Old Watch query

[pubrunner]

Clean it? Do you means service/regulate it? I doubt that would cost £100, perhaps much lower.

Okay, I'm going to get it serviced/regulated . . . you've shamed me into it.

My missus is concerned - she's worried that if I get this watch fixed, it'll lead to another 'collecting obsession' and to be fair, she's probably right. What she doesn't know, is that I might just go the whole hog and buy all the clothes to go with it.

At the moment, I'm unconcerned at the prospect of a domestic dispute; I'll simply heap the blame on the likes of @MarkF & @Illaveago and my missus will go to sort them out with a baseball bat.

Oh yes, can anyone tell me, where I can buy a shirt shirt like this, with the rounded Eton collars ?

. . . get a chain and wear it!

Yes, I will have to get a chain for it. Some similar watches that I've seen, have the silver cases very highly polished indeed - should I try to clean/polish the outer case, or should I leave it 'as is' ? {I don't want the watch to look a different shade from the chain}

Final query - for the moment , are the silver chains all 'much of a muchness' ? Are there any points I need to consider - apart from chain length ?

You may be able to date the watch from the hallmark letter. It is possible that it may have Swiss hallmarks in which case if you see 925 it means it is slightly better than Sterling silver.

Good tip !

The case does have 925 on it. I'm struggling to read the hallmarks, but I'll try with a strong magnifying class tonight.

 

[MarkF]

Here is well respected repair guy in horological circles. Repair estimates:- http://www.chealwatch.com/repairPrice.php

Can't help with chains sorry, but I wouldn't polish the case, it looks great as it is. Plus, if you did, you'd then want to replace the face, then the hands................

I used to have maybe 250-300 watches, it got wildly out of control so I sold them on Ebay and my wife bought me a nice rose wood 10 watch display box so that I can't own more than 10 at any one time, I think I have about 15 at the mo' not including the pocket watches. It's a great hobby, many 100's have passed through my hands over the years and it's not cost me a penny.

PS Anybody looking longingly at £1000+ dress watches, then I'd recommend an Orient Bambino Auto, they keep changing the style but 2 years ago they got it bang on. I bought mine 2nd hand for measly £85 and I've paid 10x that for watches with a similar finish, these are still available sub £100 on Ebay now and again, in 10 years they'll be sought after.

 

[Illaveago]

Did I hear my name being mentioned? The hallmarks you are having trouble with, do they look like bears standing upright? If so they are Swiss.

Yes it can get a bit obsessive! Women don't seem to understand! But if they were shoes they might.

The previous hoard that I got at an auction I discovered that 11 of them worked. Smiths deluxe, CYMA Tavannes, IRA a Swiss watch, a Smiths pocket watch and an unmarked watch I discovered was a Poljot ultra slim watch.

 

[pubrunner]

I used to have maybe 250-300 watches, it got wildly out of control

^^^ Highly impressive

PS Anybody looking longingly at £1000+ dress watches,

My missus looks longingly at £1,000+ dresses

 

[pubrunner]

he hallmarks you are having trouble with, do they look like bears standing upright? If so they are Swiss.

Yes . . . . . . . so that's what they are; I don't have the watch to hand, but I'm certain it has at least one bear standing upright.

 

[rich p]

My missus looks longingly at £1,000+ dresses

So do I...
...or their contents, at least

 

[classic33]

Yes . . . . . . . so that's what they are; I don't have the watch to hand, but I'm certain it has at least one bear standing upright.

Look for a letter F as one of the hallmarks. Denotes an import. .925 is Sterling Standard, .958 is Britannia Standard Silver.

Edited to correct .938 to .958

 

[mybike]

Okay, I'm going to get it serviced/regulated . . . you've shamed me into it.

My missus is concerned - she's worried that if I get this watch fixed, it'll lead to another 'collecting obsession' and to be fair, she's probably right. What she doesn't know, is that I might just go the whole hog and buy all the clothes to go with it.

Just don't start looking at silver fobs, that can get obsessive.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Hey,the title of this thread could be changed to The Old Watch thread.
I don't own anything that would be classed as classic or expensive,but I do like my watches.
And seeing the ones on show here has revived my interest in them.
My dad had one of my grandad's watches and it fascinated me when I was younger.
I would love to get a hold of it and fully restore it,as I remember it being quite tatty.
But a beautiful watch with a lovely face.
I'm going to do that actually

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Cheers for all the replies, fellas - interesting & helpful.

I've accumulated a lot of 'tat' over the years - my solution to this problem, will probably be to leave it in my will and let someone else sort it out.

That's why I occasionnally go through things and donate them to museums and such like.

Yes, I could get this watch cleaned (probably cost a few hundred quid), but would I ever wear it ? Does anyone on this forum use such a watch (regularly) ?
At the best of times, I'm hardly a paragon of sartorial elegance and I'm not sure that I'd use the watch - I'd need to change my entire wardrobe and base my 'style' along the same lines as @rich p . . . . . . .

View attachment 116979

I have a Mondaine Swiss Railways pocketwatch that I just hook onto the belt.... loop? Of my trousers and have in my pocket.

It does only date from about 2003 admittedly, but, still, yes, it is possible to do without all the fancy clothes!

Am I the only one, who has a tendency to hoard stuff? My missus says that if I die before her, she's getting a very large skip for all my 'treasures'

NOOOOOO, you are not!!
Alternatively, give your stuff to me and I'll sort it!

PS Anybody looking longingly at £1000+ dress watches, then I'd recommend an Orient Bambino Auto, they keep changing the style but 2 years ago they got it bang on. I bought mine 2nd hand for measly £85 and I've paid 10x that for watches with a similar finish, these are still available sub £100 on Ebay now and again, in 10 years they'll be sought after.

Sounds interesting, thanks!

 

[Hover Fly]

Well, mine says Sekonda on the front; I bought it, 'cos I liked the novelty value (It was back in the 70s ) of having a watch with an alarm.

Sekonda was a trade name used by the USSR watch factories for selling in the UK, my pocket watches would have been marked Molnija if bought in Russia. It does mean for collectors there are some bargains certain high class Poljots for instance are £100-200, a fraction of that if marked as Sekonda.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Sekonda was a trade name used by the USSR watch factories for selling in the UK, my pocket watches would have been marked Molnija if bought in Russia. It does mean for collectors there are some bargains certain high class Poljots for instance are £100-200, a fraction of that if marked as Sekonda.

I have never saw these Russian ones,could you post one up ?
Oooh gawd,the obsessions back

 

[Hover Fly]

This ^^^ sounds intriguing - 'costume for the steamboat' - please tell us more.

Moon Bunny and I sometimes work as crew on this, among others:

"Shamrock" a 1906 Windermere launch.

 

[Hover Fly]

I have never saw these Russian ones,could you post one up ?
Oooh gawd,the obsessions back

https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/p1010377-jpg.105712/

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/p1010377-jpg.105712/

Excellent @Hover Fly .Thank you