I just last week got my Connie wear worthy. Fitting a new winding stem to the crown and temporarily fixing the bracelet with a modified piece from a Seiko. I polished the crystal as best I could with just Flitz and it looked decent. While wearing it yesterday somewhere between home and Walmart I noticed a new scratch! A little above the "n" in Constellation. So soon, and I have been so careful. Oh well, I guess it's inevitable. Let's see yours and hear the story.
On a side note if you can zoom in you will see corrosion on the hands. Will this be cleanable during service?

 

I somehow have a chip on my crystal a chip how did this happen compromised its ability to go 200 meters probably burst at 150 meters. Won't matter ill be drowned anyway still a great watch to ride a motorcycle

 

A friend reached down to pick up a dropped hammer and the exposed edge his Seiko Kinetic's crystal grazed the edge of a brick in a wall. The Crystal may have been Sapphire glass because chunks of it broke way at the edge, one leaving a hole all the way through, but there were no scratches.
I've noticed the flat crystal of my 1980's Bulova also stands proud of the bezel. I wonder why they chose to leave the edges both exposed and without any bevel?

 

I would guess because that was cheaper then if they had the edge beveled. And it is probably better to have a crystal hit first then the bezel as far as ease/ cost of repair.

 

Do keep it underneath the sleeve of jackets, as I always do. Hell, I even take my watch off when i wash my hands.

the second hand is indeed corroded, but I am not sure if the watchmaker can source an identical one without compromising the originality of the whole watch.

 

How did I do this?

Easy...get behind during AWCI build-a-watch school...hurry, hurry, hurry...BAM...slip with a screw driver while installing a screw...DANG!

Lesson learned...don’t attend a build-a-watch school.



And when you take pictures of the scratched movement, utilize glare and lack of focus so the evidence isn’t so evident.

 

A bit more than a scratch... here's what happens when a watch is accidentally flipped off a counter onto a tile floor. Was reaching out to put it on and fumbled... flipppppp BAM. <cringe> Turns out Hesalite can crack... After impact, the watch was also running 30 sec/hr slow and actually sounded sick when I put it up to my ear.

The story has a happy ending though- this photo was taken as the Speedy was being shipped off to Nesbit's for repair. It came back with a bunch of new parts, and a is still better than new a year later! Best of all? Insurance covered the fix, which involved a full service, new crystal (obviously), new bezel, and a new balance.




I have also shattered the crystal on a Hamilton under very similar circumstances, but have no pictures of that misadventure. Alcohol was involved in that one... don't drink and horology, I guess.

 

This arrived a while ago.



I was still a novice collector, and having no money for servicing I asked a person to change the glass. They managed to scratch the dial and bend the minute hand...which got fixed.



I then had the watch properly serviced, and one of the lugs took a dent in it the first day at work.



I've ordered a replacement balance for it as my watchmaker has said that poising is doing no favors...I seem to enjoy throwing money into projects

 

Look at this one...

https://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/Mens-3...Mechanical-18K-Gold-Watch-1940s-/192554901526Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

I am going to stay away from this thread and have booked in for PTSD counselling.

 

Wow! Tell us more, i know the hesalite isn't as durable as sapphire, but dropping it on the floor (presumably from table level) screws up its movement? Does not sound durable at all

 

Well, that was quite the impact.
But I'm curious to know exactly what insurance covered the fix?!

 

It was more than just a drop, got flung in a big arc across the room when I snagged one end of the strap by mistake. It was quite dramatic- I have a slow-motion memory of it burned into my brain. 6 more inches, and it would have hit padded carpet and possibly been a non-event. I think the Hesalite did pretty well- sapphire would have shattered. According to the watchmaker, the Hesalite basically saved my Moonwatch's movement from further damage and a much more expensive repair.

In my estimation, these watches are plenty durable, ON THE WRIST. I don't think a mechanical watch should be expected to get flung across the room to violent impact with a hard surface, and come away unscathed.

It sure was. I have my watches covered with USAA. Just to see, I called them and told them exactly what happened, and they covered it. All they wanted was the estimate from Nesbit's. That was a pleasant surprise.

Nice to know they have my back, but I am VERY CAREFUL with my watches now.