http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/automobiles/collectibles/to-preserve-and-protect.html Made me chuckle when read it. Fresh lume/tritium patina, baked tropical dial and brushing case to original pattern come to my mind as similar analogy on 'preserved' vintage watch project.
It's an interesting article but looking at it from someone who restores cars I'm a bit mystified. We're going to keep the car looking like junk and only do minor repairs to keep it roadworthy. It sounds like the tight arsed vast majority of UK drivers. They don't want to spend a penny on their cars unless they break down. Give me a car that is half dead and I will breathe new life into it. The dude in the article sounds like he doesn't want to know what rust lurks beneath for all those years.
There will always be debate for "bad condition watch" whether full restoration including redial is better than just sympathetic as original as possible repair.
There are a lot of new billionaires chasing the same collectibles whether it's a Ferrari California, a Monet, a first edition Tale of Two Cities or, some 15th century Samurai sword. Each time a new record hammer price is set, it drags the rest of the market a long with it. I'm a total piker but my brother and I have recently made (2) easy muscle car flips. Made enough loot to pay the full lease term on my 550i Msport. Not bragging; just pointing out that it seems like every baby boomer is doing full restorations on whatever car they made out with the first girl in when they were 18. They find a '74 Chevy Nova in decent shape and proceed to spend 2 or 3 years, smashed knuckles, and 20 g's on their dream. It seems like after about ~250 hours and lost weekends, they get frustrated and have a local custom shop finish the car. All of a sudden he's into the car for 35 or 40 grand. something happens in his life that he needs to sell and finds out all that time and money is only worth 17 grand...if he's lucky. Someone like me (and my bro) come a long and buy the car, spend a thousand or so marketing it and sell it for 26 or 27 to the "right" buyer. Might take a year but so what? I have zero emotional attachment to the car which makes it easy to deal with I even get to drive and enjoy the car a little (very little) Much easier than "flipping" homes. hahahaha
Exactamundo. There is more money than brains in the world. Still I would like to have my 67 mustang 390 fastback back.