I am a bit of an obsessive when it comes to marks and scratches so I don’t fall into the ‘adds character’camp.
Of course, apart from very light sympathetic polishing I don’t feel the same about true vintage watches and 100% leave the hands and face alone.
This got me thinking what will the next generation of vintage watches be like?
For example, I love my 2254, I think it is a real classic tool watch with a timeless combination style meeting solid engineering. It used to be my daily wearer and took a few knocks, so it had a full service and it came back nice and minty…. scratches 99% removed plus with new hands and crown.
I have the old parts but I am wondering at what point should I stop having a full service if ever?

How and when will the next generation of faded watch faces develop or maybe with new more modern materials and superluminova etc patina and faded lume won’t be such a feature anyway. Interested to know the forums thoughts?

 

I think you might be thinking that with each service must come some polishing and scratch removal...?

Regardless of what you think about polishing I think it's important to service your watches every few years interval regularly. So, don't stop with the full services.

I personally do fall in the leave the scratches be camp of people, for me it's not so much that it adds character, it's a reminder of the relationship I've established with the piece and a vestige of my own personal input to it.

 

Thanks for the reply. I should have been clearer. For sure I agree a regular service is a good thing. This one was done at seven years. I had also been using a watch winder so it had been working hard. I have stopped that now and tend to alternate watches more so they get a bit less wrist time. My question is more in regards to a full standard Omega service (not vintage). In effect they try and make the watch like new, so they will polish and replace hands etc. That is fine for a fairly new watch. I am just wondering at what point should you begin to just keep it all original with a basic service. Economics will probably have a hand in that / Omega charge an arm leg and kidney … but it was like getting a new watch back.

 

I'd say it depends on brand policy about servicing as more and more watches are to be serviced by the brands themselves, independents are probably a dying breed and are not welcome to touch modern watches. If the brand policy is to swap hands and polish case everytime for example , will there be any value tied to originality in the future? Will the concept of vintage be even adequate? Good question... Lots of nice watches have "in-house" movements by now, how/by whom will they be serviced in 30 years?

One thing I'm sure of, the brands care usually more about selling (a new watch or a full servicing) than preserving; independents may spend twice the time to do a sympathetic restoration, official factory service is more about being economically efficient.

 

It wouldn’t bother me one bit to change hands, dial, etc on a modern watch. I’d want the cleaner look and the luminous glow to be bright. The luminova won’t develop the desirable patina that vintage collectors tend to favor. If you are getting your old parts back, keep them. You have the option to return it to original. As for polishing your watch, each time you grind some steel off of your case, that steel isn’t coming back. I prefer a fat, thick case with factory sharp lines on both vintage and modern watches. I’d rather have a scratched up factory case than a thin and dull, mirror polished case.

 

I found the comments on this old thread helpful as well = https://omegaforums.net/threads/polishing.28184/
Normally I think they say vintage is now minus 20 or 30 years.... but maybe with watches there will be a 'golden vintage period' perhaps for all last century mechanical watches pre 2000. For the more modern watches (my 2254 included) maybe the trend will be to keep them in a newer condition, especially if the materials don't age and discolour so much. I guess you cant predict the fashion or how things will age. I do think I will keep it to a basic movement/lube service in future, and just get light scratches taken out. I will live with the heavy dinks for character ;0)
The move to total in house servicing is a worry, I guess the big boys will try to use the supply of parts to control that. Various competition commissions stopped that trend in the car industry to encourage business and protect consumers, Hopefully the same for watches and the independents will keep going..A good one puts some love and soul into the movement as well......you cant buy that.

 

The problem is it's impossible to draw a clear line where it's acceptable for a modern watch to be polished or have cosmetic parts replaced. I mean, we all prefer vintage watches to not have had anything done to them even when they were still modern. By that line of thought, you should refrain from anything other than a pure movement service even with the most recent of watches as they could very well be the pre-moons or Paul Newmans of tomorrow. Personally, I'm not that orthodox, but I make sure to keep all the original parts just in case. I also don't mind a bit of patina, so I usually don't have anything polished.

 

minty
minty
adjective

mint′i·er, mint′i·est
having the smell or taste of mint

The question here is why add flavoring to a watch service? Who would want this "extra"? But the biggest question is.....
Why are you tasting your watch,, YUK, and just plain wrong.

 

It does mean I keep my sinuses clear and like my watch in 'Mint' condition :0)

 

For me, the line would be everything pre-superluminova. Wouldn't ever think of letting Omega servicing a 76ish Speedmaster or a early 2531ish Seamaster (by swapping the Tri-hands to SL creating such ridiculous contrast afterwards), given that the case is still in good condition and Tritium hasn't been damaged yet.

Newer ones with SL would try to wear carefully (as I used to do with all of my watches) to prevend everything that could urge me to making use of Omega's Special Service

 

Thanks for the reply. It is a good / sensible way to look at it and I will do my best ref 'accidents'. I can be a bit of a 'scratch' magnet but it has less wrist time now which as just as well... I love the bezel but it is a real b'stard to get polished out if you happen to clang it :0)