I was in the Middle East in the mid sixties, it is still working but relegated to a drawer as the case is now battered and worn. Have had a succession of Seiko and Pulsar watches over the years, none stopped working but also became battered and worn so relegated to the drawer, all these watches kept immaculate time, definitely value for money. Current watch is a Citizen Eco Drive which sets its time from a radio signal, don’t envisage any problems with it, timekeeping is as accurate as you could expect with radio signal regulation and will probably only be relegated to the drawer if and when it also becomes battered. I am very hard on my watches they suffer physically but all soldier on, my experience is you can’t beat Japanese timepieces for value, Rolex and Omega etc. probably have the edge on quality of cases but are they worth the exorbitant prices charged nowadays.
Dave W

Try Terry Casey at RightTime in Leicester Had my Brietling Avenger serviced there 18 Months ago well satisfied.

Brian Morehen

Try Terry Casey at RightTime in Leicester Had my Brietling Avenger serviced there 18 Months ago well satisfied.

Brian Morehen

$18 million and they couldn't be bothered to get those screw slots in line.... Not buying one now.

There is an article about this and an interview with Roger Smith (Britains pre-eminent watchmaker) somewhere on the web explain how it is impossible to make screws that perfectly align for watch movements.

The ones that do (and make them a feature) use artifice like captive screw heads and hidden nuts.

The time piece is truly hideous but I'm in two minds about this sort of thing,

These symbols of obscene wealth provide employment for many artisans and ensure that knowledge is passed on.

Agreed, the only saving grace is on the Jacob's movement where the skeletonisation of the movement with delicate bridge-work is nice. Shame about the rest of it, even the naff hands.
DaveD

Had a read of the article and the interview, and I accept it would be tremendously difficult to get all of the screws in a watch lined up, but I still think (at that price) they could do better with those two highly visible ones. On shotguns, they make the thread first on the end of a rod, tighten it up in place, mark it and then make the head with the slot aligned where it has to be.

Your right at the end of the day. Those screws are so prominent they need to be aligned. At that price level they could make dozens until they found aligning ones.

Hmm. I'm not sure there are that many artisans involved or that the knowledge of making obscene bling is worth passing on!

“The Graff Hallucination is a sculptural masterpiece, a celebration of the miracle of colored diamonds.”

At the risk of breaking forum rules myself, dare I suggest it's a tacky piece of s..te that looks like it fell out of a Poundland Christmas cracker and even Barbie would be embarrassed to wear it?

The Jacobs would make a nice watch in a smaller plain case and without the bling - and with hands that look less Tonka.

But money and good taste are not correlated...

Neil