Tag: watchmaker

Gallet Excel-O-Graph Chronograph (EP 40-68)

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Watch repair Victoria Excel-o-graph

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”.

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1975 Seiko Grand Quartz

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watch repair Victoria seiko 4843A grand quartz

When it comes to servicing quartz movements, the most likely and cheapest route taken is to replace the movement. However, sometimes the parts for watches and movements are so rare and tough to find, that servicing is the only option. As was the case for this gorgeous Seiko Grand Quartz from the mid-seventies, the Seiko 4843A movement was not readily available and the need was there to take it apart and service.

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When the Fake is better than the Original

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Watch repair Victoria Tag Heuer Aquaracer

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.

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Which watches does a watchmaker collect? (say that 5 times)

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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!

Watch #9 – My Memosail Chronograph

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memosail watch regatta timer rusty pipe

This watch is now up for sale. Come visit my For Sale page for more info

It’s no secret that I love chronographs. It’s the one complication that I just can’t get enough of. There are countless variants and approaches and I love the beauty and complexity of the differing systems of levers and springs. I’m amazed at how many different styles and types of chronographs are out there. All doing a similar function of timing something. Column wheels and vertical clutches, cam systems and automatic integration. It’s poetry really.

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Watch #4 My Favre Leuba

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Finding yourself interested in watches has many roads. For me, it was a mechanical route as I first caught the bug from seeing a movement in an old Omega pocket watch. For some, it’s a combination of influences like style, history, and just plain coolness. It’s always an interesting conversation when someone new to the hobby questions why one watch is very expensive and a watch that seems identical or similar, is drastically cheaper. This is a question that I still can’t answer. Yes, quality in many instances, is dramatically different, but sometimes the reason cannot be rationalized. We all know that more than not, the brand on the dial is the most valuable thing.

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