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Help required fixing Constellation

J
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Well it's back from having some TLC, courtesy of Simon Freese.

Simon has done a brilliant job. He's serviced the movement, given the case a gentle clean and has polished the original Plexiglass. He has also managed to save the crown by slowly dissolving the snapped stem from within it, then fitting a new stem and tube.

I'm very happy to have it back, looking nice and in full working order but with all its original character.

Now to get a nice leather strap for it....
 
IMG_20220527_115223.jpg IMG_20220527_112637.jpg IMG_20220527_112606.jpg
J
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Sidnos Sidnos
What happened to the constellation text?
Hmmmm. Don't know and I hadn't even noticed! I've just looked with a loupe and it looks like the colouring has come off that lettering in places.... Perhaps it was quite loose and came off when it was cleaned. I'll ask. Thanks for pointing it out.
 
J
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Well clearly I spoke too soon about the quality of the restoration work when I received my Constellation back in 2022.

So just to finish off the story.........After a really long time and various failed attempts to get it back to it's former glory, it's ended up looking like this......It no longer feels like my late father's watch, due to having a completely different dial. However, at least it works and is useable.

A real shame the restoration didn't work out well, but I'll have to try and build new memories with it moving forward.
IMG_20240327_150921.webp
 
Deafboy
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Besides Constellation text being smudged, were there other issues with the original service?
 
J
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Deafboy Deafboy
Besides Constellation text being smudged, were there other issues with the original service?

No, and in hindsight, I so wish I'd left it like that and put up with the text being partially wiped. It all went much more wrong from this point on......
 
Davidt
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J Jamie Willson
No, and in hindsight, I so wish I'd left it like that and put up with the text being partially wiped. It all went much more wrong from this point on......

Come on, don’t give us half a story, what happened?
 
J
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uk_onega uk_onega
Interested to find out how it got wiped and what happened after?
I honestly have no idea how the text got wiped, as the dial was fine and didn't need any attention ...... However, the text issue went unnoticed when it was sent back to me.

From then on, in no particular order and at different times. To keep things short:-

Original dial reprinted/refurbished. Not particularly well. Newly refurbished dial then pinched and deformed.

Lume knocked out of hands and left loose within.

Watch sent back with completely loose caseback which fell off in my hand.

New dial sourced and refurbished but it's the wrong dial.

Watch away for well over 2 years in total.

I think that covers the main points!
 
uk_onega
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J Jamie Willson
I honestly have no idea how the text got wiped, as the dial was fine and didn't need any attention ...... However, the text issue went unnoticed when it was sent back to me.

From then on, in no particular order and at different times. To keep things short:-

Original dial reprinted/refurbished. Not particularly well. Newly refurbished dial then pinched and deformed.

Lume knocked out of hands and left loose within.

Watch sent back with completely loose caseback which fell off in my hand.

New dial sourced and refurbished but it's the wrong dial.

Watch away for well over 2 years in total.

I think that covers the main points!
That's annoying, assume it was mainly because of the person you sent it to for a service?
 
J
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uk_onega uk_onega
That's annoying, assume it was mainly because of the person you sent it to for a service?

Well let's just say it only went to one place and that I had nothing do do with the problems!!

I'm keeping a lookout for another dial, the same as the original one. I'm not going to hold my breath.
 
ChrisN
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It's still your Dad's watch but the dial has changed a little. Personally, I would try not to get too upset about it as it's still a lovely thing to own with a proper connection to your father. I do appreciate you being unhappy though.

From a watchmaker's point of view, occasionally mistakes happen and it could be that is what caused the loss of the Constellation text - I don't know. If the watchmaker tried to make everything right again and compensated you financially, then that's, realistically, the most they can do. You can't go back in time to recreate the original dial. It's sad but I hope you were well looked after if there was a mistake on the watchmaker's part.

If it was Simon Freese (as you imply) and you have expressed how unhappy you are to him then I hope he compensated you appropriately. If that isn't true, then it would be best to go back to him again until you are happier. I suspect that letting off steam here is not going to make you feel better in the long term.

By the way, two years for this sort of work is ridiculous.

Good luck, Chris
 
Dan S
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At least the dial is very similar in style and matches the hands.
 
Deafboy
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It looks like the minute hand also recently lost some of its black inlay or paint.
Also the second's hand has a lot of gunk on it. It kinda looks like the loose "constellation" print material.

1736536745282.webp 1736536673973.webp
 
J
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ChrisN ChrisN
It's still your Dad's watch but the dial has changed a little. Personally, I would try not to get too upset about it as it's still a lovely thing to own with a proper connection to your father. I do appreciate you being unhappy though.

From a watchmaker's point of view, occasionally mistakes happen and it could be that is what caused the loss of the Constellation text - I don't know. If the watchmaker tried to make everything right again and compensated you financially, then that's, realistically, the most they can do. You can't go back in time to recreate the original dial. It's sad but I hope you were well looked after if there was a mistake on the watchmaker's part.

If it was Simon Freese (as you imply) and you have expressed how unhappy you are to him then I hope he compensated you appropriately. If that isn't true, then it would be best to go back to him again until you are happier. I suspect that letting off steam here is not going to make you feel better in the long term.

By the way, two years for this sort of work is ridiculous.

Good luck, Chris
Ah, I'm pretty chilled about it now. Irritating to say the least, but nothing I can do. I just wanted to conclude it's story, but as was was asked what happened, I answered.

I was offered no compensation and I paid for the initial service/restoration.

Thank you!
 
J
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Dan S Dan S
At least the dial is very similar in style and matches the hands.
Yes, not a million miles off. Once you start looking though........Different text, different indices, starburst brushing instead of straight brushing. And the fact it's a refinished dial in the first instance.
 
J
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Deafboy Deafboy
It looks like the minute hand also recently lost some of its black inlay or paint.
Also the second's hand has a lot of gunk on it. It kinda looks like the loose "constellation" print material.

1736536745282.webp 1736536673973.webp
Yes, the seconds hand has always looked flakey! And regarding the hand paint/infill, it was fine until the service. All I can think is that because the hands were off and on quite a few times, any flexing would have weakened the brittle material. Now when I wear it, more keeps falling out. I'll redo them at some point I think.
 
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