I am experience happiness and sadness at the same time... I reached my watchmakers shop itching and excited to get my hands on this watch... Unfortunately, to my horror when I laid my eyes on it, I was angered. Let me back up. I grabbed this watch form the original owner at a great price. So, I walked over to my watchmaker who was out on medical leave. I left it with specific (usual instructions for a vintage watch) ... no polishing (excepting crystal) no refinishing and specifically NO RELUME as the hour hand lume was cracked due to the seconds had stuck between the it and the dial. 3 weeks later the guy is back for medical leave and the doc has asked him to slow down and not take on a lot of work but he gets my watch done and is excited to show me the work. And that's when he pulls it out. Of-course taking into account his health and stuff, I bite my lips and don't go off on him but I made it clear that this was not what I had asked for. He said the lume broke off while taking the hands out and so he tried to match the lume so it doesn't look off. The watch runs and feels great but I can't get over the lume... please chime in and tell me if I am over reacting? Thanks
He probably should have consulted with you first before taking action but these are the risks we take in vintage watches sadly
+1 Look at it this way. Now the hands are filled and get them "aged" and you are better off than you were
Speedbird, I strongly agree with you but like cicindela and pitpro say I can get it redone better. Here are the rest of the images. I still really like wearing it
I collect Venus 188's and have multiple variations of your same watch. Unfortunately: dried up, almost dust-like lume plots and fill-ins are a common theme with this reference and her variants. I'm sure your watchmaker feels as badly as you do but sh*t happens. I'm sure 5 other things equally disappointing events happened to you the same week. That's life, and they even wrote a song about it. Don't be a victim. this sort of crap comes with our hobby. We try as hard as we can to be good caretakers and custodians of these little darling baubles and that's really it... /end rant *edit - that's a replacement crown or the original was polished silly... I'd be more concerned about that.
I think you can add wet tea instead of water to the mix to achieve the aged look. Gotta ask a watchmaker who does this to be sure though.
Have to agree with the fellows here on this also. It is what it is at this point, you can get it redone, leave it or hire a hitman. Think if you have been at this long enough it has happened to everyone in some way or another. My PERSONAL feelings on lume is this, it's like hair and sooner or later it is going to change color and/or fall out. If it falls out, I never replace it as you have to be or know someone very good at lume aging to get it right or you get . I knew such a gent but he retired. I have not gone down that path since. I would be much more concerned about said crown then I would ever be about lume. Lume is like my first two marriages, was never made to last and not an area to spend too much concern with. IMHO. Wayne
