Hi all, I have a vintage Lemania chrono from approx 1947 that needs a service/overhaul. I am from upstate New York, and as it seems, pretty slim pickings in terms of competent watchmakers that can work on such a watch. Of course there are options in NYC im sure, but the ones ive tried(Central Watch, Pieces of Time in the diamond district) for other watches have left a lot to be desired in the overall service results and the overall experience of getting it done. Obviously there are plenty of places I could ship it to, but with this watch, id rather hand deliver it in person. I bought the watch in 2015, with an unsure service history. Its been worn only as a dress watch since, so very infrequently. Ive made a habit in the past few months of winding it once a month, and letting it wind down. The past few times ive started it, you can hear a "ting ting ting" sound along with the normal ticking sound of the balance. The sound comes and goes, and the timekeeping isn't all that good. Anyone know what could be causing that? So, back to my original question, does anyone know of good watchmakers, that can and do work on vintage watches, more specifically vintage chronographs in upstate NY, CT, or even Mass or VT? Obviously with the current pandemic, its not something I plan on doing all that soon, but just curious for future reference. Here are pics of the watch(not my pics, but from the website I bought it from). Thanks in advance! Lemania Vintage 3 Register Chronometer Chronograph 14K YG (oldworldjewelers.com)
I understand your reluctance to ship, but it might be your best bet. I like Nesbit's in Seattle. With any luck, your movement might be close enough to Omega to share parts.
Try this search to find an AWCI (American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute) professional near you specializing in vintage watches. You may also try the NAWCC (National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors) search page. You may have to call around to find a local watchmaker that is comfortable working on chronographs but don't be afraid to use a watchmaker that accepts watches by mail only. Search this forum for nationwide recommendations.
I agree that it's fine to ship your watch out of state, but I also think that there are benefits to having someone local, especially if you are a collector that brings watches to a watchmaker monthly (or even weekly). I will probably sound like a broken record, but the best way to find good local watchmakers is to network with local collectors and ask for personal referrals. I don't know where in upstate NY you live, but there are 3 NAWWC chapters that might fit into that category. With many meetings happening online now, people are even joining in meetings remotely across state Iines. We just had someone from the CT chapter sit in on our meeting yesterday. There are also other ways to network. Visit retail stores and ask if they know about collector groups. Look online for meetup groups. Get out there. Personal referrals from people you have met in person will be much more reliable. Even if you get some recommendations here, how will you know who to trust? https://www.nawcc.org/local-chapters/?chapter=new-york&submit=Search
Zaf at Classic Watch has a watchmaker who has done amazing work on Lemania military chronos. His website spells out this service fees. classic watch.com is the website and [email protected] is his email address.
Spoke to Manfredi in CT, as it turns out for watches of this age, they don't do the work on site. Is that actually a common thing?