What is “antique watch?” Although commonly “antique” should measures to the history, due to the short history of watch, it is no need to date back to the previous times like the furniture, as long as they are no longer continue to be produced, are described as the “antique watch.”
Renovation of the dial
When thinking of the former market, due to the limit of technological level, it is not surprising that watch becomes the luxury, which results in more quality watch, we could not bear to pick the more wearing, but now hard to find quality situation. So people agreed that the more massive and the watch everyday wear, the longer it is good stock of goods more scarcely, thus creating another line of business came into being: renovation. Renovation of technology with the times, did not pay the full tuition fees, not enough trained eyes. Watch for the pursuit of product phase, the renovation gave birth to watch the grinding process; this trade has become the market of specialized household’s antique watch. Exquisite renovation master’s “work” is really called a boutique, only read the watch countless times through the eyepiece of the cousin of fans can be compared with the original process and identify the two.
Identification of an antique watch is according to the degree of difficulty to identify and determine the value of an antique watch of factors, as follows: dial, movement, case and buckle, certificates and other accessories.
Antique watch or general said second-hand watch, its weakness lies in the dial printing. Partly because the then screen printing technology, however, partly because the material process is imperfect, resulting in a dial antique watch to identify products with the font as a key. There was a very good product with Omega “song ear gossip face” antique watch in my hands, I always cherish, until one day gathering of fans talking about renovation of the watch to identify the dial, a rude awakening, anxious look cable Hooky, finally found a high degree of symmetry even though the font stroke simulation, but the font is slightly under the dial trauma, stroke and dial the junction a little rough and there is oil. This situation is usually dialed in the needles or other causes minor damage, so simply washing with chemical reagents and then carefully turn to write.
Compared with the rare enamel surface and green burnt, printed dial has lowest cost, inconsistent quality, and finally resulted in today’s rare original printing of the dial, “face” something big, and become the primary target watch the original degree.
Identification of movement is not so direct in contrast to the identification of dial and requires some expertise, or even has to have maintenance experience to be competent. Different types and grades of movement, there is always a basic movement, which resulted in the movement of parts may be interchangeable. In particular, like Omega, Longines so widely owned brand. I remember years ago studied under antique watch, the watch assembly in a lot of strokes. Such as plywood to replace the Omega general Cal.565 movement Observatory Cal.564 movement and other techniques, novice does not seem much difference between the movement is also considered normal to go, but the veteran can be based on the inscriptions on the plates and color to determine the .
Some years ago it is disdain that friends cared about whether the cover was opened or not, or had the maintenance history and other issues, but soon realized “90% of the watch is repair broken” point of view is indeed insightful. Second-hand watch, especially in some relatively small antique watch production, the special structure of the movement, rare parts, if the maintenance of the master just repair a mechanical products, holding the attitude, in all likelihood be a bad thing. Once for a Patek Philippe antique movement of Cal.27-460M calendar conversion action in doubt, to the same watch, where fans of the maintenance of the master inspection found that the maintenance of the master calendar before the disk loaded pawl position wrong, but also spent a few screws tighten easily. So you must retain the serious attitude to the original of the antique watch movement. Of course, in order to ensure the normal operation of the movement and distribution of replacement parts, can be a different matter, because another artificial heart is better than neglecting the good.
Identification of the movement doesn’t lie in the official brand, due to technical reasons, or due to lack of data files, and caused the difficulty to identify the movement and depth. Today you can hand the PP movement and the case number, send mail to Patek Philippe headquarters, to spend 100 Swiss francs, a state can make sale of the factory and the date, but for the movement and dial Original degree No Mentioned (no comments) “certificate.”
The renovation of the case will have little technical content, and is fully made by hand. I personally share in the secondary watch to see a “grandfather”, wearing eyepiece, grasping metallographic sandpaper on a K gold watch case back for processing. I saw him pull a few with sandpaper, looked a moment, and then pull a few. Put a scar of the bottom blank is slightly pulled into a very rounded shape, gold does not matter less, worse angular lost, the value of the watch also greatly reduced.
I know a friend. Each time he visits the second-hand watch market, he must collect the ads paper, whether it is a single picture or advertisement in newspapers and magazines. Over time, not only bound, but also become the basis for differentiated products.
This friend has the vision and perseverance, if on an antique watch of products with a slight doubt, as long as to find the “advertising paper”, compete with established contractors. In fact, for an antique watch, there are normal signs of wear or repair small scratches left behind, just keep the original, total acceptable. Second-hand watch in order to meet some people trafficking requirements for appearance, bold, ruthless examples abound. Accidentally, these watches really became “two hands”, it is difficult to undertake the next hand.
As for the buckles and other watch accessories, not so particular about the one to watch in itself does not cause functional effects, and secondly, the value is not high. But for the watch fans with pursuit for integrity, a watch equipped with original buckle has higher value. And like most of the antique watch, in the year is the header and buckles sold separately, today’s hard to find original buckle a buckle also not surprising that the. As for as the watch box, a certificate (there called “birth certificate”) and whether the offer is a matter of opinion, because after these things with easy, unless you like vintage Omega “Constellation” Silver Box such special packaging pursued.
Folk is the largest market for second-hand watch, and antique watches such as the identification of second-hand watch are private. Where there is a market, where there is demand, where the birth of experts. If you are determined to start second-hand watch, especially the antique watch, a watch caught in the sea for many years accompanied fans cousin is necessary, without him, cooked Seoul.
In all fairness, watches have three hundred years, to enumerate the plan for identification, it is difficult! Write limited energy experts, even the case, movement on the mark, and have not seen one called a comprehensive identification books. In any case, the accumulated knowledge is required, tuition is required. Read the famous second-hand watch in Taiwan a Collection, you know to become experts; the tuition will be hard no doubt.
