Of course, like many watchmakers, I’ve serviced a few Omega Speedmaster Professionals over the years. I can say that it is always a treat. There are few watches that we can all collectively agree upon, have had such profound influence in watch history and collecting. I think every serious collector has at least one reference in their own collection (even the “Moonswatch” counts… sort of). This week I had the chance to work on two virtually identical Speedmasters. Both had a 77 million serial number which dates them both to 2005. This was a good year for the Speedmaster as it seems that they made over 5 million that year. So I guess it’s not that improbable that I would have two from that year.
The Speedmaster has a great origin story which I’d recommend reading about. The watch hasn’t changed very much since it went to the moon but it had a few faces and case designs before the “Professional”, as we know it, was created. Read about it here. These watches aren’t cheap and they never will be. As I keeping save up for one, the cost keeps going up. Feels kinda like a dog chasing his tail. Good thing I can service them. This way I have a deeper connection than even the owners have.
On to the watches. Both were in quite different condition. One needed quite a bit of adjusting. It had lots of end shake issues, worn bearings and needed a new bezel and crystal. The other had simply a broken mainspring and minimal wear. According to their owners, both had never been serviced so this is where I joined their stories. The 1861 movements were both in great cosmetic shape. The screw heads on both appeared untouched. This is pleasing, as it is the goal of every watchmaker (or should be) to leave no evidence of being inside a watch even after service. Leaving the screw heads pristine is a qualifier to identify those watchmakers who truly respect the craft, and those who just go through the motions.. These watchmakers may leave other parts of the watch different from how they were found. It’s really as easy as keeping your screwdrivers sharp.
Even though these watches are the exact same reference (145.0022) the only difference I noticed was the Omega logo on the chronograph runner bridge. The placement of the word “Omega” and grain were slightly different between the two. This tells me that the engraving machine had either been changed or adjusted during production.
Most likely is that they had several machines working in production that year. 5 million watches is a lot for one machine to handle and each may be adjusted differently. Sometimes you see these little variations even among the same reference. This makes the art of identifying counterfeit watches tricky. There may be something documented on this at the omega archives but that’s a really deep dive.
After service I had to take the opportunity to take a bunch of photos of the watches together. They may have met in the factory back in 2005 and probably had some catching up to do.
The first time I really got a sense of the possibilities of AI and the impacts it may have on our concepts of truth and information, was when I saw Bill Hader on David Letterman doing a Tom Cruise impression. Someone had created a Deepfake of him speaking and essentially turned him into Tom Cruise. It was freaky and hilarious! But God Damn, what does that mean? The ease of which we can spread misinformation, and misunderstandings will be a serious storm to weather. So in the future, where will we go for information that we can trust?
I see the 2824 right away. To many, this would look just like a legit Roger Dubuis. God is in the details
I’m seeing this first hand in relation to watches and counterfeit watches. It is more difficult than ever to spot the fakes. I had a client recently bring in a Roger Dubuis Easy Diver. He had bought it at auction but it was not running and needed some work. Of course, Roger Dubuis is a serious watch and I was excited to take a look. Unfortunately, upon first inspection, I had some serious doubts to it’s authenticity. As a watchmaker, I always go straight to the movement when attempting to verify a watch. This watch had a cloned ETA 2824 movement.
The Roger Dubuis RD14. Shimmer me timber!
The Easy Divers mostly use the in-house RD14 movement. This is some serious horology! They retail for well over $10,000! There are very few watch houses that use the 2824 at this price point. The only one I can think of, is the Ressence but this is a totally different beast. It uses an oil filled dial to create the illusion of floating markers. Very tough to pull off but they do brilliantly. It’s a very cool watch that yes, uses the 2824, but includes this module that, IMHO justifies the price.
After a brief search of the web, I found a few websites that proudly offered The Easy Diver and other “Roger Dubuis” counterfeits. I spotted my clients watch immediately. I was astounded at the brazen openness and pride that these counterfeiters displayed and sold these “watches”. Where is the oversight? How do these websites exist with such freedom? Of course, non of them have a real address and the risks of giving money to these guys is so big that who would even try? So desperate to own a fake watch, that people are willing to drop thousands of dollars and get who knows what? It’s wild! I can understand buying a watch in Chinatown in New york city, the watch is right there, it’s 50 bucks, sure…But a “Superclone”? a “AAA replica”? It’s all Fugazi!
Telling a client that their watch is fake is never easy. Every watchmaker has stories of people bringing in fake watches. When I told this guy his watch was most likely a fake, he was indeed shocked. The auction house he went to had verified on their listing that the watch was authenticated by a professional watchmaker. This was not ebay, this was a government funded and run auction house. So his next step was to bring the watch back in hopes of a refund. He told me that they had honoured their mistake and were planning to refund him. Happy ending right? Well, unfortunately later that day they contacting him again to say that they had taken the watch to another “professional watchmaker” who verified it’s authenticity and that they would not be refunding him! This is crazy. I know I live on an island here in Victoria, but am I really that far away from qualified watchmakers who could easily reference many sources on-line or make a couple of inquiring calls? I know he plans to contact Roger Dubuis directly and have them get involved (if they will is yet to be determined). Hopefully, there will be some accountability taken.
The internet may be an ocean of stupidity but it is also an amazing resource to verify real or fake watches. There are so many “experts” out there who love being detective and shining a light on what makes a watch real or not. There are also many websites out there that sell counterfeit watches that are so well executed that they can fool even the most revered expert. The pride is shameful! I believe this will be the cat and mouse game of my future.
Those are some big houses!
So where do the brands fit into this landscape? How much time and energy do they put into stopping or controlling the manufacturing and selling of knock-off products that, I would assume, sully their brand image and detract from their market share? I’ve heard many theories suggesting these brands are in favour of fake products. Does It brings more recognition to their name and is essentially free advertising? Yes, the most sincere form of flattery is imitation, but I’ve also been of the mind that people who buy counterfeit intentionally or otherwise would see the difference over time and connect an items inadequacies with the name on the label. “This Louis Vuitton bag sure didn’t last long, what a crappy company” . I’d suggest that is pretty damaging to a brands reputation. Nevermind the incredibly shady underworld where counterfeit products exist. The dark money, the slave workers, the toxic chemicals and the unregulated free for all. This money directly funds organized crime, sex traffic, child labour. Come on? Is it really worth fooling a few coworkers? Get a real watch. Your kids will thank you! Here’s a list of micro-brands that are funky, solid, reasonably priced and well, not fake.
So what is the future for watchmakers and counterfeit watches? I’m often approached to work on fake watches. I politely decline. I don’t judge (often). I know that many people don’t know the dark side of counterfeit watches. I am in a unique position where I can stop the flow and educate people. My real concern is the future. Like the looming reality of AI, Chat GPT and the like, what will differentiate the real from the fake? To combat the rise of fakes, I predict the large watch companies will tighten up their service requirements and thus, further exclude independent watchmakers from the repair side of the industry. Not allowing access to parts, service documents or case materials will inevitably leave us Independents to choose between working on fakes, or not working…This is sad.
The quiet loner
I know that watchmakers aren’t necessarily social justice warriors! We like to work in peace and don’t wanna stir shit up. I can understand those who work for a brand don’t want to cause problems for fear of losing their ticket. I find this interesting because the work-pool for watchmakers is not huge and these companies could be more grateful for the staff they have. One of my favourite “celebrity watchmakers” is Kalle Slapp. He’s a watchmaker from the Netherlands who has a great Youtube channel called Chronoglide. He does not shy away from discourse that is open and yes, sometimes critical, but always relevant to the plight of watchmaking. Especially to the struggles of the independents and the repair limits that big brands put on customers. As far as sources go for information, he is one of the good guys!
I’m often asked, What made you want to be a watchmaker? I enjoy being the oddball sometimes. I get to exist in this niche place that raises a few inquisitive eyebrows once in a while. I think it’s pretty obvious why, I mean, look at these toys I get to play with all day. These conversation often continue with an anecdote or two about an old family watch or some reference to some youtube video featuring a watch being taken apart. I do think it’s unique way to connect to people. I could talk all day about it.
simple and elegant, function and beauty
I’m excited to write about this incredible Longines Pocket watch. Historically speaking this isn’t the most unique watch or the fanciest. But as a watchmaker and appreciator, this watch enthusiastically checks off all the boxes.
The first thing you may notice on a watch movement is the finishing. Some have a noticeable level of craftsmanship and others just get by. The finishing on this Longines 17L is just fantastic. The bevelled edges on the bridges. The brushed finishing along with the high polished contrasts. The black polish on the screws and balance regulator. Then there’s underneath the dial. Why would anyone finish the dial side of a movment when nobody will ever see it? (except us watchnmakers) This watch, as the example, has perlage finishing under the dial and even the setting mechanism and bridges have high polish and bevelled edges too.
The barrel and gear train. Each part expertly hand crafted
Note the perlage. All done by hand. Nobody but the watchmaker see this!
Then there’s the science behind the movement. The breguet overcoil on the hairspring, and the temperature compensated balance. You can read about why it’s important here. There’s the gold jewel settings and the center wheel jewel. All indicators of a very high quality movement. Servicing this watch was a treat. It’s owner (whom happens to be a close friend’s relative) had kept it in good condition so there was little repair needed. Just a couple of end-shake adjustments and a good cleaning and regulating.
gorgeous finishing on this bridge.
Longines (of the past), is one of my favourite watch houses. They have an amazing and important horological history and some of their movement contributions are outstanding. I am especially fond of the military chronographs like the 13ZN. I believe they wrote the book on chronograph finishing that companies like A, Lange and Sohne have taken the baton from. These early wrist watch chronographs from the 30s and 40s are very sought after and very expensive. This is where the Longines 17N is different. There are many examples available and at an incredibly reasonable price. I am actually very surprised how affordable they are considering the level of watchmaking that exists within them. Perhaps the demand has yet to catch up or they may be a well kept secret. It could be that Longines was able to manufacture them in large quantities and the supply and demand keeps the price low. In any case, if you are thinking about getting a pocket watch and joining the family of collectors and appreciators, then I would highly recommend getting yourself one of these bad boys.
Freshly serviced and ready to close. One last look.
Now where to begin with this one? As a watchmaker, there are times when I feel this little tingle of joy when a rare and valuable watch comes across my desk. I also feel grateful to the owners of these treasured objects for entrusting me to give their watches the care that is needed.
This puppy is a family heirloom and checked all the boxes for me. I dream of owning many watches, many that are way out of my budget, and this one is on the top of that pile. Oh the stories they could tell. If you want to learn more about this reference, check out this similar watch that was featured on A Collected Man
The watch was no longer winding and the crystal was quite scratched. I opened her up and discovered no evidence that the watch had ever been serviced. Watches of this vintage, usually have service marks scratched on the inside of the case-back. The markings rarely give any real information, sometimes a date, but usually it’s just a signature of sorts. There were no such markings, and the movement was almost brand new, except for the dried out lubricant and dirt that had collected over time. I was confident that once I popped in a new main-spring and serviced the movement, it would work great without the need for any serious repairs or adjustment. I was right, once I cleaned it up and put all the parts in place, It came alive like Encino-man. I cased her up, polished up the crystal, and that was that.
A highlight for me was the opportunity I had to make a custom leather strap for it. The owner wanted a fresh vibe and called on my leather crafting skills to add some vintage spirit. We decided the veg-tan with matching brown stitching would be the right fit. I think it turned out pretty nice. Over time, this strap will get that sweet sweet patina.
Sometimes, when I have to give back such a great watch, this song goes through my head.
This has been a really great couple of weeks for me on the bench because I’ve had the pleasure of servicing some classic and beautiful chronographs. Last week was this beauty, and this week was the infamous Omega 321!
This beauty came across my bench like a celebrity sighting of Scarlett Johansson. As a watchmaker and a watch lover, it’s hard not to get a little flush when in the presence of such a gorgeous watch. The owner of this watch has such an amazing collection of Gallets (among other awesome brands) that I affectionately call him “The Gallet Guy”.
Maybe I’m biased, but I just love these watches. So well-made and the design is killer! This beauty came in for service and it was an absolute pleasure to work on.
Now this is a unique story in the world of watch repair. However, I feel that over the next few years, this type of anecdote may not be such a rare occurrence. The world of counterfeit and fake watches is a billion dollar a year industry, and it is positioning itself as a very real competitor for those established and historic watch brands. In some cases, such as this, the established brand shoots itself in the foot by producing a sub-quality product under an assumed standard and the counterfeiters have no choice but to out-perform.
I often get asked by people, as a watchmaker, what watches do I collect and why. We all love to talk about our watches, so I thought I’d take this as an opportunity to go in depth and talk about the watches in my very own collection. I wanted to talk about these 10 watches, how I chose them and why they’re important to me. So sit back, grab a coffee and have a go. Click on the watch you’d like to read and about, and please, let me know what you think. Happy reading!
Now it may appear that I am a big Bulova fan here, being that my third watch is yet another Bulova. Well, I guess you’d be correct as there are a few other vintage Bulovas that I also have my eye on. At the moment though, my collection is capped at 2.
The Dialed In Watchmaker 