Hi there. I have recently acquired my dad's connie. She is my little project and I plan to get her back up and running.

I was planning on using replateit to restore the bracelet and case. I have heard nothing but good things so far, so if anybody has any other experience with them I would like to hear it. I got a great watchmaker already, so that part is covered.

The clasp bears my dads initials, so I would like to get a spare number 12 clasp to stick in a box for my kid to sell it one day. I can't find one on ebay, so if anybody has other part sources I would be most appreciative!

 

A good clean and the case should look ok. Can't see any worn gold.

Do you need re-plated work on the case ?


Service, clean and put it on a leather strap until you sort the bracelet out.

 

Plenty of flaking on the underside from sweat and general beating from my dad wearing it as a teenager. My watchmaker does do some great casework and has a replating guy, so I may save some money and use his people. Replateit definitely has a wow factor seeing their work.

 

Your Connie is gold cap i.e a thick gold layer not plating- it shouldn’t have gold on the underside of the lugs.
The bracelet is a different story.
Hope that helps.

 

Maybe the pictures don’t show as well the issues you refer to. I would give it a service and get the crystal polished/replaced and see what it looks like afterwards as it seems in nice original condition now.
As @Peemacgee states, it should not have gold om the underside anyway.

Best of luck
Chris

 

I tried to get the caseback off, but it is cranked on tight. My research makes me believe it is a reference 168.019. I have seen some with a cyclops magnifier over the day/date and some without. Is a cyclops "factory correct" for that reference?

 

Cyclops optional.

Clean the case/bracelet, don't polish or re-plate anything, only going to devalue it and destroy it's history on your dad's wrist.