Even a blind pig finds a truffle every once awhile... This Cover Girl is going to need some restoration, and I appreciate any and all advice, thoughts and suggestions, as to the best course to action to get her back up to speed. (Please note that crystal has lots of spots, and none are on the dial, also what appears to be a white line the subdial at 9 o'clock is the cartwheel reflection of light) Biggest issues first. The dial has a cloudy spot covering half of the lettering below 12 o'clock and the 1 o'clock marker. It looks like a thin film of some sort, and does not appear to have reacted or damaged the surface below. No idea what on earth it is or if it can be cleaned. Any thoughts on cleaning? Also, there appears to be slight oil staining in the center of the 3 and 6 o'clock sub dials...again can this be cleaned? The sweep second hand has paint loss, and will need to be repaired. The inner bezel is in surprisingly nice condition with only slight paint loss at 12 o'clock. The crystal is a goner, and the lower pusher is missing too. The watch current doesn't run, but the movement looks clean (i.e. no water damage)--lord knows what works needs to be done. Here are a few pics: The case looks incredibly strong from all angles, possibly retaining its factory polish, save two nicks on the bevel above the lugs at 7 o'clock, and some idiot marks on the case back: So...the big question, what on earth do I do with it? My initial thought is to have my watchmaker tear down and assess the movement. Once we know what we are dealing with, explore sourcing the necessary parts. In the meantime, send the dial and hands to a specialist for cleaning and repair (recommendations in the US are greatly appreciated). As far as the case, my thought is to not touch it, and leave it "as-is" after an ultrasonic cleaning. Does that sounds like a solid course of action? With a watch of this caliber, I don't want to cut any corners. My goal is not have a NOS looking watch, but rather a watch that represents as close to original condition as possible. Thanks in advance for your collective insight, and I will try to answer any questions that members may have.
Looks great. Get a pusher, remove the red paint that flaked off the hand and clean and service the movement. Done. Superb watch.
It's really up to you, your budget and how much you trust watchmakers/refurbishers/restorers. You have already highlighted what you want done to the case and some perceived deficiencies with the dial and hands. How far you wish to go down the restoration path is for you to decide. Ideally, I'd suggest you get it to a condition where, when you wear it, you will look at it on your wrist with pride and pleasure. If it's going to sit in a box, or be flipped, different considerations may apply.
Service, pusher, and crystal. It is possible that the stain on the dial is merely that and can be removed with gentle cleaning from a knowledgeable servicer. I would leave the case alone. It is possible to get material added to remove the obvious dings, but a clean, original case with a few flaws is more valuable than a refinished one. If it were me, I would get the hands painted and relumed to better match the dial indices, but some folks poo-poo such things. It is a very nice watch overall. Enjoy!
Thanks guys, always good hear when your initial thoughts on a watch may be the right ones. I am pretty sure this one is going to be left in as original condition as possible. All of my other watches are like that, so why on earth would this one be any different?