Hello Omegoids, As passionate collectors and wearers of watches , I wondered how many of you: 1) Do your own revisions? Source spare parts and have a go with a steady hand and a strong heart. 2) Buy interesting cheap old watches that don't work, not worth the price of a revision, and may try a couple quick fixes if the fault is obvious. 3) Buy non-running or faulty higher end and Omega watches because they represent something ( a desirable movement, lovely dial, a future investment, or a quick flip with a small polish and glass buff) and then stick them in the Omega section of your collection with a very low priority of ever being fixed. 4) Only buy the best prime examples at proper prices, that are all documented as having been freshly revised before sale. 5) All of the above.... I'm asking as it seems clear that watch repair and revision might not be my "forte", (I just love the sound of pinging watch parts on the parquet flooring as they spring for freedom from my tweezers.) and I've currently 3 watches(2 chronos and a JLC) in for repair and revision which is unlikely to be less than 1000-1200 Euros....Which in turn digs into satisfying my acquisition habit....I am slowing down but then I go "oooh a Seamaster 30..I haven't got one of those!!" Maybe there is a watch revision night class...LOL
I'll buy a pocket watch movement I want that's in decent "running" condition, find a case and chase down the missing bits, assemble it and get it to function. Then I get my watchmaker to go through it and give it a proper service. But we're talking a few hundred dollars worth here... Not a Patek in a gold case.
I just buy interesting cheap old watches. Most are worth less than the service cost, but since I want to wear them (otherwise, what's the point?) they all get some love from a watchmaker before joining the rotation. I started out buying a watch (or two) that didn't work, but it was such a hassle tracking down a correct hairspring or donor movement parts for my watchmaker to use that I have given up on that approach.
That's right: source a hairspring or donor movement parts, you allow your watchmaker to fix a watch. TEACH him to source his own parts...
Well, I suppose that's the downside to playing with broken vintage watches; my watchmaker was unable to source the needed parts through whatever channels were available to him, and handed the watches back. While much of the joy of collecting (for me) is in the hunt, I found that the search for donor parts wasn't much fun.
Sometimes I buy old non-runnung Omegas (if the price is good enough) and I repair them. If you find a good and honest watchmaker the cost is not very expensive for a common restoration. If I need some pieces I look for them on the internet or I ask to some friends. However before I buy them I calculate all the pieces and works, if these are impossible to find or very expensive for the watch I don't buy the watch. (sorry for my bad english, but I'm Italian)