My grandfather died of Alzheimer’s in the early 1990’s. For the last year of his life he required constant care. Soon after his death while cleaning up his home we found his watch wrapped in paper towel under some bushes. I was told this watch was a gift from his brother who purchased it in a PX during the Korean War. I have no way to verify that story but I do recall my grandfather wearing this watch and I know my uncle was a helicopter pilot in Korea. After it was found it was given to me. It was in very rough condition but it still ran. The dial was very dirty and all the lume was gone off the hands. But, even then my family knew I liked watches and they wanted me to have it. I wore it for a while and recall listening to it tick as I went to sleep. I thought I was doing a good thing by having it serviced and I asked to have the dial restored/cleaned. The watchmaker advised against it several times but I persisted as I wanted my grandfathers watch as it was, not how it ended up. I had no conception of collecting or value. I didn’t listen to the expert try to explain I would devalue this watch because I had no intention of selling it. What I didn’t count on was how I felt when it came back. It looked ok, but not great and it had really lost something. Now all these years later I still wear this watch but I do think about how I removed character, value, and ruined the original dial. On the other hand it was a learning experience and I’ve treated not just watches, but cars and motorcycles very differently since then. So here it is, my noob tax.
Don't be too hard on yourself. It's only us wacko collectors who prize originality that covet moldy patina, spidered dials, crazed bezels, and body cheese. Normal people would have done what you did, and refinished the dial. This was quite common back in the day when watches were actually used to tell time, which is why you see so many refinished watches today. Next time though, listen to the watchmaker.
Thanks for sharing. I feel like enough Rolex dials are floating out there that you could track down another. I'd go that route... Personally..
Don't feel so bad about the noob tax as long as you have learnt something. It is just like when you play poker for real money for the first time, you have to pay your "school fees" (except for those with beginners' luck)
Unfortunately no. This all predated me owning a digital camera and was long before everyone was carrying around one in their pocket.
That is a bit gutting but I suppose we all have experiences like this if not with watches then something else. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way from our own mistakes. Still at least you still have your grandfather's watch. I was left my grandfather's pocket watch when he passed away which I was always fascinated with as a kid, it disappeared during the house clearing. Things could always be worse. Enjoy what still is your grandfather's watch regardless face lift. Wear it with happy memories.
It's very much horses for courses. The end result should be what you appreciate for personal reasons and I'm sorry to hear you now have some regret about the outcome. My situation is slightly different. If you want the whole story, you can find it here. I readily admit to not having a collector mindset, and when it came to dealing with my father's watches, I took the attitude that I wanted them to be restored to a condition where, I believe, he would have been happy to wear then, not looking the way they were when he decided to stop wearing them. It may have affected the resale price to the collector market, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a moot point, as they are unlikely to be sold. No way do I consider it any form of "noob tax". I now have his vintage Rolex 14k 1003 which was restored by Rolex. It is my go-to dress/family occasion timepiece and I prefer the look to the way it was prior to restoration (sorry - pre-RSC pictures). My two brothers also own one of his watches each and wear then on family occasions as well. As far as I'm concerned, I got the right result for my requirements.
I just sent off my grandfathers ‘40s 10k Longines to be serviced. As you can see the movement is pretty ok for its age. The dial...well it needs a good cleaning(I forgot to take photos of the dial :/ ) I left explicit instructions as to what I wanted and didn’t want. We shall see what becomes of it in a couple months time. Perhaps I too will be taxed... Essentially this watch with Roman numerals instead of Arabic, but with serious damage. The actual movement and caseback.
Rolex, but it would probably require having them do a full service/restoration, which wouldn't come cheap.