Vintage Jaeger "Panda dial 4 ATM"

Vintage Watch Restoration: Should You Or Not? A Guide To The Oft-Controversial World Of Making Things Worse By Trying To Make Them Better – Reprise

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Deciding whether or not to restore a vintage watch is a tough decision to make. The internet is awash with tales of watches butchered by an incompetent independent watchmaker or, worse still, the brand itself. Even more confusing is deciding which options offered should be accepted. Refinish the case? Change the hands? Replace the crystal? Here is some help for you.

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The Grail Of Attic Finds: Reunited With The First Watch I Ever Owned, A West End Watch Co Sowar Prima – Reprise

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Colin Alexander Smith is reunited with his first watch and discovers an intriguing watch manufacturer that has been producing mechanical watches in Switzerland continuously since 1886.

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Vanessa Redgrave’s Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner With Explorer Dial: Could It Be The Female ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona?

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Are there special vintage watch dial variations named after notable women in a vein similar to that of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona? Nick Gould was wondering just that and researched. Finding a photo of Vanessa Redgrave wearing a Rolex Submariner Reference 5513 with “Explorer” dial in 1966, he ruefully opines that this rare model would sound so much cooler as the Rolex “Vanessa Redgrave” Submariner rather than what collectors call it now: Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer dial.

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Why I Bought It: Vintage Mathey-Tissot Type 20 Big Eye Chronograph – Reprise

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This is the story of GaryG’s pursuit, and eventual capture, of a classic vintage watch: a Type 20 “big eye” flyback chronograph manufactured by Mathey-Tissot.

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Extra value: Tiffany-dialed Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman”

Hello, Newman: A Collector Looks Askance At The Cult Of The Paul Newman Rolex Daytona – Reprise

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For watch lovers, the name “Paul Newman” is associated first and foremost with Rolex, and in particular with a subset of that brand’s Daytona watches with specific dial characteristics, including a recessed outer seconds track and subdials that feature block-shaped hashmarks and Art Deco-style Arabic numerals. But what does this nickname mean for these references on the vintage market? And what does GaryG think about it?

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Rolex Submariner Reference 1680 from 1978

The Superficial Value In Refinishing/Refurbishing Rolexes: A Watchmaker’s Rant – Reprise

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A common question in watch servicing/restoration is, “Who does the ‘best’ work?” In a word (or three), what is meant here is superficial case refinishing. And in other words: huge chamfers on Rolex cases, perfectly flat surfaces, and well executed sunburst patterns. And that’s got Ashton Tracy ranting. Find out why here!

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Dial Restoration: Aesthetics Or Functionality? And How To Decide – Reprise

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Most will agree that re-painting a dial is a big no-no. Vintage pieces with re-painted dials can be had for a steal as they are difficult to shift and mostly unwanted. But not all dial restorations are created equal, and we do encounter varying degrees of “upgrades.” Some of these upgrades are purposeful deception, while others are not. Here is what one watchmaker feels about the subject.

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Vintage Jaeger "Panda dial 4 ATM"

Vintage Watch Restoration: Should You Or Not? A Guide To The Oft-Controversial World Of Making Things Worse By Trying To Make Them Better – Reprise

/1 Comment/in , /by

Deciding whether or not to restore a vintage watch is a tough decision to make. The internet is awash with tales of watches butchered by an incompetent independent watchmaker or, worse still, the brand itself. Even more confusing is deciding which options offered should be accepted. Refinish the case? Change the hands? Replace the crystal? Here is some help for you.

Read more

Piaget Rectangle à l’Ancienne: Thin, Vintage, And No Lugs

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The Piaget Rectangle à l’Ancienne, an “old-fashioned rectangle,” might have a blunt description for a name but this vintage watch is much more than that; it is a timepiece that exquisitely represents the essence of Piaget.

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IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar Reference 3541: An Oft-Forgotten Eternal Gem

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IWC is a brand with a rich history, and it is in the fortunate position that each of its collections has an almost equal share in building this history. The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, developed by IWC’s master watchmaker Kurt Klaus, was a horological revolution. And from it came this elegant Portofino variation of the 1990s.

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