Those of us who have been collecting long enough have a box (or boxes) of watches that we were very hopeful about- diamonds in the rough, too good of a deal to pass up. How many of those get to completion rarely has to do with money, it comes down to fortitude, arrogance, neurosis and mostly stupidity.

Here are a few of mine that made the cut:

Zodiac Seawolf MKII
Purchased for $350, was barely running.
Parts movement $200
Same parts in parts movement worn so NOS parts on eBay for $85
Service $250
Lume on dial stabilized and hands relumed $200


Omega Seamaster 120
Purchased for $900.
Hands were wrong, OG hands acquired from member here for $275
Movement was a hot mess- tons of parts replaced, service $500
Correct factory bracelet $275
Correct crown $85


Bulova 666 Oceanographer (first year)
Paid $350 (came with bullet bracelet and crack fees bezel- worth it)
Donor movement $200 (full working watch)
Hands and dial relumed (these dials have to be relumed from behind) $200
Factory crystal $70
Service $200


Clebar chronograph
Paid $400 (flawless chrome plated case- don’t get too excited)
Donor movement $225
Service $350


Gruen Precision
Paid $35 at antique store (was running)
Discovered all auto parts had been removed- parts movement $75
Service $200
Red Horween strap (c’mon, red hand- it was begging for it) $75


Timecraft Chronograph
Paid $450
Donor movement for the parts- $225
More parts becuase donor movement had issues- $80
Back to watchmaker 3 times for reoccurring issue- $300 (he only charged me once)
More parts to solve reoccurring issue $125


Zociac Seawolf early MKII
Paid $450 (with stretch free factory spring link bracelet -worth it)
Donor movement $225
More parts for winding pinion- $75
Hand lume stabilized and filled $100


Waltham A17
Paid $150
Crown tube, crow & stem $100
Service $200


Orator skindiver
Paid $200
Screw down crown was stripped- new crown and tube $75
Service $200


Bulova 333 Oceanographer
Paid $250 with bent lug
Found a better dial (this one) in another whole watch for $175
Had another case from a member here and parts movement- free, thank you OF
Service $200 and gave the second watch to a friend



Luxor yachting Chronograph
Paid $400
Movement was a hot mess, donor $250
Service $350
New bezel (forthcoming) $200


I have put far more effort, time and money into these than any sane person would have- let’s see yours.

 

You are a brave man! This is well beyond my meager collection.
Edit: I like the yachting chronograph. Post when the new bezel arrives!

 

Great thread. I’ll dig some of mine out.

 

So much transparency, love it!

 

Bought at a farm yard sale. She was asking 50 cents, but I only had a toonie (Canadian $2.00), coins. Paid her $2.00. Movement is a KURTH FRERES automatic. Needed a rotor post $65.00, dial refinish $75.00, case chrome plated $100.00, crown, crystal, mainspring, gasket. Total about $300.00, and I serviced it myself. If it’d had to pay to have it serviced? Mightn’t have done it. But I like it!

 

A barter deal. Jeweller I do some work for had 5 ladie’s watches from an estate he wanted serviced, to give to relatives. I serviced them for him. I serviced the pictured watch, and in the deal, it became mine. Basket case! Watch case was gold filled, and looked like it had been put through a brush cutter. Horrible dial. But the calibre 351 bumper automatic movement was intact, and in good shape. In my stash, I had an Omega case, an Omega dial, an hour hand, and generic crown crystal and gasket, and mainspring. I conditioned it, and am wearing it today. A superb performer. Investment? Hard to say. $50.00, maybe.

 

If it wasn’t for “salvage”, I probably would have a much smaller collection.

 

And you know how to service them which gives you a leg up. Those of us who are over optimists (how bad can it be? It says “running”) usually never get them out of the parts/ project box

 

NOS Titus Tuning Fork: $100

Battery had leaked and damaged the coil. The Ebay seller managed to repair the coil enough to get it to run, but the fix soon failed. Shipped to Rob B in Thailand for a full service and coil rebuild: $220.

 

I have many of those, since I also tend to be on the mission to save some only for the sake of it. Many turn ok for me, since I would not do, if I would not have a very reasonably priced and patient watchmaker, who, amazingly, keeps up with the crap I keep sending him.

Just recently:
Omega Constellation quartz
Bought for 180USD, hoping it would only need a battery. Nope, movement toast. The omega is missing on the clasp. Omega estimate for a new movement was about 450 USD. So I bought a beaten doner for 200 USD and now it's being swapped, which could possibly be for free or cost 20 EUR. So in it for 400 and still missing something. Love the dial though.





I got lucky with this Valory. Bought for 30 USD with no caseback and half a movement. Bought a movement for 40 USD. My watchmaker swapped them, replaced the rotor, relumed the minute hand and stabilised the hour hand and put a Rolex caseback on it for 50 USD.


TBC

 

You saved some real beauties there @JwRosenthal. Well worth the extra pounds.

 

I probably have about 100 pounds of parts/donor/prospect watches in my stash. I have lost count of how many watches in my collection came from that “stash”. That, plus I have been involved in this craft for longer than many of you have been alive. And I “network”, a lot. I have “fallen heir” to more watches than I can count. I suspect many collectors in the hobby today, have more money involved in one prime collectible, than I have in my entire collection! Call me lucky!

 

Your watchmaker sounds like my guy who is retiring. He had no problem tearing the watch apart and giving me a comprehensive list of parts needed, then putting it aside until I could find them. He got creative sometimes when we couldn’t find a part and would either modify another part or make it from scratch. Alas he is winding down his career (has been for a few years now), so I need to be less ambitious in the projects I take on.

 

Famous last words.

 

I feel your pain.... monetary that is, I tend to buy basket cases as I am a sucker for diamonds in the rough, though some do turn into turds in the weeds.
I have bought too many to show or list, probably now more than 300 in the last 4 to 5 years with most of the vintage ones getting parts, repairs and service.
Luckily my Watchmaker is retired but working so I utilize his great skills while I may in the full knowledge he won't be around forever and that his competition charge a factor of 5 to 10 more than him which would make my collecting endeavours impossible.

 

Yes, mine is retired and only takes on stuff from a collector friend of mine, so we regularly pile together what we have.

I like that he is still old and school and not afraid to make stuff. This MENTOR has some completely unknown movement and was missing its winding gears, stem, crown. I could talk him into making one and forget about any economic sense. He was still kind to me me at 50 EUR.
The guy I bought it from (30 Eur) photographed it so that you couldn't see it hat it was missing the stem and crown (and all winding mechanism).

The wonky dial should be next,but I'm already so far upside down.

 

From what I see here, all of these watches are worth it!
I think we can take comfort in knowing that there are others out there in the hobby that are in it for the love - even if it doesn't make financial sense. Haven't done this with a watch (yet), but this is common theme in other hobby areas (bought cheap/passion project, search out parts, lots of time/sweat equity/money spent to get it right). Sometimes, the watch/car/etc just deserves to be fixed. At least that's what I tell myself....

 

Yup. At first we think “oh, it won’t take too much to get this right”, but then it becomes a money pit and a matter of pride - and there is no going back after the pride kicks in….double down on that bad investment- awesome!
My wife refers to it as the “sunk-cost fallacy”, she speaks that fancy brain language.

 

Yup! And also, the mentality that if I don't get it fixed, the next person won't, or they won't do as good a job. Yeah, pride!!

 

And the idea that I have to finish it even though I am now resigned to selling it becuase nobody in their right mind would buy it in this shape! So instead of cutting bait, we dump another couple $$$$ into it to make it sellable.