The better half gave me the best present of all this Christmas, A box of pre-owned, broken watches!
She said she got them off of the Bay, and just wrapped up the Priority Mail Box in Christmas wrap, put a Bow on, watched with a smile as I opened it.
Inside the P.M. Small Flat Rate Box were 14 Tissue wrapped bundles in a Bubble wrap sheet.
The results after peeling apart the tissue paper...
The Ladies watch is a 1929 "Patricia" 15J 6AF which I was able to Id with the ad's, it is in nice shape, and tries to run, but needs some work, I posted it with the info in my watches..
The Second with the Black Enamel highlights looks like a "Curtis" I found one on here like it, it is a 1928 with the serial # 330901, Jan.11 1927 Patent date on case back, dust cover intact, but looks like moisture has gotten in, rusty looking on movement, Hinge Pin broken on case
The third I haven't been able to ID, it has a 10AN movement with a shield, (1929) and serial # 654954, Bulova Quality Jan. 11 1927 stamped on the case back, Clean looking movement with dust cover intact, Balance wheel moves when you tap on it.
The cases and Crystals look good on all of these with the exception of the broken hinge pin on the Curtis, I know the guy that I have fix up the movements on my old watches will show me the door when I bring these in, I have a hard enough time getting him to fix the 50's and 60's models.
What do you think, Is it work spending a few $$ on each and any Recomendations on a watchmaker? (Mark? are you up to it?)
Greg
In reply to The tonneau cased is a by Wayne Hanley
Any Bulova watch with enamalling is always worth a restore IMO.
I'd love the challenge of bringing that one back to life.
The hands on both gents watches are non-original.
The left (Richard variant) will take the cathederal type, whilst the Curtis will take the gold 'modern' style.
In reply to Any Bulova watch with by Stephen Ollman
Stephen,
You May just get the Chance, I am going to drop them off at my local watchmaker tomorrow, I suspect he will laugh me right out the door if he is in.
He seems to cringe every time I walk in the door. I also have a Pocket Watch guy that is in his 80's, but it seems like he only wants to work on stuff size 6 +
Well,
I dropped these off with my Ticker Doc just before The New Year, He was not in so I left them there for him look at to give me a idea on what it will take to restore them.
Didn't hear from him, so I called him late last week... Too Old... No Parts... The "Curtis :has had moisture in the movement and is junk, except for the case and Crystal, The" Richard" needs a new Balance assembly, no parts available, the same for the "Patricia" no parts available and no time to search for any... Basically take you junk and shove it :)
He did manage to fix the hinge on the "Curtis" and handed them to me with a smile, a pat on the back and "No Charge" as he showed me the door!
So what next? Up here in my area, Good Watchmakers are either Dead, In the Home, or Hundreds of miles away!
In reply to Well, I dropped these off by OldTicker
Maybe you could check these guys out. They claim to make there own parts on site. I used them to restore a 45 Aviator /Cadet. The movement was a hunk of rust when I gave them the watch and when I got it back it was shining like new. cost of the mechanical restotation was 140.00 dollars. took them 2 weeks. http://www.mjwatchservice.com/watch-part-making.html
Bob
In reply to Thanks Bob, I may have to by OldTicker
OT, These guy are master watchmakers and have been in business since 1957. They don't do redials. Strictly mechanical repairs. http://www.mjwatchservice.com/index.html
Bob