Wednesday, May 21, 2025

On abandoned watch restoration projects

The past month, I was able to unload a couple of watches that I initially bought to restore them. Both were collectible models but I had to eventually unload both as I couldn't find time and the parts to restore them to the condition that would satisfy me. Restoration here doesn't mean making them look new because that would mean I had to get aftermarket parts to replace the originals. The collector in me didn't want that and I've always held that vintage watches lose value if they were mostly composed of aftermarket replacements.

This Seiko 6119-7173 Sports Rally was in decent condition as far as the dial, hands and case were concerned. The movement was also original - running well and keeping time. It was a reliable piece as far as telling time was concerned.

The main issue was an incorrect case back. This meant the back was probably lost and replaced by something that resembled the original watch. The value for this watch was significantly less than if all parts were original and correct.

I also acquired this 5126, which is another collectible 'rally' model thinking only the dial needed some work (don't need to do a full restoration that will involved replacing original parts) but the movement had some trouble so I also decided to unload this.

This watch had its original case including the back. Unfortunately, having a bad movement was a no-no for me considering my experience in trying to get parts for vintage watches.

 

I still have other watches needing some work but for now they will probably be retained. These include a several Seiko 6138's like one bullhead and a sliderule. Again, its the parts that are difficult to get despite some help from my go-to watch repairman. More on this in future posts.


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