Anyone know anything about watches?

MannyE

Exterminate!
I've had a Longines 5 Star Admiral Automatic circa 1970ish for a few years. I got it as a gift from a client. It's solid 18k gold with a silver face and looks kind of like this one:

IMG_9347-Version-4-470x351.jpg


I like the silver face on mine better than this gold face... but anyway. To the question.

I sent it away to the Longines factory in Switzerland for a refurb and although I didn't expect the job to be cheap, the $1600 estimate kind of blew me away. I know these watches aren't too cheap but I have no idea if it's worth the money to rebuild. It's the full rebuild service they do over there and it's amazing. But is it worth it?
 
That seems a bit expensive for a Longines. Even though it is a full refurb. But they will do it right. I have a 1967 Rolex. My tech who learned at the Rolex factory in Switzerland charged me $600 for the last cleaning and repair. Local places like Bailey, Banks, & Biddle quoted me $1200.
 
... the $1600 estimate blew me away too!
I have a Citizen Ecowatch I got on AK a few years back for about $100 -
so the idea of a watch refurb over a few hundred dollars is way beyond my budget and my interest.
I don't believe in diamonds and just don't wear jewelry in that kind of price range -
jewelry that's in the $5-10k range? I'd be too nervous to ever wear it out!
 
I had my grandfather's 1940's Longines Barrel shaped wristwatch repaired including face restoration for $400 and change locally. Of course it isn't 18k, so that might make a difference in their estimate. I'm sure the factory will do a wonderful job, but others may do as well for considerably less.

Longines Watch Face.JPG Longines Watch Restored.jpg
 
Those prices seem VERY high to me, unless there's some huge vintage parts cost factoring in. A normal watch cleaning/adjustment here in Iowa runs $50 - 100 for a normal mechanical or automatic watch. For a complex mechanism with multiple dials (like an Omega Speedmaster), more in the $250-300 range. Unless your watch had damage or broken parts and was not in running condition, I would take that to a local certified watch single practitioner and get an estimate of services...you're in Miami Beach? There should be plenty of trained watchmakers and repair firms there that would be of high caliber.
 
Also, even with the high prices around today, a consideration: I don't think you would get that investment back if you were to sell it down the road...unless that model is more rare/scarce than I realize.
 
There is a consideration. A factory restoration will add to the value of the watch. But what I would do is check in with horologists and ask this question. I am willing to bet you there is a state side God of Longines watch refurbishment such people will point you to.
 
the only thing I know about watches is that a broken one is guaranteed to be right twice a day, and a running one is never guaranteed to be ever right!
 
I know my $20 casio will never be worth anything, but by gods I can read it clearly without having to squint to decipher it AND figure out how to work it without having to be a rocket scientist ...

81aa%2Bx1yutL._UY445_.jpg
 
I've had a Longines 5 Star Admiral Automatic circa 1970ish for a few years. I got it as a gift from a client. It's solid 18k gold with a silver face and looks kind of like this one:

IMG_9347-Version-4-470x351.jpg


I like the silver face on mine better than this gold face... but anyway. To the question.

I sent it away to the Longines factory in Switzerland for a refurb and although I didn't expect the job to be cheap, the $1600 estimate kind of blew me away.
I know these watches aren't too cheap but I have no idea if it's worth the money to rebuild. It's the full rebuild service they do over there and it's amazing.
But is it worth it?

Was it clean, and was it working when you sent it to them?
I've bought CARS, nice cars for less than that!

I think the idea of find a local horologist is a great one!
Contact the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia PA for a recomendation.
https://nawcc.org
 
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To clear it up ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horology

Horology (via Latin horologium from Greek ὡρολόγιον, from ὥρα hṓra "hour; time" and -o- interfix and suffix -logy; literally "the study of time") is the study of the measurement of time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, hourglasses, clepsydras, timers, time recorders, marine chronometers and atomic clocks are all examples of instruments used to measure time. In current usage, horology refers mainly to the study of mechanical time-keeping devices, while chronometry more broadly includes electronic devices that have largely supplanted mechanical clocks for the best accuracy and precision in time-keeping.

People interested in horology are called horologists.
 
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A basic service for my Patek is more than double that amount.

Yes, but Patek is in a different league than Longines,

The value of the OPs Longines is in the gold case. With a standard plated case, you're looking at a few hundred dollar watch. With the 18K gold, you're looking at least $1000-1200.

If it's in good cosmetic condition, I doubt it needs a full factory rebuild. A tear down, clean, re-assemble and oil will likely get it going again. (i.e., a standard watch service by someone who actually strips the movement down)


Is $1600 for a rebuild worth it? Sure...if having the refurbed watch is $1600 worth of important to you. But once you subtract the gold value, it far exceeds the value of the watch.
 
I paid a little old dutch guy $150 to "tune up" my great grandfathers 1933 bulova and thoght it was salty. Looks like I got off cheap.
 
A refurb is supposed to take the watch back to showroom new. It's not just a repair - that would be less expensive.
So, a mechanical watch and it's worth is totally in the eye of the beholder. Kind of like comparing high end audio equipment, everyone has their opinion. A very nice Mac or Conrad Johnson or... Which looks or sounds better?
If you like the watch, can afford it and will enjoy wearing it, go for it.
 

That is actually where the picture I used comes from. It's about $3600 dollars but that's what they are asking for it. Who knows what these are actually going for. On the other hand, it would come back as a "brand new" watch with a 24 month warranty.

I jokingly sent the estimate to the guy that gifted it to me (I was doing all his commercials and we doubled his business in a year... he was appreciative) and he told me it's actually a very special watch and it was a little high but not crazy.

They will completely disassemble, clean and restore the watch replacing any needed parts; replace the hands, which they say are damaged and install the correct sapphire crystal (somewhere along the line it got a plastic one) that alone is $200. I love the watch but I was looking at other watches i can get for $1600 and the selection is staggering.

Looks like I may be listing some audio equipment in BT. :)
 
And thank you everyone for the responses. Even the wisenheimer quaddriver. :)

@petehall347 I looked at that ad and others and the average ASKING price for an unrestored version of my watch is around $3200 give or take. While I don't want to sell it, I would feel better about it if I knew I would get the value out of it and have an heirloom watch in return. The Patek that this watch "honors" (come on let's be real...it's imitating a Patek) is many many times more expensive. But I'm still going to be chewing on this cud for a while before I decide to swallow or spit it out. :)
 
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