New to the forum. Not sure where to go to introduce myself. I’ve loved watches since I was a boy. I don’t have a large collection however my favorites are Omegas.
I haven’t bought any watches lately but a month ago I bought this 1940’s building to restore near Chicago. An old watch maker was in it at one time long ago. I covered the windows for the construction phase with these cool Omega posters. Cool forum.

Arlan

 

Welcome!

Sounds like you have a cool plan...?

 

Hey and welcome. What are you going to do with the store?

 

Same question. I would assume you are starting a business will you be dealing watches. When I do check out AD’s or nice jewelry stores loaded with fine watches
I get a little envious of the employees

 

Welcome! Great building, I hope you plan to keep the facade- it’s beautiful and would be a shame to lose the historic store front. “The watch shop” would be a great name for a restaurant!

Also just noticed that the marquise used to have neon- there are still companies around that do custom neon if you choose to keep the name- that would be a jewel on that street!

 

Hey, welcome from Chicago. Looks like a neat project, good luck!

 

It’s being restored to original. Porcelain and all. I do neon. It’s an interesting building. I’m not quite sure what to do with it when finished. It’s 40 miles South of Chicago city limits. Wilmington Illinois.

 

Great to hear- and awesome that you do neon- a lost art! Don’t know Wilmington, but have spent plenty of time in and around Chicago. I would think at 40 miles it’s still close enough to be a commuter town...perhaps your store front can be part of the downtown revival!

 

Wow - pretty neat. Eager to see it all restored.

 

My grandfather did neon back in the '50s. I still have a couple pieces my father brought back once he passed (nothing good, just something you would trim a building with).

@Uncleasy: I've always wondered, it appears the tube is supplied straight and filled by the factory. If that's the case, when you bend the tube, does the pressure of the neon inside affect the bend; does the glass try to inflate or deflate? I would think the heat would pressurize the gas and make it blow up.

 

Some tube is coated on the inside. However all tube is bent by blowing air into the tube via a mouthpiece and section of surgical tube with the other end corked. Otherwise it will surely kink. Some straights and other geometrics can be bought pre made with ends terminated with electrodes.

 

Blow too hard and you will get a bubble.
Each time you work you make a new mouthpiece that is made from a small glass tube like a pipette
You make a bubble in the tube then bend the tube into a 90 then into the bubble with a wire you push a small piece of cotton that keeps moisture trapped in the mouthpiece. Hose goes on other end. Then into a cork with the same size mouthpiece tube. That cork goes into the neon straight tube flame and bend while blowing gently. Takes about 20 years to learn and about 35 years to get good at.

 

Then when you get OK at it they come out with flexible rubber LED neon. Peal and stick.

 

Wow, that is something. Thanks for the reply.

But there's nothing like the look of a neon light.

 

We’re all the watch related contents removed? Any old watchmaker benches, tools, parts? Beautiful building congratulations.

 

Don't send it to Omega for the restoration--they'll ruin it.

 

The old watchmaker who had the building built died in the 1960’s. The building was left vacant for many years (other than raccoons).
A local historian told me that after the original watchmaker died people went in there to scavenge. In the crawl space we’re found several live munitions. Bazookas, grenades and the like.
The whole downtown had to be evacuated while the items were removed. He was a WWll veteran.
I think he was a lot like me. I was a military contractor for ten years. I was always scavenging bombed out vehicles, I love gauges and the like. However after getting cancer and being screened my doctor asked, “Have you ever been around radio isotopes, radioactive items?”
Yes, scavenging burnt/bombed vehicles. lots of these vehicles were destroyed with depleted uranium rounds. Which I should have known.

 

Thanks for the reply and I pray that you continue to improve your health. Good luck with the building and we look forward to the progress of both you and your new building.

 

I’ve been making good progress on the old watch shop. New (complete) roof timber’s and all. The building was completely gutted and steam cleaned. New electric service and all. Now the hard part comes. Removing all the porcelain facade panels off the front. Carefully clean each one. Rebuild the structure using box tube steel. And then Re-install all of the panels and new glass and frames. Instal neon. Etc. Some before and after pictures here. Also as an added bonus an old clock was found in the basement. It just look like a dirt covered gig circle. I wiped a bit with water and was amazed to see porcelain. I’ve already cleaned what turned out to be a 1940’s 36” lumidial clock made in Chicago. Very rare because of its size. The movement is a lumicron 10. I’m looking for another. In the meantime I’ve put a high torc quartz mudder in it for display in my home. I just love the clock. Turns out it’s worth more than what I paid for the old watch shop. $10.000. Cool. Another pic unrealated, my old bike with a 1915 car clock. Time is more important than speed to me.
Thank you all for the kind words regarding the watch shop project.
I wish things could stay the same. It’s my way of getting a small chance to keep something the same for generations to enjoy. Arlan