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Thread: Restore or not?

  1. #1
    Master
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    Restore or not?

    My colleague brought his Gold cased Longines in today.
    The question was "where can I get it repaired"
    My reply was why would you want to?
    I hear stories about patina and also some wonderful restorations and repairs on here so.

    Would you fix it?
    Where would you send it

  2. #2
    Master
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    What do you mean by "repaired"? What work does he think needs to be done?

  3. #3
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by David_D View Post
    What do you mean by "repaired"? What work does he think needs to be done?
    He was referring to getting the face restored, cleaned or fixed in some way as to remove the spotting.

  4. #4
    It's hard to say without seeing the watch in its current condition. I don't know Longines, but it may make a difference based on whether it is a particularly rare or desirable model or not.

    There will always be differences of opinion when it comes to restore vs leave original, but for me the key question is "what do you want to do with the watch afterwards"?

    If the owner is not a real WIS, or if the intention is to end up with a wearable timepiece, then perhaps go for a restore.

    If it is usable and of sentimental value, or the owner wants to sell the watch or keep as investment piece, then perhaps get it serviced but otherwise leave it alone.

    That's the decision I made regarding the G-P I posted about here (shameless plug): http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...rard-Perregaux

    There was nothing particularly special about the watch other than it had cost next to nothing to buy and had a nice clean movement. Left unrestored it had little tangible value and would never have been worn, but restored I can now get some real pleasure from wearing it. It perhaps gives you some idea of what can be achieved if the goal is to end up with a watch that can continue to give years of service based on a restoration at a modest outlay.

    If you post some photos of the specific watch in question I am sure you will get much better advice.
    Last edited by willie_gunn; 22nd February 2018 at 11:40.

  5. #5
    Master
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    Thanks Willie
    So you can't see the full size image in my original post then??
    Watch was his father's, he wants to wear it and keep it, not sell it.
    If you can't see the image, I will add some more via another source.


    Quote Originally Posted by willie_gunn View Post
    It's hard to say without seeing the watch in its current condition. I don't know Longines, but it may make a difference based on whether it is a particularly rare or desirable model or not.

    There will always be differences of opinion when it comes to restore vs leave original, but for me the key question is "what do you want to do with the watch afterwards"?

    If the owner is not a real WIS, or if the intention is to end up with a wearable timepiece, then perhaps go for a restore.

    If it is usable and of sentimental value, or the owner wants to sell the watch or keep as investment piece, then perhaps get it serviced but otherwise leave it alone.

    That's the decision I made regarding the G-P I posted about here (shameless plug): http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...rard-Perregaux

    There was nothing particularly special about the watch other than it had cost next to nothing to buy and had a nice clean movement. Left unrestored it had little tangible value and would never have been worn, but restored I can now get some real pleasure from wearing it. It perhaps gives you some idea of what can be achieved if the goal is to end up with a watch that can continue to give years of service based on a restoration at a modest outlay.

    If you post some photos of the specific watch in question I am sure you will get much better advice.

  6. #6
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by uktotty View Post

    Would you fix it?
    Where would you send it
    When I tried copying and pasting this URL into my browser I was told I need to log in to view it. Is there a privacy setting you need to change?

  7. #7
    Master
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    Sorry, all I can see when you post the URL is the image.
    Let's try again with a different host



  8. #8
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Not the clearest of photos, but it looks pretty decent to me.

    Does it keep good time?

    M

  9. #9
    Craftsman
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    The problem is keeping the quarter patterns on the dial a restore will get rid of these, I don't know anyone who could redo them. Sunburst, straight line etc no issue, but not this.

    So either leave the dial as is and just service and polish the watch, or re do the dial removing the pattern but making it look tidy again.

  10. #10
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Are dial restorers able to replicate that wonderful quadrant effect?

    Edit: previous post written at same time as mine says No..... :(
    Last edited by Der Amf; 22nd February 2018 at 14:07.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by me32dc View Post
    The problem is keeping the quarter patterns on the dial a restore will get rid of these, I don't know anyone who could redo them. Sunburst, straight line etc no issue, but not this.

    So either leave the dial as is and just service and polish the watch, or re do the dial removing the pattern but making it look tidy again.
    That's the best answer, thank you, that quadrant effect is lovely but i'm unsure as to how it was produced.

  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    Probably just stamped out.
    On a high end dial it would be made using a straight line engine turning machine.

  13. #13
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    That looks pretty cool as it is

  14. #14
    Grand Master Carlton-Browne's Avatar
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    I don't think I'd touch that cosmetically apart from a light polish of the case (assuming it's solid and not plated). And then a mechanical service.
    In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.

  15. #15
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carlton-Browne View Post
    I don't think I'd touch that cosmetically apart from a light polish of the case (assuming it's solid and not plated). And then a mechanical service.
    Sound advice, I like the look of it.

    Quote Originally Posted by trident-7 View Post
    That looks pretty cool as it is
    Yes. I agree, I think we have convinced him to keep and service it.

  16. #16
    Master
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    I don't know what he thinks would be achieved by refinishing that dial, as it looks perfect to me.

  17. #17
    Craftsman
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    If he wants to restore it back to its former glory then why not. I can think of worse things to spend money on.

    Sent from my [device_name] using TZ-UK mobile app

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan C View Post
    If he wants to restore it back to its former glory then why not. I can think of worse things to spend money on.

    Sent from my [device_name] using TZ-UK mobile app
    I agree.
    If it were my late father's watch then I would be happy to pay for service,repair and clean including dial restoration.
    I saw an oldish Longines gold watch for sale in Chester last year and it looked very nice indeed and under £800 if I recall correctly.

  19. #19
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan C View Post
    If he wants to restore it back to its former glory then why not
    Because it appears no amount of money can restore that dial; the options are leave as is or remake it without the original dial design.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    Because it appears no amount of money can restore that dial; the options are leave as is or remake it without the original dial design.
    Surely there's someone who can work on it to improve It?

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  21. #21
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    That is a nice watch. Best not molest it.

  22. #22
    Master Bernard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan C View Post
    Surely there's someone who can work on it to improve It?

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
    Nope. Not where the dial is concerned.

    A light polish and movement service would be a good idea though.

  23. #23
    Craftsman T1ckT0ck's Avatar
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    Perhaps it worth writing to Longines themselves? You never know what they may have sitting in a far corner covered in dust. Nothing lost trying and then you get to keep the original.

  24. #24
    Master pacifichrono's Avatar
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    The watch is owned by your colleague, who obviously does not like the look of the dial. A nice, even patina is one thing, but this dial is far from that! I wouldn't want to wear that Longines, either.

    Find him a dial specialist who can carefully clean up this dial, or point him to a quality re-dialer. This watch will just sit in a drawer if he finds it unattractive.

  25. #25
    Master draftsmann's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by me32dc View Post
    Probably just stamped out.
    On a high end dial it would be made using a straight line engine turning machine.
    When this Watch was made, well before the Swatch Group decided on its arbitrary pecking order of brand prestige, I would say this would have been a “high end” dial, quite possibly of equal stature to other brands featuring crowns and Greek letters.

  26. #26
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan C View Post
    If he wants to restore it back to its former glory then why not. I can think of worse things to spend money on.

    Sent from my [device_name] using TZ-UK mobile app
    Like a dodgy 2254

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  27. #27
    Master DimGR's Avatar
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    i know a guy in Israel who can do it

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