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USN BUSHIPS watch
- Thread starter bazelot
- Start date
bazelot said:
It looks good, nice, and original. Cleaning the case is probably as far as you can go to keep it's period look.
If you plan on wearing it, overhaul the movement, polish/replace the crystal, re-lume the hands (not green), new spring-bars, and a better crown.
A
Anonymous
Guest
What watchmaker would one use for such a project?
bazelot
Well-Known Member
deeb7 said:
David, thanks! I plan on wearing it. I will polish the crystal and clean up the case as much as I can. Down the road I will probably take it to a local watch repair shop and have it re-lumed. I will post pics as soon as I get it.
Those seem hard to come by as I had to wait quite a while on Ebay before getting one.
STEVE S.
Well-Known Member
wing nut said:
i recently sent an original longines "weems" navigation watch (which is for sale now if anyone is interested) to this guy. he came highly recommended & i couldn't be happier with his service. great prices too.
http://www.watchdoctor.biz/
siddhartha
Administrator
Beautiful watch!
Contrary to some opinions here, I would NOT relume the hands, or touch the dial. If someone lightly polishes the case, that's fine, but the watch is only original like that once-after, it is forever "redone," and to many collectors, devalued.
If you don't care to keep it pristine, and wish to wear it as a functional watch everyday, then go ahead and relume, or have the dial refinished, but I think you'd come to regret it.
No problem with having it cleaned/lubricated, and having the crystal replaced (make sure they give you back the old one) to make it a serviceable watch
Take care,
Chris
Contrary to some opinions here, I would NOT relume the hands, or touch the dial. If someone lightly polishes the case, that's fine, but the watch is only original like that once-after, it is forever "redone," and to many collectors, devalued.
If you don't care to keep it pristine, and wish to wear it as a functional watch everyday, then go ahead and relume, or have the dial refinished, but I think you'd come to regret it.
No problem with having it cleaned/lubricated, and having the crystal replaced (make sure they give you back the old one) to make it a serviceable watch
Take care,
Chris
siddhartha said:
Chris, no one here suggested touching the dial, and it certainly should be left 'as is'.
My reasoning for re-luming the hands is that they appear to be rusting. Cleaning, and re-blueing will arrest this without spoiling the overall aged appearance. It is then simple to re-lume with a modern, harmless material, and to age/colour it with a mix of dry colours.
siddhartha
Administrator
deeb7 said:
I wasn't saying that you said to relume the dial, just making a suggestion. As to the hands-personally I wouldn't do it, and I have seen a lot of hands ruined by poor relume jobs, but I suppose that someone good at this type of work could do what you suggest.
For me though, I would clean the movement, but leave the hands alone
Chris
Willy McCoy
Member
At one time that watch had to be easily read. Legibility had great importance for split second timing purposes. As it stands now it's patina relegates it to a very nice show piece to be observed only and it's duty status (where importance is on decipherable readings) is a distant second. I do listen to collectors and try to see their reasons for forming opinions. If one buys such a watch for speculative motives based upon resale only, then by all means leave it funky looking and have it regulated and oiled. If you plan on keeping the watch for personal use where all of its functions are to be top rate have it restored. There are watch specialists that are competent will not damage your watch.
