Preventing an Horological Melt-Down

Collecting vintage Constellations is becoming an increasingly expensive pursuit - all the more reason for you to consider booking your prized pieces in for a periodic check-up with a respected watch doctor.

Mechanical watches are powered by machines with moving parts that are subject to friction, which leads to wear. Wear, particularly excessive and unnecessary wear, has long been the bete noire of vintage watch enthusiasts. Early detection of problems especially for rarer or cherished models is a front-line defence. Wear can ultimately cause a movement to arrive at a state of collapse - more a candidate for an horological nursing home than under the dial of a favourite vintage piece.

If you felt your ticker miss a beat or two, would you simply press on to the point of reaching a state of collapse or would you seek professional intervention? Arguably, the same should apply to that little ticker on your wrist!

There's an old saying that goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. If you ever find yourself doubting the horological relevance of this pithy scrap of advice, click below for an essay showing in great depth how many pounds, dollars or krónas worth of cure that neglect and erratic servicing may extract. The essay, posted under the pseudonym TheCrownPrince on a PuristsPro forum, provides a compelling argument for regular check-ups.

A New internet TV Channel for Horoligical Petrol-Heads

Web version 2.00 has finally spawned the first internet TV channel devoted to horology.

Styled 'theTimeTV' this channel offers the watch aficionado the very latest Swiss propaganda and spin on new offerings from the land of chocolate, secure banking, watchmaking and yodelling. There are some nice historical pieces on vintage watches as well. From a Christies 'infomercial' on how great they are at selling complicated pieces, to some very slick content produced by Omega, theTimeTV is sure to become a favoured haunt of many horological petrol-heads

Amongst the elegant sleight-of-mouth promotion and content largely serving Swiss national self-interest are some lovely gems. Persevere, because it's only a matter of time before this chanel will have to go beyond glitzy promotional videos and establish some journalistic or editorial integrity on the content it presents.

I, for one, will be a regular vistor, hoping for a balance between promotional zeal and editorial substance.

Click here to go to thetimeTV

When All the Numbers Come Up

Astute watch collectors keep an eye open for authentic variations on the standard specifications for the models they collect. There's a simple reason for this. Rarer or more usual examples add depth to a collection and often represent a very good investment proposition.

Here's an authentic variation on standard Constellation dial livery that is most uncommon. While I have seen calibre 551 models with applied numerals on each hour surface from time to time, this is the first instance Ive seen such a variation on later Constellation models.

The model above is a case 168.005 powered by a calibre 564 movement with the serial number dating it to around 1967. It is in superb original condition: case, dial and movement are pristine.

The watch was picked up at a jewelery auction in Melbourne a couple of months ago for the US dollar equivalent of around $520.00, making it an exceptionally good buy.

My thanks to Ken for sharing his pics of this interesting find.

An 'Old Girl' Gets a Face Lift

It's always a pleasure to see an early Connie get a make-over and return looking fresh and sharp for its age.

A short while ago I exchanged emails with 'Ger', the owner of this calibre 354 early Constellation. She looked fairly worse for the wear, but looking beyond the shattered crystal, the dial appeared to have aged beautifully. The case appeared sharp, and this old girl appeared an ideal candidate for what I call "functional restoration": That is, replacement of damaged parts, a light polishing to ensure the sharpness of the case was retained and a good going-over of the movement ensuring that it met factory specs.

Ger sent her off to a Ferrie Schweitzer and the results of the make-over appear here

Ferrie Schweitzer worked for omega for 30 years before starting his own business. Ferrie's work comes highly recommended and he performs a unique service by providing pictures of a client's vintage watch during its various stages of restoration. Click here for Ferrie's website.

The pictures reveal a step-by-step dis-assembling, cleaning and replacement of minor parts. This 'rough diamond' was rescued from a local market and, with a reasonable investment in restoration, her classic beauty has re-emerged to beguile us all!

Rare Seamaster Deville Prototype Watch

One of the joys of hosting this blog is the correspondence I receive from owners and collectors around the world.  And the biggest thrill of all is when someone shares information on an Omega Ive never seen before or heard of.

Click here for an essay on one of the most unusual and uncommon Seamaster De Villes Ive ever encountered - a limited production exhibition case back model that was produced around the same time as the U.S. Seamaster De Ville monocoques. 

The essay is best read in conjunction with another essay I wrote on calibre 560 Seamaster rarities.

My sincere thanks to Richard for taking the pics of his special De Ville

Enjoy!