Reply With QuoteSimon Freese:Originally Posted by Dr.f
http://www.simonfreesewatchmakers.com/
Any recommendations for someone to undertake case refinishing on my tired Edox ?
Simon Freese:
http://www.simonfreesewatchmakers.com/
"A man of little significance"
Looks like a good outfit thanks for the heads up
Not used them myself, but have heard good things about Watchworks (Rocco). www.watchworks.co.uk
Absolutely.
There is a fantastic thread in the Classic Posts section.
The damage that Watchworks can repair is astounding:
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...pics-on-page-3
I can thoroughly recommend Watchworks, but Rocco chooses what work he does very carefully now.
Although I live within a mile of his workshop I have not used him for over 2 years, as he has chosen to only do top brand modern work (Omega Rolex & Breitling), no vintage, and no smaller brands.
It is a great shame (from my point of view) although I am sure Rocco has increased his income significantly
Dave
Just like Dave's experience, Rocco did a couple of case restorations (one with a full service) for me a while ago but declined the last couple, one needing a full service. I'm expecting an old watch back from case restoration with Simon Freese and have already had a couple done by him.
"A man of little significance"
That is the issue, once it gets out that someone has a lapping machine or are just very good at polishing, then they will get too busy.
So many independents are bad at polishing or don't even offer the service on complicated finishes. Plus to have the correct equipment is not cheap at all.
It would depend on the style of the case and whether it needs lots of straight edges restored . there are many decent watch polishers out there but whether they have the right equipment to retain sharp edges is another matter.
+1, the OP’s not revealed much with such a vague post! Pictures would help a lot, and might tempt someone to take the job on.
I’ve refinished lots of watches but I’ve virtually given up because it’s too time- consuming (with my limited equipment) to get a top finish. Some cases are far easier than others to get right, and it isn’t always obvious which will be difficult.
Customer expectation is another issue. Some folks want a watch returning to ‘as new’ appearance, others want to keep the refinishing as light as possible to improve the appearance. If a watch has dings on the edges it’ll almost certainly need laser/micro welding to put some metal back in. I enquired about the cost of such a facility and quickly gave up on the idea.
Some finishes, such as heavy grained starbursts, can only be done perfectly using a lapping machine. Hand- finishing will get reasonably close to the original, but on certain watches it won’t look right.
Even with decent equipment refinishing is a time-consuming process compared to servicing, so it’s hardly surprising that repairers prefer to focus on the more profitable service/repair work. Even for those of us who work on a hobby basis this becomes a factor, particularly when the watch work is being fitted in amongst other activities. Refinishing work can be messy and dirty, it can’t be done alongside movement sevicing and requires a separate work area. For someone like me, with only one workbench, the answer is to thoroughly clean the work area after a refinishing job and get the bench back to the right standard to do movement work. Machine work is done in the garage, so that’s not a problem, but having to ‘swap’ the bench area between refinishing and movement roles is a bit of a pain.........and another reason for keepng the refinishing work to a minimum.
Refinishing work is a bit like decorating to me.........tedious and boring! Having said that I’m surprised more folks don’t learn how to do it, it’s possible to teach yourself and it’s v. rewarding to see the final results.
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