Servicing watches ?.

[ditchman]

3 hours ago, old'un said:

 

My granddads verge fusee hunter pocket watch, London 1838 and makers initials JM, to me these old pocket watches were things of beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

lovely piece...........im told that alot of watchmakers turned to gunsmithing.......that would account for the beautifully made guns of that period.....dont know if thats true or not ....it wouldnt surprise me as the skills are very transferable...

[discobob]

15 hours ago, ditchman said:

lovely piece...........im told that alot of watchmakers turned to gunsmithing.......that would account for the beautifully made guns of that period.....dont know if thats true or not ....it wouldnt surprise me as the skills are very transferable...

I know a very good watch guy - he also makes bits (shotgun spares) for himself and then others. He was doing Beretta DT11 leaf springs which everyone says was far better than the manufacturers ones

[old'un]

16 hours ago, ditchman said:

lovely piece...........im told that alot of watchmakers turned to gunsmithing.......that would account for the beautifully made guns of that period.....dont know if thats true or not ....it wouldnt surprise me as the skills are very transferable...

I thought the progression to gunsmith was, Blacksmith/Locksmith/Gunsmith?

[hawkfanz]

On 31/03/2023 at 12:11, Minky said:

How many actual mechanical  timepieces are in use nowadays.?  Either they are smart devices and the rest are battery or solar powered.  I haven't seen wind up  watches for a long time.  Another angle is that most people don't carry a watch at all..  they flip out the phone.  Another angle of this is that there are a lot of people who can't read the time off of an analogue watch.

i wont be without a watch,i use a seiko kinetic for every day but have a few automatic ones i use in rotation.

[ditchman]

2 hours ago, old'un said:

I thought the progression to gunsmith was, Blacksmith/Locksmith/Gunsmith?

it may have been both...........i did read a piece many years ago of the history of a bespoke maker of cased carrige pistols ...and it said the artisans were drawn from the clock making industry...........

[sandspider]

On 31/03/2023 at 22:35, shaun4860 said:

I bought the Tag back in 2003 because I always wanted a white faced Tag.

Let me down once and someone on here put me onto somebody who fixed them as a hobby.

Fixed it at a VERY reasonable price.

I'd be interested in who fixed your Tag, please? I have a similar looking one to yours (Tag 2000 automatic in steel / gold) which I really like, but I've had variable servicing experiences and costs with several people in the past...

[Cosmicblue]

Mechanical watches having been driven very nearly to extinction when digital wrist worn devices showed up are having a bit of come-back.  Seeing the pocket watches above - a good friend (and fellow clay shooter), David Cottrell, is making his second watch from absolute scratch.  I worked with him in IT a few years ago - completely self taught.   D J Cottrell Watches.  Each one takes about 5 years, full time to make.

Having a quality wristwatch serviced is VERY expensive, I've had a Breitling for around 20 years, was sent back for a service a couple of years ago and that was over £500, came back like brand-new though, no scratches anywhere.

[Loki]

Hi

Servicing costs - not unlike many other purchases, the 'cost of ownership' doesnt come to the fore when 'looking' and then 'buying', until futher along the road.........

There are some very good Independents Watchsmiths, that can be found on Forums like TZ-UK (amongst others), whose work in terms of provenance may be accepted in lieu of the manufacturer. The downside is in many cases manufacturers have cottoned on and do not make service items/parts available to non-Accredited Watchsmiths.

Finally, manufacturers replace any suspect part/item hence the costs soon ratchet up! Purists would say doing this changes the specification from new - such as polishing cases and bracelets changes the original geometry.......

L

[discobob]

My mate I mentioned above is one of the few/if not the only independent authorized Rolex Servicing Engineers in the UK

[Townie]

On 01/04/2023 at 01:17, ditchman said:

mine is accurate to about 30 secs/day..........built circa 1910

very tactile....and not a lot of money...

I've got one that looks practically identical! A Waltham, built 1914. My grandfather's which accompanied him through WW1 and in use until his death.

[ditchman]

1 hour ago, Townie said:

I've got one that looks practically identical! A Waltham, built 1914. My grandfather's which accompanied him through WW1 and in use until his death.

mine is a British solid silver case (hallmarked) and a good quality bought in swiss movement..its round about the time of the pinical of the evolution of the fob watch.....they then decline in favour for the wrist watch..

[Townie]

4 minutes ago, ditchman said:

mine is a British solid silver case (hallmarked) and a good quality bought in swiss movement..its round about the time of the pinical of the evolution of the fob watch.....they then decline in favour for the wrist watch..

Lovely. The Waltham is a bit more workaday than that (and made in the USA). Someone told me that Walthams were known for their accuracy and so were used by railway workers. Could do with them now!