Further to our blog post a couple of weeks ago, here’s another example of a pocket watch which may perhaps on the face of it look to be beyond repair. We like to think differently though! With the correct skills and tooling, we can tackle these challenging jobs.
The repair and restoration of vintage timepieces is very specialist work. These watches may be collectors’ items or family heirlooms and they often have a broad range of faults, simply due to the age of the piece. It’s often difficult or impossible to source parts – this can further add to the challenge. Vintage watches need very specific care and attention, and preserving originality and history is at the forefront of our minds.
Our head watchmaker is very experienced in the repair and restoration of vintage watches. He has worked on pieces of real historical importance and is able to work on a huge range of pocket watches with a variety of different escapements – from verge to duplex, English lever and beyond! In addition to his experience, we have a good stock of parts from our many years of tackling such restorations. From new old stock hunter pocket watch glasses through to hand sets, there’s every chance we can find a suitable part from our stock of spares.
Indeed we needed to go through our spares to find a number of suitable parts for this pocket watch. As you can see from the before images, it was in poor condition. It arrived full of rust, missing both the hour and minute hand as well as both glasses.
The movement was thoroughly serviced restoring it to excellent working order. From our healthy stock of vintage pocket watch hands we were able to find a minute and hour hand appropriate from this timepiece. We also found a pair of suitable new old stock glasses from our stock. The profile and sizes of these glasses is unusual, so you need the correct type to fit. Fitting a modern watch glass is not an option!
The case was given a light polish to compliment the new glass, hands and the newly restored movement. As you can see, the difference between before and after is striking! Our client was absolutely delighted with the outcome and this pocket watch is ready for many more years of reliable service.
Yours sincerely
David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
We’ve had a number of Omega Seamaster watches in to the workshop recently. They come in all sorts of sizes and variations. This one is a bit special – it’s the America’s Cup version. This is a limited edition Seamaster and has limited edition engraving on the case, the America’s Cup branding on the dial, plus a white gold bezel. This watch is one we’re adding to our pre-owned watch collection, so it is available to purchase at the time of writing!
As with all of our pre-owned watches, we give them a thorough once over. So this watch received a full service plus a clean and polish of the case and bracelet.
This model is powered by the Omega 1120 automatic movement – a 23 jewel enhanced version of the excellent ETA 2892-A2 movement. During disassembly we noticed a relatively unusual part in need of replacement – The dial side jewel for the barrel arbor was broken. Perhaps the watch had received a shock at some point in its history, and the shock was enough to break the jewel.
To replace the jewel we first needed to remove the broken one. After the rest of the movement is disassembled, we use a specialist jewelling tool to press out the old jewel. As you can see in the images, it comes out in a number of pieces. We had a replacement jewel in stock, so it’s then a case of using the jewelling press to fit the new jewel. Care must be taken to ensure the jewel is pressed in to just the right position – avoiding both too much or too little end shake.
The movement parts are cleaned in a specialist watch movement cleaning machine before reassembly and re-oiling. The dial and hands can then be refitted.
Separately the case and bracelet are disassembled and given a clean and refinish. We always take each polishing/refinishing job on a case-by-case basis, taking care not to compromise the shape of the case by over-polishing. After the case and bracelet are thoroughly clean everything is refitted back together before the watch is checked for timekeeping and water resistance. The complete watch is then tested before it goes in the shop window.
We have a fantastic range of pre-owned watches – do get in touch if you’re on the lookout for something special. Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer – we carry a range of top brands in our pre-owned collection.
Do you have an watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any Omega watch and we offer a comprehensive watch repair service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. You can also bring watches in to our showrooms based in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. As Business Partners of the British Horological Institute and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.
Yours sincerely
David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
A recent restoration project for one of our clients involved fully servicing and repairing a vintage Omega Seamaster.
Omega as a brand have a huge, interesting history, perhaps beyond the scope of this blog post. Suffice to say they are one of the most prominent watch companies in the world, with numerous inventions, innovations and awards to their name. Their iconic Speedmaster was the first watch worn on the moon and amongst other popular models including the De Ville and Constellation, they make the very popular Seamaster.
The Omega Seamaster was introduced by Omega in 1948 and was stylistically at least somewhat based on designs made for the Royal Navy towards the end of the war. Originally one of the key features of the watch was a rubber o-ring gasket designed to provide water resistance – a feature which at the time was not as common as it is now.
In 1995 Omega partnered with the James Bond franchise. This further cemented the Seamaster as an iconic line of watches, with numerous “Bond” models produced which are still hugely desirable to this day.
The Omega Seamaster belonging to our client is a model dating from the early 60s. It has a stainless steel, three part case (i.e. a case back, middle and bezel) and a great ‘crosshair’ dial. The movement is an Omega 501 – a great quality, vintage automatic movement.
On arrival in the workshop this watch was barely ticking. Upon inspection there was a lot of dried up oil and debris in the movement, so a full service and a new mainspring was required. During a full service we completely disassemble the movement and run it through our specialist watch movement cleaning machine. We also run the case and bracelet through a separate ultrasonic cleaner. After cleaning, the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled, before being adjusted and tested. The entire watch is then tested on our rotating testing machine to confirm the automatic winding mechanism is operating correctly.
Do you have an Omega Seamaster in need of repair? From vintage to modern pieces, we are able to help. We remain open during lockdown and you can get your watch to us by using our fully insured, freepost postal repairs service. Contact us to find out more.
In our workshop we see some pieces where you wish the watch could speak and tell its story. Take this wonderful verge pocket watch for example. It dates from 1799 – which means George III was King when this watch was produced!
Left: Outer Pair Case & Timepiece Right: Timepiece Inside Pair Case
When we say “Verge” this refers to the type of escapement – the part of the watch which controls the rate at which the gear train advances or ticks. The quality and design of the escapement is thus very important to achieving accurate timekeeping. The Verge escapement was used from the late 13th century to the mid 19th century. As the first mechanical escapement, its development was extremely important in allowing the creation of mechanical clocks, and later, watches.
As you may expect from an early escapement design, the Verge does have a few “quirks” which generally prevent it from achieving good levels of timekeeping accuracy. The Verge is very sensitive to changes in drive force (i.e. when fully wound a spring will be pushing ‘harder’ than when it is almost unwound). This means each Verge watch needed to be fitted with a Fusee mechanism to equalise the force of the mainspring in order to achieve any level of accuracy.
Beautiful movement of the timepiece, fusee chain visible (right)
It is also a ‘recoil’ escapement. This means during the cycle of the escapement the crown wheel is pushed back momentarily, which then pushes back through the wheel train. This increases the amount of friction and wear seen throughout the movement.
Even with the above ‘quirks’, we’ve been able to achieve a good level of timekeeping accuracy for this watch. It arrived with us complete with a plastic bag of wheels and now it’s fully functional and keeping time to within 15 minutes a day. Quite remarkable for a 222 year old watch!
Very few watchmakers are able to work on these pieces. We have the knowledge and skills to be able to take on such repairs, alongside our work on more modern mechanical and quartz watches.
If you have a watch in need of repair, do not hesitate to contact us. We offer a fully insured, freepost, postal repairs service and take on repairs from customers based all around the UK.
Best wishes,
David Clark PJGemDip PJDip CertGA
Managing Director
We’re lucky to regularly see interesting antique pocket watches come in for restoration. One such example is this very fine 18ct Gold Full Hunter Triple Calendar Minute Repeater Chronograph.
The craftsmanship which went into producing pieces like this really is exceptional. The skills to restore such watches have slowly been lost over the years, though with the oversight of organisations like the British Horological Institute here in the UK (an organisation we are proud to support as official Business Partners), there are still watchmakers learning the skills necessary to work on a range of timepieces – both antique and modern.
We cover both bases in our workshops, as we can work on the vast majority of timepieces. From a modern ETA-movement powered Omega, to real specialist antique pieces like this.
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As mentioned above, this full hunter pocket watch is a minute repeater. This means the watch chimes – striking for first the hours, then quarters of an hour, and then the individual number of minutes. This function is activated via a slide on the side of the case. The hours, quarters and minutes have their own distinctive tone, so it is easy to hear the correct time. The addition of this function into a pocket watch truly is a marvel of micro-engineering. Fitting the striking works, gongs and so on into a pocket watch case (as opposed to a clock) took real ingenuity.
To add to matters, this minute repeater complication is alongside a triple date (displaying the day, date and month) and a chronograph. The sheer complexity and level of workmanship involved meant such pieces were considered status symbols at the time, and would go on to become family heirlooms – handed down across generations. It’s always a privilege to work on such historic, quality timepieces and to restore them back to excellent working order.
If you have an antique pocket watch in need of restoration, do get in contact with us. From glass replacement to complete servicing and restoration, we are able to help.
Best wishes
David Clark PJ Gem.Dip. PJ Dip Cert GA
Managing Director
It is often said that a man or woman is happiest when they do a job they truly love. Becoming a watchmaker isn’t a career move to be taken lightly. It really is a labour of love requiring many hours of serious study, bench work and hands on training.
Watchmaking and watch repair require a great deal of dedication and skill. Professional watchmakers will have gone through many years of training to develop the knowledge and skills required to build, maintain and repair the many different intricate workings and casings of watches from antique specimens to those of the modern day.
While there is no one formal route to become a watchmaker (there are a number of training courses from practical short courses for beginners to expert learning leading to qualifications), the credentials of a Master Watchmaker will be vast and backed up by many years’ experience in the trade.
Extraordinary expertise is required to become a Master Watchmaker. There are only a few who have reached this high level of expertise in the UK, including our very own Master Watchmaker working exclusively at W.E. Clark.
Repairing, restoring and servicing antique, vintage and modern watches and pocket watches requires an exceptional level of knowledge, patience and skill. A Master Watchmaker, such as ours, should be able to repair and restore almost any watch and source or make parts where they are no longer available. Master Watchmakers can usually bring any watch back to life, even where other less experienced watchmakers have failed.
Watches our Master Watchmaker has worked on include antique pocket watches, such as military watches, railroad watches, Benson, and Waltham, as well as any pocket watches with LeCoultre movements, fusee movements, or verge escapement movements. In addition, he has successfully restored and repaired a wide range of vintage watches, as well as carrying out servicing and repairs on thousands of modern timepieces from Omega, Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, Longines, IWC, Citizen, and Tag Heuer to Patek Philippe.
The skills required to become a Master in the craft of watchmaking and repair include an obvious passion for watches, a steady hand, keen eyesight and the resilience to sit at a work bench for long hours. It requires precision and patience. Micro-parts are so small, that even a miniscule fraction of misalignment could damage the intricate workings within a watch or cause it to lose time. Working with intricate mechanical parts also requires analytical thinking.
Pocket watches have played an integral role in gentlemen’s fashion over the years, and since circa 2015 the trend for collecting antique and vintage watches and wearing them as a fashion accessory has continued to grow. We are of course delighted that the trend for pocket watches looks set to stay around as we are huge fans.
In a technology-driven world, the old-fashioned timepiece may seem a little out of place, but vintage clothing, household items, jewellery, record players, typewriters, sewing machines and a whole host of other high-quality objects from past decades and centuries are making a comeback.
Vintage fashion has grown in popularity and it’s really interesting that younger people seem to be placing more value on older, high quality items. Pocket watches are a natural extension of the vintage trend. Even today’s celebrities are sporting antique pocket watches, just as style icon James Dean did in the 1950s.
Dean purchased an 1889 Elgin pocket watch in the early 1950s, just before his career took off. He called the timepiece his lucky watch. Nowadays, other celebrities, such as fashion-icon Johnny Depp, can regularly be seen wearing a pocket watch.
A potted history of the pocket watch
Pocket watches were essentially a transition from mantel clocks, with first specimens appearing in the early 16th century. German inventor, Peter Henlein, was the first to create watches that did not require falling weights to power the timepiece. Early pocket watches were bulky and were generally worn on a chain around the neck.
By the late 17th century pocket clocks became very fashionable and were small enough to be worn in a pocket and not as a pendant. Pocket watches were then a luxury item worn by upper-class gentlemen.
The downside of the early pocket watches was the fact that they lacked accuracy, with some losing hours in one day! They were, however, a symbol of wealth and status with cases and dials often painstakingly handcrafted with opulent designs.
The introduction of the lever escapement improved accuracy greatly. The first lever escapement was invented by English horologist Thomas Mudge. By the mid-19th century levers became the standard movement in all clocks, including pocket watches.
By the late 1850s pocket watches were being manufactured in America using mechanised production lines and standardised parts. Pocket watches were no longer exclusive to the wealthy and became an important feature in middle and lower-class society.
The rise of the railroads in the second half of the 19th century led to the widespread use of pocket watches for accurate timekeeping. The famous Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway crash, which happened as a result of an engineer’s watch stopping for 4 minutes, led to the development of stringent standards in pocket watch production and railroad-grade pocket watches. Railroad pocket watches are highly collectable pocket watches today.
During the 1st World War wrist watches were preferred as they were easier for soldiers to wear. Pocket watches subsequently fell out of fashion. Pocket watches became popular again for a short time in the 1950s, being paired with the three-piece suit.
The development of digital watches in the 1960s and the quartz watch in the 1970s saw a decline in interest in pocket watches. The growing interest in vintage clothing and interiors in recent years has sparked a vintage pocket watch revival.
Types or styles of pocket watch
There are two main types of pocket watch; Hunter Case and Open Face. A full hunter pocket watch features a solid outer case concealing and protecting the watch face until opened. Double hunter versions have a second lid at the back to enable viewing of the movement inside. In a half hunter the watch case features a glass panel or hole in the centre revealing a view of the watch hands.
What you need to know about buying a pocket watch
With so many antique and vintage pocket watches on the market, it’s important to know what to look out for if you want to find an authentic, high quality watch that works. Buying a vintage pocket watch is similar to buying a vintage car. You need to know the model, age, size, grade, quality and unique features of the timepiece to determine its true value.
Many vintage pocket watches have the manufacturer’s logo embossed on the dial. The watchmaker’s name should also appear on the flat sheet of metal over the movement on the inside of the watch, along with a serial number (usually five to nine digits long). The serial number will help to identify the year of manufacture. There may also be a smaller number (two to four digits), which is the caliber or size of the movement.
The metal used for the case can be identified by the markings inside of the case back. The manufacturer’s name, serial number and movement size can then be compared with lists published by the manufacturer to identify the year of manufacture.
How to Care for a Pocket Watch
You should never force a case back open as you may damage it. If you have a pocket watch you would like valued or repaired, bring your timepiece into us and we will get our Master Watchmaker to service your watch for you and give you a valuation.
Keep in mind that some antique and vintage pocket watches may have had work carried out and the quality of the work and any replacement parts will affect how well the watch works and its value. While there are many newer pocket watch models coming on the market, there seems to be a consensus that older watches are more attractive.
Tips for restoring your heirloom
If you’ve discovered an heirloom timepiece languishing at the back of a jewellery box or dresser, you may wish to bring it back to the land of the living. Pocket watches are now high fashion after all.
Don’t be tempted to take your timepiece apart and have a bash at trying to fix it yourself. The restoration of intricate gears and mechanisms inside a pocket watch require a great deal of expertise. Always seek the advice of a professional Watchmaker, preferably one with a Master title, such as ours.
An antique or vintage pocket watch is definitely an investment. We are delighted to have some beautiful pocket watches restored to their former glory in our pre-owned watches collection.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our beginner’s guide to pocket watches. If you would like to buy a pocket watch or get an old pocket watch repaired, get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
We are proud to offer a national postal watch repair service. This is a flourishing part of our business, with our Master Watchmaker very well versed in the repair of all timepieces. We are also dedicated to giving our customers the best possible service.
Here is one happy customer’s experience with us. After filling in the online request form via our watch repair website, our customer received his freepost insured envelope. His cherished RLT Watch Co. quartz wristwatch made its way from Staffordshire down to sunny Eastbourne for the attention of our Master Watchmaker.
On arrival, the watch was carefully received, inspected and our Master Watchmaker was able to contact the customer with a free no obligation estimate of the work required. Our Master Watchmaker advised that a replacement quartz movement was needed.
Once we had the go-ahead from the customer, the movement was fitted, tested and then finally released ready for its return; all within twelve working days. A great job done!
On receipt of the watch, our customer was very pleased with the service received and his feedback says it all.
“Excellent customer service from the beginning to the end. Postage by freepost and all of the packaging provided (excellent). Fast diagnosis and follow up phone call with quote for work to be carried out (excellent). Work completed promptly (excellent) Phone call to complete payment and next day return of watch before 1pm (excellent).”.
“When you open the well secured and padded parcel that has your repaired watch in it but the watch is not some vastly expensive item and to some perhaps not worth saving and it is wrapped and placed in their own branded envelope with the receipt in a branded card little things I know, but it says Class and Care!”
We are of course delighted with our customer’s response. Our Master Watchmaker treats every watch repair with the utmost sensitivity and expertise, and we aim to always provide a service that exceeds expectations.
We are determined to succeed where others have failed. As well as using our very own world-class Master Watchmaker, we think our Freepost service, secure packaging and attention to detail are what sets us apart from our competitors. We value the service we give to our customers and we were delighted to be voted regional Independent Retailer of the Year 2017. We also won Best Independent Fine Jeweller in the UK at this year’s Professional Jeweller Awards. These awards are testimony to the level of service we strive to achieve every single day.
If you have a watch that needs repair, whether it be an antique pocket watch with a verge or fusee movement, a Vintage Rolex timepiece or a modern day Omega, your watch couldn’t be in safer hands than with our Master Watchmaker.
At W.E. Clark we love nothing more than to delight our customers with our exceptional watch repair service. We recently had the pleasure of refurbishing a vintage Tudor watch and bringing it back to full working order. It was a lengthy restoration, but our customer was absolutely delighted with the results.
We were approached by the customer via our website, who was interested in our postal repair service. We duly sent our FREEPOST package with instructions on how to package the watch to the customer and we patiently waited for the timepiece – a vintage Tudor watch – to arrive.
Our Master Watchmaker gave the vintage Tudor timepiece a thorough and detailed examination before contacting the customer by telephone to go through the estimate. This is something we always do before we commence any repair work.
We explained exactly what work was required, which included a full service. Our Master Watchmaker had no doubts that he would be able to restore the vintage timepiece to its former beauty, and re-instate its precise timekeeping. The client was happy to proceed with the work and was pleased that the timepiece could be brought back to full working order.
Our Master Watchmaker carefully and painstakingly dismantled the watch. The dial needed significant restoration and was sent to the dial restorer. Meanwhile, our Master Watchmaker serviced the movement and replaced the glass. Once the dial restoration was complete, the vintage timepiece was put back together with the expertise of our fine Master Watchmaker.
Finally, we tested the watch on our time keeping machine to ensure the precision timekeeping you would expect form a Tudor timepiece was being maintained. As expected our Master Watchmaker’s expertise proved yet another triumph with the vintage Tudor watch back to keeping perfect time.
Our customer was absolutely delighted with our work. It was an in-depth restoration of a sentimental watch. Although a lengthy repair, our customer couldn’t have been happier. It was well worth the wait.
