Vintage Watch Repair Update!

[s&wchad]

I requested recommendations for a reputable watch repair service back in April. I knew we had a number of watch aficionados on the forum and I appreciate all the feedback I received (both in thread replies and PM's). Thank you for your suggestions and for sharing your experiences!

Original thread: Vintage Watch Service/Repair Recommendations?

I ended up dealing with Illinois Watch Company. They have one of only a handful of CW21 and OWME 1120, 8500 certified watchmakers in the country and I felt comfortable dealing with them. Their communication was very good and they turned the four watches around in just under two months. Not bad, considering they had to have a custom crystal made for the Aquastar Benthos 500. The original crystal was delaminating and hazy between the layers (kinda like the objective lenses on old Redfield scopes) and I couldn't live with that.

Total cost was for the servicing and repair was $2200. That included insured, next day return shipping. I wanted to keep them as original as possible, so they didn't polish the cases or mess with the dials or hands. I received them back yesterday, they're all running smoothly and are keeping good time. These are well regarded dive watches from the 1960 and I considered it a worthwhile investment to get them back up and running. They belonged to a dear departed friend of mine, so the memories are priceless.

There is an issue with the Aquastar. The minute timer isn't functioning properly, so I'll phone them Monday and see what they say. I'm fairly confident they'll deal with it in a professional manner.

I'm wearing the Doxa as I type this. It isn't the most valuable, but for now it's my favorite. Their watchmaker sent me photos of the movements per my request, since I didn't want to open the cases after servicing. I'm pleased with their work and would deal with them again!

 

[The Norseman]

The Watchman

Nice!

Thank you for the Update. Noted.

 

[Bill Bates]

The restorations looks great.

I've got a DOX T600 that has been my daily wearer in need work. The crown threads or the retaining screw stripped just a couple of days ago so the crown won't stay in place. Also, the bezel needs repainting.

I think I'll get ahold Vontage Watch and see what they say.

 

[billwill]

Nice little collection. It's fun to change out watches every couple of days.

 

[Onomea]

Very nice restoration, Chad. They look great, and that they belonged to a dear friend makes them truly precious. Well worth the cost of restoration in my view.

(My opinion is we should spend our money on what is important to us, what makes us happy. Everyone is different, and no one to satisfy but ourselves. Recognizing a kindred spirit, I am glad to see that you have done this!)

 

[H Richard]

So happy you are pleased with the Illinois Watch Co. It was my recommendation. They have worked on my Rolex and Tag, and I have always been well satisfied. I had listened to an interview with them after having been to a certification school/testing for a high level certification, and it must have been a grueling week for them.

 

[crazyphil]

My wife passed away February of 2020, so on my great granddaughter's
birthday I gave here my wife's diamond watch. It didn't run, so I took it
to a repairman out in Eagle Idaho who has a good reputation. Picked it
up a week later. Cost $200. Cleaned it up, and adjusted as necessary.
It runs great and the GGD was/is elated, she loved her Granny
very much.
Forgot to mention the watch is a Lady Hamilton with 24 ct white
gold case and six diamonds in the wrist band.

 

[DWalt]

I have a WWII (1942) Hamilton Model 22 Marine Chronometer watch (the kind that is mounted in gimbals inside a hinged lid wooden box). It is in running condition (even though I very seldom wind it) and the dial needs to be re-silvered. Several years ago I tried, without success, to find someone who could clean and lubricate it and also re-silver the dial. It's not a high priority for me, as my interest is mainly in getting it in better running and cosmetic condition so I can more easily sell it.

I did find one guy who used to work on chronometers, but no longer does. He warned me against running the watch until it is cleaned and lubricated as it could be damaged. I wouldn't be surprised if the last time it was cleaned and oiled was when it was in Navy service. He also said that it would probably be better if I sold the chronometer "as-is" rather than paying the cost of cleaning it, which I probably wouldn't recover.

Does anyone have any information on places that could do work on such chronometers and doesn't charge an arm and a leg?

 

[bgrafsr]

I recently took a pocket watch to our Jewelers for repair. It was handed down to me from my Mom, and was from my Dad's side of the family.
Jeweler said it will cost $200.00 t0 $400.00 to have it cleaned, oiled, and repaired if necessary. Last time I had the watch cleaned & oiled it was $40.00 or thereabouts.

He said that there is a shortage of good specialist for watches, as few are learning the trade anymore, and it's difficult finding someone to do the work, hence the big uptick on repair cost.

 

[DWalt]

That is what I am afraid of - stiff price inflation on watch repairs. The last time I had a mechanical watch cleaned was over 30 years ago, and as I remember it cost me only about $25-$30 back then. It was a Seiko autowind which I had worn for over 20 years at the time, and it began stopping occasionally. After cleaning, I got about six more years of service out of it. Then I went electronic with a Swiss Army quartz watch (Ronda movement) which I am still wearing right now and still keeping perfect time. But I did need to replace the band (and of course the battery) several times. The best band, believe it or not, has been a Timex expansion. Far better than I ever expected.

I also have an "heirloom" Illinois pocket watch from around the 1920s that belonged to my grandfather which I would like to get cleaned and oiled (it does run). I doubt if the watch itself is worth much over $100 as there is nothing fancy or rare about it. Therefore it makes no sense to pay more than half that for repair, especially as I have no plans to use it. I now have it hanging under one of those small transparent plastic display domes as a memento, so whether is runs or not is really immaterial.

 

[s&wchad]

My wife passed away February of 2020, so on my great granddaughter's
birthday I gave here my wife's diamond watch. It didn't run, so I took it
to a repairman out in Eagle Idaho who has a good reputation. Picked it
up a week later. Cost $200. Cleaned it up, and adjusted as necessary.
It runs great and the GGD was/is elated, she loved her Granny
very much.
Forgot to mention the watch is a Lady Hamilton with 24 ct white
gold case and six diamonds in the wrist band.

Phil,
Awesome gift! I'm sure your great granddaughter will treasure it forever. You were wise to get it serviced.

 

[s&wchad]

I have a WWII (1942) Hamilton Model 22 Marine Chronometer watch (the kind that is mounted in gimbals inside a hinged lid wooden box). It is in running condition (even though I very seldom wind it) and the dial needs to be re-silvered. Several years ago I tried, without success, to find someone who could clean and lubricate it and also re-silver the dial. It's not a high priority for me, as my interest is mainly in getting it in better running and cosmetic condition so I can more easily sell it.

I did find one guy who used to work on chronometers, but no longer does. He warned me against running the watch until it is cleaned and lubricated as it could be damaged. I wouldn't be surprised if the last time it was cleaned and oiled was when it was in Navy service. He also said that would probably be better if I sold it "as-is" rather than paying to cost of cleaning it.

Does anyone have any information on places that could do work on such chronometers and doesn't charge an arm and a leg?

I'm not sure exactly what you have, but $200-$300 doesn't buy what it did in the past.

If it's anything like this, it's worth having professionally serviced.

I've seem similar ship chronometers with asking prices over $3K. Buyers usually won't pay good money for a pig in a poke.

As I said earlier, I'd recommend Illinois Watch Company. Give them a call.

 

[terry_tr6]

the technology of mechanical devices like those watches are wonderful. It's like the mechanical "computers" that were used to do firing calculations on naval ships. My mind hurts thinking of not only the designers but the people doing the manufacturing and assembly of such complex mechanical devices

 

[Golddollar]

My wife passed away February of 2020, so on my great granddaughter's
birthday I gave here my wife's diamond watch. It didn't run, so I took it
to a repairman out in Eagle Idaho who has a good reputation. Picked it
up a week later. Cost $200. Cleaned it up, and adjusted as necessary.
It runs great and the GGD was/is elated, she loved her Granny
very much.
Forgot to mention the watch is a Lady Hamilton with 24 ct white
gold case and six diamonds in the wrist band.

All I can say is WOW!

 

[DWalt]

I'm not sure exactly what you have, but $200-$300 doesn't buy what it did in the past.

If it's anything like this, it's worth having professionally serviced.

I've seem similar ship chronometers with asking prices over $3K. Buyers usually won't pay good money for a pig in a poke.

As I said earlier, I'd recommend Illinois Watch Company. Give them a call.

That appears to be what I have. The full-fledged Hamilton Marine Chronometer is the Model 21, a little larger, and is more desirable. I assume that on shipboard, the Model 22s (those were called chronometer watches, not chronometers) were used mainly in a standby or backup role, but I don't know anything about that. However, the Model 22s reputedly were required to meet the identical accuracy and reliability standards as the Model 21s. I have a copy of the official Navy Model 22 service manual, which gives all the information on to how they are to be maintained and cleaned, but I have none of the tools and equipment used. Such maintenance was not performed shipboard, as the ship's timepieces were sent to a land base for any service work and testing required. Hamilton also made a different chronometer watch which looked like an oversize pocket watch, and I understand it used the same movement as the Model 22. It was not gimballed, but was kept in a padded wooden case. I don't know what its purpose was, maybe some Navy vet reading this knows. I would guess that if there was some need to know accurate time elsewhere on the ship, the "large pocket watch" was used, as I do not believe the gimbaled chronometers could be moved from their prescribed location on the ship. The picture above shows the silvered dial face. About half the silvering on my dial is gone.

 

[mrchick]

My wife passed away February of 2020, so on my great granddaughter's
birthday I gave here my wife's diamond watch. It didn't run, so I took it
to a repairman out in Eagle Idaho who has a good reputation. Picked it
up a week later. Cost $200. Cleaned it up, and adjusted as necessary.
It runs great and the GGD was/is elated, she loved her Granny
very much.
Forgot to mention the watch is a Lady Hamilton with 24 ct white
gold case and six diamonds in the wrist band.

Phil,
I wear my grandfather's old Hamilton and it's a daily reminder of a man I respected and missed very much. Your GGD is a lucky girl.
BTW, we use the same watch guy in Eagle. He recently cleaned my watch and replaced the crystal. He does nice work.

 

[fleabus101]

Grandpa's Watch

I just found this thread. I really appreciate the
thoughts about the timepieces..esp the ones that have real family attachments and meaning. Recently my wife came across my
grandfathers pocketwatch. A gold filled old
Elgin RR Type piece. It had been reorganized
by mom for yrs and just turned up in a garage
stored box a few weeks ago..She gave it to me and I promptly put it in my gun desk top
drawer to keep up with it now that I have it again.
So ..reading this thread I just pulled it out to look at it. I wound it a few times..No soap..
A few more winds..nothing..shoot.
Maybe I need to send it off.
When I was 3-5 6 yrs old my grandparents
would come get me to visit for a weekend 30 miles away..They loved to come get me..Their sons only child.
They were poor..really poor..See the dirt
underneath the wood floors poor. But strong
memeroies flooded over me with this watch.
I only knew grandpa afew yrs before was killed in a truck wreck on his job..circa '66..
Enuf of that...So I bumped it on my desk and low and behold the second hand went to running !! So I set the time..Then I pulled up the wind top stem and put 4 drops of kroil into the top stem and let it seep in..
So far it keeping time now and my grandpa and his watch are keeping me company again....
A few pics for yall...
Best Randy....

 

[Onomea]

Nice story, fleabus. And while I don't endorse your fix, I sure bet your grandpa would!

(And his opinion sure matters more than my opinion. Plus, I think if you do decide to send it off for a professional restore someday, your interim fix is not gonna be an impediment, and may be a good thing.)

 

[eb07]

I am happy they took care of you. Made much more sense to send it to someone closer.


I bought this guy in february of 90 right after I got back from Panama.



It ran like a top until last year when I was swimming and got water in it. Never had it serviced. Just battery changes over 30 years.


D's time in san diego hooked me up, fixed the leaking crown, cleaned up the water damage which unfortunately ruined the original lume and required new hands and face but I am not complaining. It's back to factory water rating.



It's not a big money collector piece because of the integrated band and its more of an obscure model but I don't care. It has been reliable and been all over the world. While I have had the money to buy a way more expensive timepiece, I don't because this one is special to me.

 

[s&wchad]

Then I pulled up the wind top stem and put 4 drops of kroil into the top stem and let it seep in..
So far it keeping time now and my grandpa and his watch are keeping me company again....
A few pics for yall...
Best Randy....

Randy,
It's great that you have your grandfathers pocket watch, but running penetrating oil down the crown stem is a really bad idea. There's a reason watchmaker charge up to $700 to properly clean and lubricate a mechanical or automatic watch.

A basic mechanical watch has a minimum of 130 parts. Some high end watches with complications can have close to 2000 parts. Precious stones (rubies or sapphires) are typically used as bearings to reduce friction and wear. Watchmakers apply a very small amount of light oil to key spots after the movement is cleaned. As the parts wear, they produce ultra-fine metallic shavings. With time, the oils dry out and form an abrasive sludge with the shavings. This causes the mechanism to wear even faster.

To clean a movement, watchmakers completely disassemble it and put the parts in an ultrasonic cleaner. The parts are then inspected, worn parts are replaced and the movement is reassembled. The movement is then regulated (adjusted) to keep proper time.

You Elgin has a fairly basic movement and shouldn't be terribly expensive to have properly serviced. If you value it for sentimental reasons, take it to a local watchmaker and have it done right.