Nicholas Hacko Watchmaker

Kevin '07 - 2077 ?

2011-11-07T15:57:00.007+11:00

You just have to feel sorry for poor Kevin.

No, I am not talking about his political carrier - it's his watch choice that
makes me pull my hair!

I don't follow politics. My first notice of Kevin was his regular appearance on morning TV back around 2005. At that time, he was wearing his trustworthy conservative-looking Omega Constellation. A watch which suits him perfectly well: accurate, reliable and bloody boring.

Then came 2007 and Kevin - now the prime minister - was still clinging to his Omega.

Well nothing wrong with that, you may say.

I disagree.

While his personal choice is his personal choice, as a PM he was representing our nation and that should have been taken into account. Sitting across the table or rubbing shoulders with Putin, Obama, Sarkozy, Berlusconi or the Dalai Lama would have been a traumatic experience for any watch owner - but obviously not for our Kevin.

Bill Clinton: "So what do you wear today, Kev?"
(Bill wears many watches, but favors Panerai)
Kev: "My Omega Bill."
Bill Clinton: "Cool. Is that the same one you've been wearing since last year?"
Kev: "Yes, actually I had it since my twenty-first. Got it from Prouds on my very first trip to Brisbane. It cost me a bloody fortune, but it keeps perfect time".

Fast forward 4 years - and our jetsetting foreign minister Kev is now rubbing shoulders with even more dignitaries.

"Hey Kevin how's things down under? I see you still wear that Omega" - asks
Milo Djukanovic, premier of the smallest European banana republic, Montenegro.
(Milo wears Breguet Tourbillon)
"Yes mate - and I've only had two battery replacements since 1994."
"Good on ya, Kev. You are the legend".

Of course, over the years, some leaders did take pity on Kevin and made some serious attempts to refine his horological taste. Blair suggested Rolex, Putin even offered his Patek. Berlusconi voted for Vacheron repeater (500K Euros) - same as his, but with white dial. All in vain. Even Sarkozy gave up - our Kev could not care less for Patek or IWC. "Sorry Carla, please explain to your hubbie that I just don't need another watch when this one still goes like a rocket! And my Theresa loves it too - and that's all that matters to me."

Kev just won't budge. He could not care less! And why should he? - when the leader of the opposition wears what appears to be a 75 dollar Rip Curl Divers Quartz?

With such an opposition, every day in office is just another day in Paradise.

On time yet still too late / Is Paypal protecting the seller or the buyer?

2011-10-19T15:47:00.003+11:00

On time yet still too late

Barry Trengove went from London to New York to be an art director for I. Miller, the classy American shoe company in the 1960's. He arrived on Friday and went to the office.
The company was moving over the weekend and he wanted to check on where to report on Monday.

Passing down the corridor, he noticed that the walls were hung with the original shoe illustrations done by Andy Warhol for advertising campaigns in the 1950s. The movers were shifting out furniture and had begun to stack the pictures in a corner. Finding the foreman, Barry inquired what was happening to them

"They will be thrown away tomorrow", he said.
"Um", said Barry, "I quite like them".
"Well," said the foreman, "come in the morning at nine, five bucks and they're all yours."

Barry didn't sleep all night. He was back there bang on nine. "Sorry," said the foreman, "the rubbish was collected earlier than expected."

[The art of looking sideways: Warhol's Shoes]

Is Paypal protecting the buyer or the seller?

This is a tricky question. In my opinion - and in the opinion of a number of sellers burned recently - the answer is: neither!

Let me just share with you a true event: a local (Sydney) seller has listed his Rolex on eBay. The watch was sold to another local - a buyer who was happy to pay with Paypal.

The money was transferred to the seller, and as a precaution, he immediately withdrew the money from his Paypal account to his personal bank account.

Shortly after, the buyer contacted the seller asking if it would be possible to collect the watch to save on shipping. The seller was happy to oblige - after all, the buyer was doing him a favor. Personal delivery would ensure that the buyer has received the
watch, the transaction would be settled, and the seller could not be liable or open
to eventual Paypal investigation due to non-delivery or loss in transit.
So our seller agreed to hand the watch over in person.

Again, as a smart seller, at the delivery, he took the buyer's details: copy of the driver's license, phone number - he even took the photo of the buyer himself -and his car! Done deal!

By the time he arrived home, there was an email from Paypal: the transaction has been reversed - and Paypal took the money back from his personal account (as they are allowed to do according to Paypal agreement). Reason: fraudulent transaction! The "buyer" paid for the watch with a credit card which belongs to the victim of an online fraud - and once the victim realised what happen, his bank contacted Paypal.

So our seller lost his Rolex to a local scammer.

Being scammed online is painful, but being scammed IN PERSON is even more so. If you think that Paypal is there to protect you, then think twice. (In defense, Paypal said that seller would have been protected if the watch was shipped, but not when personally delivered!).

Unscrupulous people are out there to outsmart you, me, innocent victims, the banks and Paypal.

Be careful who you are dealing with - both face to face and online, 'Having the Paypal money in your bank account' is no longer safe. The Paypal money is NOT real money! It is a mere agreement between Paypal and your bank, and in case of fraud, it could take months to determine who is the victim and who is the scammer.

Beware!

Happy collecting,

Nick Hacko

'Mystery' Rolex Table Clock

2011-10-19T15:42:00.002+11:00

Hello Nick
could you tell me please more about this Rolex table clock:
a value, how old it is and if there were many made?

C.K.

Unfortunately, Rolex never made a table clock of the above design. The clock on the picture is a recent Indian or Chinese fake, it has no monetary or collector's value other than 'novelty' value ($5-10).

However the glass ball design is not a a novelty in itself; during the mid to late 1800s a number of French and British makers have produced similar pieces. Some of them were true works of art and highly collectable, but none of them were in the skeleton style or had a signed dial. In the tradition of clockmaking in that era, the maker's name was engraved on the movement.

Original French ball clocks are very collectable and desirable. Such demand created a market for fakes. The most popular variety is the signed "Omega" but other watch brands - like the above Rolex- are not uncommon. What they do have in common is the appearance: "aged" brass patinated frame, modified wrist or pocket watch movement of later production and dubious "mysterious" provenance; the package is designed to fool novice watch enthusiasts!

Triptych

2011-10-17T12:50:00.002+11:00

O N E

Among Chuan-tzu's many skills, he was an expert draftsman. The king asked him to draw a crab. Chuang-tzu replied that he needed five years, a country house, and twelve servants. Five years later the drawing was still not begun. "I need another five years," said Chuang-tzu. The king granted them. At the end of these ten years, Chuang-tzu took up his brush and, in an instant, with a single stroke, he drew a crab, the most perfect crab ever seen.

T W O

"I dropped my vintage Rolex. Something is rattling inside and it no longer works. Could it be serious?"
"Yes. Sounds like a broken rotor, jewel or maybe both. Plus a general overhaul."
"How quickly can you fix it? I am in a hurry!"
"My standard turn-around time is 4-6 weeks. With bit of luck, three."
"That long?? It's only a bloody watch! Why would it take you so long to fix it?"
"What would you consider a reasonable turnaround time?"
"I was hoping you can do it while I wait."

T H R E E

I've found a link between apes and civilized men: it's us!

[1] Italo Calvino
[2] watchmaker
[3] Konrad Lorenz

PAM 1938: Media-magnet

2011-10-17T11:03:00.000+11:00

Fine watches are magnet for media.

When things are slow and there is nothing to report or speculate about, you can bet your last dollar that tomorrow's top news is going to be "A Kitten Saved by Hero Fireman" or "Grandpa's junk watch sold for $100,000 on eBay".

In that order.

And yes, we get our share of calls from young (and seasoned) journalists wanting to "feature" our watches. Our usual reply is "Sorry, we are not interested, thanks for calling." In all fairness, would you hand over your finest piece to a total stranger
just because he claims to work for Channel 9 or In Style magazine? Yeah, sure.

This week was not out of the ordinary. I can't remember who he said he wrote for - BRW, Piping Australia, Melbourne Living or Dumbo Feather. ("Behind extraordinary ideas there are extraordinary people. Dumbo Feather is a magazine about these people.") It would not matter anyway - the guy on the phone was as enthusiastic as they get.

What did set him apart, however, was his boldness.

After the 5 minute breathless monologue he finally got to the point:

"We are working on a special issue dedicated to fine watches and we would like to offer you a chance to supply a watch for a photo shoot. I can send my assistant straight away to collect it."

"Yeah, sure. Which one would be suitable" - I asked.

"I am very particular with this project and there is only one watch on your website that
would suit my requirements. Panerai Radiomir 1938."

"Good pick mate- you really got me excited now! There is only one small problem: the watch comes with a very peculiar price tag: it's called 'price available upon request'.
Which means it is worth a few dollars."

"Oh, we are not buying it, so for us, the price is irrelevant"

"Cool. But with all due respect, the price is very relevant to me because this beauty
owes me big bucks. It is what we call a liability. I mean, if it goes missing, the loss is mine, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I'll take special care and I'll wear it personally until it's returned to you".

"Now that you mentioned it, the watch is UNWORN, still in full plastic wrap so I guess this could be a problem when taking photos?"

"We will unwrap it. No problem."

"Sounds like you've got it all covered and planned. And am I going to be mentioned as
a watch supplier to the photo shoot?"

"Well this is not really a common practice, but if you insist, we can do that as well.
Mind you, we are not in the business of promoting other businesses; we are primarily interested in artistic / design side of the watch."

At that point I realized we went too far. He has obviously mistaken my cynicism for naivety so I had no choice but to break his heart.

"Sorry mate, I think I'll pass on your offer. I was just pulling your leg a bit; we are nothing but ordinary second hand dealers and you would be better off if you call an Authorized Panerai dealer to arrange for a similar watch."

"Thanks for wasting my time" he said. "You should have told me so straight away".

And he was right. I should have told him so - if he would only care to listen.

Yet another fake Italian Omega

2011-10-14T15:47:00.003+11:00

A few months ago, I told you a story about fake Omega watches produced in Italy during the early 1970s. ( Link )

Well here is another one: this baby came in on Monday for a valuation. It came from the same part of the world, except this one was just a nasty, plain rip-off; probably the worst example I've ever seen.

While it looked fairly 'convincing' from a distance, the case back revealed the true origin: Il Ponte Rosso Special :-)

Base metal case back was enthusiastically stamped "18K gold", as well as the bracelet clasp.

Obviously this one was produced to fool only a drunken sailor at 4am.

So what puzzles me is this: why did they bother then to etch the movement with a fake Omega symbol? Like the sailor is going to ask "can I see the movement please?"
Yeah, sure.

Anyway, I've told the owner that the watch is not only a fake, but a bad one which is only good for educational purposes. He said: "You can have it then". To keep my promise, I'm sharing the photos with you.

Q&A

2011-09-01T11:32:00.003+10:00

Hello Mr Hacko

I have been a subscriber to your mailing list for a little while now and am looking to make a purchase in the near future (just waiting for a good first buy into the market watch comes along, Tag Aquaracer or less expensive Omega etc) Which brings me to my question.

There is always alot of talk amongst people regarding watches that there are certain types of people who just seem to "break" or cant wear watches as they "just seem to somehow" stop, drop time, come apart etc when they are wearing them. This is usually explained as a high magnetic/electro-magnetic current in the persons body.

So my question is Q. Is there any credence to this claim that there are these seemingly mystical watch breaking people who appear to be channeling Magneto from the Xmen and breaking/stopping watches with their own bio-rythmic magnetism. Or as I seem to be one of these people who does have watches stop on him alot (and im not currently in my understanding Magneto from the Xmen) simply having this happen because I have not really
ever spent more than $150 or so on a watch?

This question is currently quite pertinent as I am looking to make a purchase (as I have mentioned earlier) quite soon and if there is any credence to the claim of magnetism or human bio-electrics interfering with watches to the point of them coming apart or stopping etc and I happen to be a person with whom this phenomenon occurs, then purchasing a watch no matter what the cost would be a rather pointless exercise.

As I do love watches and would like to start collecting (with a Tag or Omega etc and then progress to the likes of Patek Phillipe, Ulysse Nardin and Cartier etc any help you can give me shedding light on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Regards T.K.

Dear TK,

I was only 7 years old when I first learned about "magnetic people".

My father was always very skeptical to any claims of bio-magnetic nature, and his usual comment to customers was: "Take good care of your watch and you'll be fine". But to me, those people looked genuinely convinced that they do possess something which prevents them from wearing a watch. After all, why would anyone make such a ridiculous claim?

The other reason I was more 'open minded' than the rest of my watchmaking family is because of a guy by the name Biba The Current.

When I was a kid, Biba was a regular guest on every scientific show on TV. He would plug one finger into a power point and fry an egg. Or boil coffee — holding the mug with his bare hands! Sparks flying everywhere, smoke, excited crowd, doctors and scientists shaking heads in disbelief — that was a show not to be missed!

After receiving your email I actually went to look for Biba — just to make sure he was still alive and kicking. And guess what: according to his Facebook website, he is! The fact that he's only got three friends (Erich Von Daniken, Uri Geller and Shane Warne) is proof that big minds and extraordinarily people always stick together.

Forty years later, I am as clueless to offer any explanation or opinion on the matter, but as you see, I now take things even more seriously.

So this morning on the bus to work, I came up with a simple test which can prove (or disprove) human magnetic properties.

The test is 100% definite and 100% safe. I have actually tested today myself, my assistant Margarett and 4 random customers.

Place 3 paper clips on the top of your wrist, on the area marked with a circle.

Now, rotate your wrist 180 degrees.

If the paper clips fall off your wrist, then you have no magnetic energy. You are not only safe, but ready to invest in fine watches!

However if the clips remain stuck to your wrist, then we can still do business, but you should call the "60 minutes" first and setup a Facebook account. Then call me, and we'll start with Pateks, not TAG.

Yours truly,
N.

Horological puzzle - do you think like a watchmaker or a lawyer ?

2011-08-16T15:15:00.001+10:00

Watch gears are called wheels and pinions. Whether a gear is a wheel or a pinion, depends on it's relative size in relation to the next meshing gear.

Therefore, on the picture below, gear A is
a/ pinion
b/ wheel

Email your answer to nick@clockmaker.com.au

Dear Diary: The low ball offer

2011-08-08T15:07:00.002+10:00

For the past 600 years of horological history, there was not a single instance when a watchmaker insulted a real-estate agent. Verbally or physically - or both.

A couple weeks ago, an e-mail hit my inbox: “Nick – there is an Omega watch I like. You’ve listed it for $2,399. Would you take $1,700?”

My reply was prompt and factual: “Sorry, no room to move on the price. It is a beauty – worn twice – and almost half price of the new one.”

Five minutes later: “Nick, I am a real-estate agent from the Eastern suburbs. I know how business works and I know you have plenty of room to move on the price. Never mind, obviously you don’t want my cash - I’ll get the same watch from a Melbourne dealer. Have a nice day. Marc”

I thought that was the end of the story so I did not bother replying.

Later that afternoon, yet another e-mail from Marc came in: “Nick, I still prefer to do business with you. What is your absolute best deal on the Omega? Would you take $1,750?”

Dealers call this type of customer a pit bull. Once they locks their jaws on you, you’re dead meat.

“Sorry Marc, $2,399. However I’ll throw in 2 years guarantee. N.”.

Finally, thirty minutes before closing time all hell broke lose. I will spare you the details of Marc’s 3-page long email but in a nutshell – I was accused of all committed and yet-to-be-committed crimes under the sun.

Here is the punch line:
“… what upsets me the most is your inability to handle my LOW BALL OFFER. Actually I intend to use your rude replies in my upcoming real-estate training seminar to show trainees how NOT to conduct sales process…”

I felt like I was hit by a shinkansen. I was guilty of … what? Not knowing how to handle a low ball offer? No kidding?!

Of course I know what a low ball offer is. It is the name for a past-time game played by Israelites and Ishmaelites in year 1200 - 775 BC. It goes like this:

Dude 1: I’ll give you half a shekel for that black ram!
Dude 2: Are you mad my brother? 2 shekels in silver, no agora less!
Dude 1: This is way too much--- I’ve sacrificed a better one last year and it only cost me a shekel!
Dude 2: A shekel and a half, and that’s it!
Dude 1: One…
Dude 2: One and a half…
Dude 1: One…
…and the game goes on for a solid 10 minutes.

Eventually, they've settled for a shekel and a quarter – the very exact price every single ram has been sold on that very dusty market since the walls of Jericho fell down.

Yes, a low ball offer was just a game. And they’ve played it not because they had nothing better to do, but because they had no Twitter, no Facebook, no iPhones, no Mario Brothers, no YouTube, no Wii or Xbox. THAT’S WHY!

But since my only connection to modern Judaism is being a fan of Woody Allen, and Marc probably arrives at his flashy Eastern suburbs office in an even flashier black Porsche – NOT on a camel’s back – I just can’t see how the low ball offer reference is relevant to either of us? But then again what if Marc is really right? Could it be possible that real businessmen actually still play that ancient game? And if this is the case, and the new generation of young professionals are now trained in the game, will I be losing sales thanks to my ignorance? So I’ve decided to go out, in the real world, to learn how the game is now played – by making low ball offers to business people I bump into. Nothing beats hands-on experience!

… --- …

It was the time for quick lunch break so I went down to a cozy take-away place called “Taste of Maharaja.”

“A small serve of lamb rogan josh, a plain naan and a can of coke please.”
“$10” said the onyx-eyes Kali, the goddess of time.
“Would you take $7?”
“$10”
“I have cash here, in my hand. SEVEN dollars”
“So which one don’t you want- the naan or the drink?”
“Oh, you don’t understand me. I want the lot! I am just making you a low ball offer and you are supposed to play along…”
“Move away or I’ll hit you with a spoon” yelled Indra the cook. “Can’t you see the queue behind you?”

I handed the $10 note and swiftly moved away. Even if I take our cultural and linguistic differences, it was obvious that these guys did not know how to play the low ball game and I was clearly wasting my time. As Peter Surname would say: "If I have to rate their customer service, I would struggle to give it more than 3 out of five”.

… --- …

Then it all become painfully obvious. As Marc said, the low ball offer is played between professionals, not just any business! That pain in my lower jaw and was obviously God-given after all! So I quickly booked an appointment with Dr. Nathan, the dentist on the 5th floor.

Dr. Nathan was not only a professional, but a very skillful and reputable dentist well known for his ability to charge just the right amount for his services. A clear testimony to that is his waiting room: always packed! Obviously, patients don't gather there just for the latest news, as a copy of the Times on his coffee table would suggest: "Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, Wednesday, July 29, 1981." No way!

If anyone knew how to play the game, it was the Dr. Nathan.

With only one thing on my mind, I couldn’t even feel the pain of the drill.

“All done Nick, don’t chew for the next 2 hours and take it easy” said the doc.
“Thank you, doctor. Now, how much do I owe you for today?”
“Usual charge, $320. Judy will take care of it.”
“Very good. So would you take $200 – in cash?”
Doctor Nathan gave me that worried ‘something is wrong’ look:
“Nick, are you still in pain? Are you allergic to penicillin..?”
“No doc, I am perfectly fine. I am just making you a low ball offer.”
“Ha! That is a good one, Nick – you almost got me worried for a second,”
said the doc, laughing. “Now get lost mate, the waiting room is fool and
I’ll miss the last bus home!” ...“and cut down on cherry strudels,
they are not doing you any good….”

I could not hear the rest because I was already on my way out. Again, the low ball offer did not work and I was experiencing both physical and emotional pain. What the hell is wrong with this world?

… ---…

After a long sleepless night, I’ve decided to give the low ball offer one final go. This time I didn’t rush. I knew why I failed: I was dealing with self-employed people who are obviously good at what they do but have a very limited understanding of how the real corporate world operates.

At exactly 10 o’clock, I was standing in front of the bank teller. This was the bank I visit every week. While the bank manager still doesn’t know my name, nor who I am, nor what I do, I feel appreciated. Who wouldn’t? After all, their advertising slogan is “Come and talk to the listening bank - together we make a great team.”

“Good morning, I would like to make a small deposit”.
“Sure! How is your day?” (I’ve told you they are nice people! I love my bank!)
Topaz-eyed Jennet took my five $100 notes and smiled again.
Then she disappeared.
And then she re-appeared again with the bank manager... And two security guards.

“I hope this is a mistake,” said the manager. “Unless you have a better explanation for
an attempt to defraud the Bank?” (No one was smiling anymore, and one of the security guys started to act strangely.”)

“Defraud? What are you talking about? I am a customer, not a thief!”
“Let me rephrase that question – said the fuming manager – what exactly did you have in mind when you handed us $500 while $1,500 was written out on the deposit slip?”
“Oh, that... well cant’ you see it? I am making you a LOW BALL OFFER! I am surprised that you don’t know what that means – you are supposed to make me a counter offer until we agree on an amount of deposit which will be a win-win figure for both parties!”

The bank manager’s rant went on for an hour. I can’t remember the details but he concluded that this time they will treat the incident as an internal matter (they won’t call cops). I am banned to enter any of their branches for 10 years and yes, they have closed all my accounts, but I should still consider myself lucky.

But I am anything but lucky. Neither have I learned a thing. I am still completely clueless – so PLEASE if you are one of the low ball offer players, or you run a business which knows how to handle low ball offers, put me out of my misery and reveal the secret to me.

I am all ears!

A new horological puzzle

2011-08-08T15:03:00.003+10:00

Yes, you do like puzzles! With over 120 replies and requests for 'more' looks like a puzzle section will become a standard newsletter feature.

Those who got it right said it was not a difficult one to figure out. For example, a fellow subscriber got it in less than 5 seconds. But he is an aviation accident investigator by trade, so no wonder. It was good to see that the puzzle smoked out a number of watchmakers lurking around the newsletter. For them too, this was way too easy.

The two best comments were: "Got it before my husband!" and "What's wrong? Bloody hell, are you blind? - the half of the parts are missing!" Typical Aussie sense of humor. Once again, thanks to all who replied.

And a very special "well done" to all enthusiasts who did not know the answer, yet spent time and effort to at least give it a fair go.

Today's puzzle is, again, an easy one. However don't assume anything and don't rush. While calculators are not essential, feel free to use it if you have too.

Photo below is of a Rolex Datejust. I have revealed a couple of layers (a mere 2 hours of disassembling and photoshoping!) underneath the dial, exposing the calendar wheel and the associated gears.

Question: in exactly 24 hours, which date will be displayed? Tip: the angle between two red arrows is 72.58 degrees.

Unfortunately I cannot provide any more clues because if I do, everyone would get it straight away. Reward: the names of the first 10 subscribers who e-mail the correct answer will be published HERE. Guessing won't cut - you also need to tell us how you worked it out. We now have over 8,160 subscribers so here is YOUR chance to claim a piece of horological fame!

To keep it fair, results and 'winners' will be published in the next newsletter.

As always, please do include your name, occupation and state.

A simple horological puzzle - are you ready?

2011-08-08T12:07:00.003+10:00

Do you have an eye for detail?

If so - here is a simple horological puzzle.

Below is the photo of a Rolex 3135 movement which came in today with a time-setting issue.

Question: Can you see what's wrong with it?

Now, don't rush. This is not a trick question, the answer is right in front of you. Take your time because if you just click on the answer link below, or on the help photo, you'll kick your bottom saying wow that was so obvious!

In case you do need help, here is the link to a clue photo. Use it wisely:
Clue

And if you still don't see it then click here for the answer:
Answer

Like it or was it too difficult? Got it right straight away? Ready for another puzzle? E-mail me on nick@clockmaker.com.au and let me know how you did!

Happy collecting,
Nick

The white square packets

2011-08-04T15:23:00.008+10:00

Thank you!

To all who kindly offered feedback: much appreciated! The inbox was flooded with emails and only regret is that I cannot publish some of the most brilliant, eloquent, friendliest and humorous replies I've ever read. It was humbling to receive emails from restaurant owners, second hand car dealers, new car dealers, real estate agents, a psychologist, retail experts, coffee shop owners, tradesmen, a lawyer, stay at home mums, engineers - just to mention few.

To Simon W.: Simon, we've read your email five times and we choked from laughter and tears. It left such a powerful impression on all of us here. Mate you are BRILLIANT.

If you ever feel like you need to get something off your chest - I am listening. I may not have time to reply to each and every email but I do read them all. Keep 'em coming :-)

The white square packets

Dear Nick,

... I can remember reading, some time ago, that the sounds "tick" and "tock" were actually made to sound different by our brain and that the clock/watch mechanism actually made the same sound each time i.e. tick tick tick etc. Have you heard this before and do you think the mechanism actually makes one sound or two?

Further to your last article, I thought the "largest pendulum in the world" I saw when I stayed at the Hotel Cornavin, Geneve, might be of interest. The hotel website says: "A special feature is the world’s largest pendulum - it hangs from the ninth floor and swings right down to the ground floor in the lobby of the hotel. The total length is 30.02 metres."

-P.

Hi P,

Thank you for your email and info about the Geneva pendulum. In regards to your question: I definitely subscribe to those who believe that tick and tock are not just two different events, but two distinctive sounds as well!

Let's talk about the tick and tock events first.

The period of oscillation of a clock's pendulum consists of a full swing which includes one tick and one tock.

To simplify, let's say you hop on the plane and travel from Sydney to Perth. This would be the 'tick'.

Coming back home would be 'tock'.

Now, while you've traveled the same distance on the same plane and have paid the same amount of money each way (and probably have watched the same movie) there is one main distinction between two trips: direction of the flight path.

Therefore tick and tock are not the same events. And you better hope that your pilot agrees with me! Otherwise, instead of flying you back home, you could end up in the middle of the Indian ocean, 3,500 km west of Perth. Same distance, same plane, same movie... wrong direction. Of course we can talk about the velocity and acceleration vectors of the clock pendulum, but we would still come to the same conclusion.

Now let's talk about the tick and tock sound.

What we describe and hear as one 'tick' is actually a complex sound which consists of
5 distinctive individual mini-ticks! We hear all those 5 clicks as one because they occur almost instantaneously.

Lets have a look at the watch escapement and how the sound is generated.

Here is a drawing of the watch lever escapement:

And this is what happens on the first leg of your flight, Sydney to Perth:
(or should I call it - an anatomy of 5 sounds of "tick")

- pin hits pallet fork [1]
- escape wheel impulses pallets stone [2]
- pallets stone impulses back ruby pin of the balance wheel [3]
- pallets stone locks escape wheel [4]
- pallets hit banking pin [5]

And here is the return flight, back home, or 'tock' :

- pin hits pallet fork [1]
- escape wheel impulses pallets stone [2]
- pallets stone impulses back ruby pin of the balance wheel [3]
- pallets stone locks escape wheel [4]
- pallets hit banking pin [5]

Now there is one MAJOR difference between the two.
While the paths are the same, the action of the ruby pins is switched.
The very same ruby which received the impulse in the "tick" phase
is locking in the "tock" phase. And vice versa.

This is possible thanks to the extremely fine geometry of the pallets jewels. To say that the exact position of the jewel in relation to the escape wheel is critical would be a gross understatement. In traditional watchmaking, pallet jewels are set and secured onto a fork with shellac. Shellac is natural resin (produced by an Indian lac bug) and may be dissolved by alcohol. The watchmaker would set the jewel, assemble the escapement, check for the depth of engagement and then make further adjustments. Unlike glue, shellac can be melted an infinite number of times. Nevertheless, the adjustment process is tedious and time consuming.

Let me just give you another analogy.

Let's say that on your trip to Perth you make a stop over in Adelaide. While there, you visit a local watch dealer and buy a watch. Then have a strudel and coffee and fly on to Perth. This is the tick action.

The tock: on your way home, you make another stop over in Adelaide, sell that Omega back to dealer and have another strudel and coffee, then hop on the plane to Sydney.

Can you note the difference between the two events? First, you've bought the watch, then you've sold it. That means that both YOU and the DEALER were both buyer and seller.

This is exactly what happens in the relation between pallet stones and escape wheels. During the tick, one stone is receiving impulse while the other is locking. And during the tock, it goes the other way around. Same wheel, same pallets, same stones - just different actions.

If we had a very sensitive recording device which would then play the sound in 'slow motion' (spectral analysis) we will see those different actions sound differently. It would roughly look something like the drawing below. Events 1 and 4 are the loudest, but once again, since all 5 happen almost instantaneously, we hear them all as one tick.

Based on the above I am quite happy to conclude that when we are talking about ticks and tocks, both events and both sounds are different, and yes, rightly so, we say that there is only one tick and one tock.

Of course there are other types of escapements which produce only one sound - but more about that on another occasion.

Finally, here is a real-time snapshot of a timing machine recording showing the performance of a freshly overhauled watch. Note 0 sec/day error and 0.1millisecond beat error with a fantastic amplitude of 333 degrees:

The white squares on the bottom half of the screen are actually individual ticks and tocks. And as you can see, under magnification, they are nicely spaced in time:

This particular watch movement "produces" 21,600 white square packets each hour.
Neatly packed inside each packet are the 5 sounds of escapement - a total of almost 2.6 million sounds generated each day. What a mighty heart that is!

And this is precisely why we adore mechanical watches.

Oh, I almost forgot: with regards to that 30.02m hotel pendulum in Geneva: Using the simplified formula for the period of a pendulum mentioned in the last newsletter we can easily work out the length of ticks and tocks, in seconds:

If you substitute constants and input L=30.02m then T (tick+tock) is approx. 11 seconds. (Or that would be 27 seconds per swing period on the Moon!)

Talking about the Moon...

While we are there.... here is an email received from a fellow subscriber. I think it's cool (and so humanely personal) so I have to share it with you:

"I wanted to ask you to keep an eye out for me for an anniversary Moonwatch or one from the landing year. Unfortunately I missed a beauty you had in just recently. The reason for me is very significant. On July 21st 1969 I flew with my family from England to start a new life in Australia. As a bright eyed seven year old, it was a new adventure, only surpassed by the adventure that was unfolding above me beyond 30,000 feet.

During one of the night sections of the flight to Australia the Captain came onto the intercom and announced "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Man has just set foot on the moon!". My father turned to me, pointing out to the moon through our window and said to me "If you look closely you can see him waiving". I later discovered I shared the same first name with Neil Armstrong and my father took me to see him, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins when they visited Perth later that year.

So for all those reasons above and a boyhood fascination with space travel the Moonwatch is the piece I have always wanted to own and wear. -N."

Time generation and time transportation

2011-08-01T15:25:00.007+10:00

Last week a note from a fellow subscriber was received - with a complaint about the length of recent news articles. He concluded that I "...obviously have far too much time on my hands." What a compliment! Anyway, should you prefer a shorter newsletter (or no newsletter at all) then you may wish to skip this one.

However if you are a technically-minded person then I am sure you'll enjoy my struggle with time and time transportation. In addition, I would strongly recommend this article to all single ladies as a final proof that choosing between an investment banker and a geek is a no brainer. You have been warned my dear!

Time generation and time transportation

Yes we are surrounded by time-telling devices! Mobile phones, personal computers, microwave, video recorder, TV sets, digital watches and clocks, fax machines - you name it - it seems that time is everywhere!

But where does the time come from ?

Time generation

It may sound strange, but the time is actually baked. Like my wife's strudel - it comes from an oven. There are few bakeries around the globe which 'bake' the time. And once a day, all bakers get together and show their strudels to each other. Just to make sure they have got it right.

Of course, scientists don't call the time strudel, neither do they call their laboratory a bakehouse, but when you think of it, this is how it really works. In essence, time is GENERATED.

For reasons shown later, I will take you through the kitchen of NICT, located in Japan. Men in white coats who work at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology call their strudel JST - Japan Standard Time.

Since we all know that the most accurate clock is an atomic clock, you are guessing that JST is generated by an atomic clock. That is just partially true because time masters have at their disposal no less than 22 atomic clocks! And this is how the kitchen looks like: there are 18 cesium atomic clocks and 4 hydrogen masers. Plus a bunch of computers, of course.

Clocks are set in 4 rooms and each room is fully shielded from electromagnetic radiation and kept at a constant temperature. The accuracy of each hydrogen maser is 1 second in 67 million years and cesium clocks are accurate to 1 second in 100 million years. You would think that one clock will do, but no! To generate the time, they plug them all at once and then average the error, synthesize the result, advance the clock for 9 hours and voila - the JST strudel is ready!

You have to love Japanese bakers - they are really funny. They say: Cesium clocks are better for long time stability (greater than one day) and hydrogen masers for short term stability (less than one day). Like half a second in 50 million years would matter. But for them, it obviously does. Respect!

As said before, all leading national laboratories get together once per day to compare their time with each other. The end result is a master-strudel called International Atomic Time (TAI).

Time distribution

Back to JST.

Once the time is generated, it is then distributed to end users. And the queue of users is long: Everyone from your Internet service provider, military, nuclear plant operators, transportation, shipping, broadcasting, legal people - down to your bed side alarm clock - depend on and require National time.

Here is how the distribution list goes:

JST ->
-radio transmitted time and frequency standard [digital clocks and watches automatically synchronized]
-Internet time [network of ISPs]
-modem users [serious guys]

The users on the right are connected to the bakery via cable or network.
But let's focus on the magical distribution and synchronization of time which happens in the most mysterious way:
via radio waves!

The magic of radio

Ever since 1920s radio broadcasting was used as a vehicle to transport time signals.
You tune to your local radio station and just a few seconds before the news, you'll hear "bip, bip, bip, beeep: it is 5 o'clock." So you can set your watch or clock to correct time. In this scenario, time is obviously transmitted via radio, but YOU are the one who does the adjustment or synchronization of your clock.

Obviously, it would be much easier if the clock is somehow adjusted (synchronized) by itself, preferably more than once per day. And thanks to advancement in electronics, such synchronizing devices are now commonly installed in both clock and watches. Therefore as long as you are within the radius of a transmitter, your timepiece will be set and synchronized to the National time automatically.

What a brilliant solution!

Limitations of radio transmitted time signals

Yes, you've seen this one coming :-(

The first problem with wireless synchronization is the fact that only a few countries transmit time signal. Japan, Germany, France, US, China, UK, Russia and Canada are 'on air' but each country has its own time distribution standard. Therefore your Japanese clock will not work in Germany and a Junghans watch cannot be synchronized in China.

The second problem is coverage: while one radio signal can synchronize an infinite number of clocks simultaneously in its area of coverage, the strength of radio signals decrease with distance. If you are located too far away from a transmitter, synchronization just won't happen.

This second challenge leads us to core of my quest for radio time signal detection and decoding.

The challenge

One of the biggest challenges of astronomy is the whole art and science of learning to find things in the night sky. Like astronomy, radio signal detection is challenging because it requires specialist equipment, patience and plenty of "luck". t any given time there are millions of radio signals to be heard and detected. Some of them are very strong - like your local AM radio station or TV station. thers are detectable only under very special conditions, at certain times of the night or year. nd like distant starts, some of them are just too weak to be heard!

Since time signals, like JST, are just another form of radio signals, a couple years ago I got really excited about the possibility of 'catching' and decoding it. While a distance of 8,000 km is 8 times farther away from the coverage area of a Japanese transmitter, I felt that under right circumstances and with adequate equipment reception it could be possible.

As they say in astronomy: you just need a larger telescope. Or in my case: a larger antenna!

But why would I want to catch a time signal in the first place? Well, because I am watchmaker and seeing, hearing and decoding the most accurate time reference would be like looking at time's DNA structure under a microscope. Or watching the first nanoseconds of the Big Bang. It is difficult, bordering on impossible - and definitely a fun thing to try!

Getting started

The initial research online showed that JST time is transmitted as radio signal at a frequency of 40 kHz. The transmitting site is located at Mount Ohtakadoya, 7,983 km north from Sydney. The output power of the transmitter is 50 KW and thanks to it's 250m tall antenna and kilometers of wire under the antenna, its radiated power is around 12KW. Transmitter's 'rego plate' : JJY.

Two problems become evident straight away: first, I needed a receiver which could be tuned down to 40KHz. This is a very low frequency. Your AM car radio goes down to 520KHz, and some marine communication receivers go down to 100KHz. Even at that frequency, the sensitivity is very poor - simply, most receivers are not designed for chasing low frequency signals.

The second problem was the size of the receiving antenna. Keep in mind that clocks which are synchronized by Japanese time signal are in close proximity to the transmitter. On contrary, I am located 8,000 km away. The further you go from the transmitter, the weaker the signal - and a larger receiving antenna is required!

There were a number of other problems with potential reception - but luckily I was not aware of them at the time.

The receiver

In August 2010. I had stumbled upon the website of an Italian radio manufacturer who recently launched a revolutionary radio receiver featuring a new technology called Software Defined Radio (SDR) Basically their receiver was capable of tuning down to 10 KHz! In addition, the overall reception performance was hardly degraded even at such a low frequency. This new concept had other benefits when compared to your classical AM radio receiver. As you know, when you tune your car radio, you can listen to only one station at a time. SDR allows you to tune to all of them at once! In addition, you cannot only hear the signals, but you can see the signals as well because your personal computer is part of the radio. And much more - signal recording of the entire spectrum, number of narrow filters to filter the signal, various modulation modes... A true Space shuttle radio!

Two weeks later, to my wife's shock and horror, the Perseus was sitting in my radio shack...

[To be continued...]

Dear Diary: In the area

2011-07-28T15:58:00.002+10:00

If this happened only once or twice, I would not even mention it. Even if it happened once per month it would not be a big deal. No, I am not looking for an advice on how to handle this matter nor a sympathy pat on the back. I just have to get it off my chest.

It is 8:55 in the morning and I have already spent a solid hour behind the work bench trying desperately to re-shape a Breguet-over coil hair spring. Fixing other people's mistake is never fun, but since we cut down on general repairs, tangled hair springs and broken balance staffs are luckily not often on the menu. I've learned long time ago to ignore intense pain in the back, shoulders and both elbows which is a typical 'watchmakers disease.' But with a bit of luck and patience, it will be all over soon...

Then the door bell rings.

Our office is situated on the 4th floor and we have two security doors. Due to the nature of our business and security issues, we see clients strictly by appointment only. My assistant opens the door and I could clearly hear the conversation that is taking place in the show room.

- Hi, is Nick here?
- Yes, he is but he is busy right now. Can I help you at all?
- Well, I would like to see Nick!
- Unfortunately we are not open to the public, as of yet. Do you have an appointment?
- No, but it will be only 10 minutes or so...

At that stage, I know I have only one option - to put the hair spring job away and turn my attention to the visitor.

- Good morning Sir. Are you here to buy, sell or repair?
- Hey Nick - neither - do you sell watches?
- Yes, I do.
- But there is nothing on display?
- No, it is a bit too early. So you are interested in...?
- Well nothing in particular, I would just like to see what you've got?
- In that case, Margarett will set an appointment. How about 9:45? We keep our stock in a security deposit box and it takes a bit of time to get it ready for viewing. (Why am I apologizing?)
- Nick, I am not really ready to buy; I just want to SEE what you've got.
- In that case, why don't you check out our website. After all, it's all there; photos, description, prices... (Why am I reasoning?)
- It's not the same thing... I have to try the watch on my wrist before making a commitment. It is really a shame you can't show me what you've got RIGHT NOW. This is very disappointing, I was in the area... looks like I'm wasting my time!

At that point, I feel like a gorilla stunned by a taser.

Don't get me wrong - I am not upset because you've forced your way into my premises. Nor with the lack of respect - or because you are not even making an effort to listen. That I can handle.

What throws me out of whack and makes my blood boil is your immature attempt to put a blame for your "disappointment" on me, like this is somehow my fault. And even more so - by using completely illogical reasoning.

Let me just tell you two things.

First, this situation is anything but SHAME. Shame is when England won back Ashes beating Australia in 2009. Or that game last month when Samoans kicked our bums in Sydney. THAT is shame.

Second. There is an establishment across the road, above the bank called "Final Touch". No, they are not a hair dressing salon. No, they are not a funeral directors either. They provide a very specific service. Yes, that one.

Like other 400,000 people who work in Sydney CBD, I too see their sign on my way to work. Since this is a completely fictional scenario, I beg you to use your imagination wisely:

I ring the door bell. The 60-something ex body builder covered in tattoos opens the door. Yes, I woke him up, and yes, I can smell some strange fumes, and yes, I can see something is going on behind that curtain, yet I hear me saying:

- Hey, it's me. Are you open?
- No mate, it's too early...
- Anyway (and I push him gently to make my way into the establishment) I won't waste much of your time...
- We are not open; what do you want?
- Well my solicitor told me that you got a new girl, Ruby Cat. I would like to see
her in person!
- Ruby Cat is not available. It's too early mate. She is not ready to see clients.
- Oh, you don't understand me. I don't want THAT. I just want to SEE her. I've checked her profile online, but as you know, in case I ever decide to become a client of your fine establishment, I have to make sure I like her personality.
- Listen mate, call the number, call us to make an appointment (now the area under his chin is turning red, and heavily pulsating, especially around the string of tattooed numbers - is that the number to ring? I haven't seen a walking business card before! Very unprofessional to say the least)
- Well, that's really a SHAME. Especially because I WAS IN THE AREA....

So here is my second point: being in the area gives no one any special power or privilege over any business owner who happens to have an office in the time and space YOU intentionally or unintentionally happen to share.

There are 400,000 people within 3 minutes' walking distance from our shop who are ALSO in the area, yet I don't expect them to knock on my door with such a lame excuse. This "I WAS IN THE AREA" excuse sucks, and it sucks big time so DONT USE IT!

Even if my shop was 850km north of Burke, in the middle of nowhere, even then, "I am in the area" would not be a good reason to knock on my door unless I had a "No Appointment required" sign stuck on my window.

Actually you will have more chances of seeing the tears rolling down the face of Ruby Cat's boss than making me guilty for not being able to accept illogical excuses.

Nothing personal. That's just the way the things are.

Seriously: Yes, we appreciate your business and we LOVE to deal with you in person. However, we are professionals - in order to serve you better and allow you to browse our stock confidentially and uninterrupted, we operate BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call 02 9232 0500 or email.

Thank you for your patronage.

One mighty swing

2011-07-27T16:49:00.005+10:00

"Can you explain the purpose of pallets and how the pallets are "connected" to the escape wheel and balance wheel?"

-T.K.

Dear TK,

I guess the easiest way to answer your question would be to provide a link to Wikipedia, "Lever Escapement." The only problem with that is that these seven paragraphs of explanation are written by someone who has either never seen a watch or who copied the whole article from a 600-page book called "Theoretical watchmaking."

To save your time, I've read the said article just a minute ago, and quite frankly it was so dry that they've lost me in the third paragraph.

Therefore my explanation will be somehow different.

No technical background needed, just plenty of imagination!

Let's say you and your kid decided to have some outdoor fun and build a swing. Since the only suitable tree in your backyard is a very tall one, you had no choice but to suspend the rope from a branch which is 10m above ground.

(Are you using your imagination? Can you picture that really long rope? I don't want you to think of a small playground sand pit swing, but a BIG one!)

Six hours later, working on a hot summer day, your swing is finally ready for a ride.

The kid is on, and you've given him that strong initial push.

(Now imagine the swing swinging swishhh......swishhh.... and the kid having fun!)

Then your wife comes out and yells: slow it down!! So you let the swing slow down, to rock gently, while you maintain the action by pushing the kid with just a gentle touch. Like all good fathers do on a hot summer day.

Once again, we are talking about a very long swing with a very low amplitude.

So here is the first postulate: in order to keep the swing swinging, you must continually provide a bit of force, or an impulse as watchmakers would say.

No impulse, no joy- the swings stop.

Now let's move to the second postulate.

After a few minutes, the kid is going to get bored. Since you've just spent six hours building the darn thing, you want him to play a bit longer. (This is also known as quality time). So you've come up with a game: Every time the swing comes your way, the kid will give you a high five and yell a number.

The mental picture: Here comes the swing - your hands touch and he yells ONE - then you gently push him away. Here he comes again - touch,TWO, push; touch,THREE, push... and so on.

Every time you two do the high five, the kid is impulsing your hand. A fraction of a second later, you are impulsing the swing back. And because the kid is counting swings, he is acting as a tick-tock generator - a time piece!

Your swing is an oscillator which is impulsed from the outside, and at the same time it
provides an impulse which is 'fed back' into the system.

This concept is really extremely simple yet magnificently efficient and accurate. The swing is a pendulum and the kid is a pendulum bob (weight on the bottom). Since you are receiving and giving an impulse, YOU are acting like clock pallets.

The reason why students of horology don't understand this concept is because two things happen almost instantaneously, and only one is obvious. However if you try to explain the geometry of impulsing without understanding the basic concept behind it, you too will be lost in 7 paragraphs of Wiki explanation.

You have probably noticed that I am not talking about watch pallets, but clock pallets instead. For a simple reason: while watch and clock oscillators work on different principles, the impulsing part is almost identical (and easier to demonstrate in simple terms on clock pendulum).

Essentially, pallets provide a connection between gear work and oscillators and their purpose is to transfer the force from the mainspring (via gears) to the oscillator AND to receive feedback impulse which does the 'tick tock' counting.

While we are at clocks, let me just expand a bit on pendulums (your big swing ticking at low amplitude). The search for accuracy in mechanical timekeeping went on for at least 2000 years. It came to an end in 1656. when a clever dutchman by the name of Huygens attached a pendulum to a clock movement. Within a couple of weeks of experimenting, he managed to improve the daily error in clocks from 15 minutes per day to 15 seconds per day! This was such an amazing and revolutionary discovery! Of course, he could not keep it secret and a few months later the good news spread to London which was at the time the horological capital of the world. The rest was just history...

So what is so special about clock pendulums?

If you remember, last week we have talked about watch oscillators and concluded that the period of oscillation depends on two things: inertia and stiffening of the hair spring.

Here is that formula once again:

Obviously, it is difficult to get a steady rate of oscillation when you have to jiggle two variables - we are dealing with complex and challenging engineering requirements.

Unlike with hair spring-return system, the beauty of the pendulum is this: pendulums are gravity driven!

Here is the formula which describes its period of oscillation:

Now note that T is not exactly defined in the formula; this simplified formula works only for a pendulum with a very small amplitude. This is why I wanted you to picture that LONG swing, not a short one.

(Just in case you want to see the formula which does take into account amplitude or theta-angle of swing here is that nasty and ugly beast. Note the 3 dots after last + sign: the equation extends for ever!!!

So let's go step back and have a closer look at T in the simplified formula: it is directly related to two things: L = length of the pendulum and g = gravity. Since gravity is a constant, there is really just one thing we need to worry about! What a beauty!

Indeed, you know so well that timekeeping adjustment in clocks is done by adjusting the length of the pendulum bob. Lower the bob, slower the clock.

And the weight of the pendulum is irrelevant - whether you have a 10 kg kid on a swing or a 30kg one, the preriod of oscillation is always the same. You can actually sit on the swing yourself and let the kid push you - and number of ticks and tocks will not change a bit!

Because of constant gravity, clock built in London will keep equally correct time in Sydney, Hong Kong or New York.

But let's say we have built two identical clocks and we send one to the Moon while the other stays in Sydney. We set time on both clocks at noon Sydney time. My question is this: twenty-four hours later, would both clocks display the same time?

While this sounds like a tricky question, the answer is really simple. According to our formula -

the period of oscillation is gravity dependent. And since gravity on the Moon is only 1/6 of gravity on Earth, the moon clock will go significantly slower. Actually we would have to reduce the length of the pendulum from 1m to 16.6cm if we want both clocks to show identical time!

That is probably the reason why Apollo astronauts took Omegas to the moon, not their grandfather clocks :-)

To conclude, understanding the function of watch pallets starts with the understanding of impulsing action. Transfer of forces is pure geometry, and I have to say a fairly complex one. For many years, watchmakers have struggled to perfect the geometry of pallet stones, shape of the escape wheel, polishing, lubricants.

The smallest misalignment will inevitably result in loss of power transferred to the balance wheel and in loss of amplitude. The timing when transfer of power occurs is absolutely critical, and it is determined not just by the shape of the escape wheel and pallets, but by their relative positions. Once again, it goes without saying that external disturbances like shock or lack of regular servicing will result in poor time keeping.

Here is a photo of (broken) pallets and a (rusted) escape wheel from my junk box:

Final curiosity: the weight of the Rolex escape wheel is 0.006 gram. In other words, the total of 167 wheels would have the combined weight of 1 gram. With the price of US$28 per wheel, 1 gram of escape wheels is worth US$ 4,676.00!

Do you know of any other machine-made and mass-produced piece of metal worth 4.6 million US dollars per kilogram? That's why the Swiss don't bother about making hammers and screwdrivers. If they did, you'd have to be Warren Buffet to take up carpentry as a hobby :-)

IWC Da Vinci Ref. 3750

2011-07-25T15:02:00.003+10:00

When we are talking about truly iconic watches then the Da Vinci is surely one to be considered as such. Introduced in 1985. as model reference 3750, Da Vinci was the world's first automatic chronograph to feature a perpetual calendar, year display and perpetual moon phase display!

With an unparalleled level of calendar complication, it is still a miracle of mechanical watchmaking. It's mechanical calendar will function properly WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL ADJUSTMENT until March 1, 2100 when the normally expected leap year will be skipped!

Unlike other perpetual calendars, the 3750's calendar is manually set (forwarded) just by the crown - there are no external push 'holes' for the separate adjustment of day/date/month/year and moon phase. It's all done automatically by a simple turn of the winding crown. Of course, that means that the calendar cannot be 'set back' to the previous day but this is really not required since the Da Vinci can 'tell' all of the above by itself anyway!

This watch encompasses one of the most extreme reduction gear ratios in the history of watchmaking: 1 : 6,315,840,000 turns of escape wheel are required to move the 100-year display for just 1.2 mm. At the same time, the balance wheel would make 95 billion ticks and tocks!

To say that IWC was excited about Da Vinci would be understatement. Here is the quote from watch booklet which captures the excitement of the new model:

"With the Da Vinci we also present to you a brand new century slide for the year 2200 - 2499. And that in a sealed glass tube. Keep it in a good place for the next 200 years. At the beginning of January 2200, take it to your watchmaker. He will exchange the slide in next to no time and your Da Vinci is ready again to show the time for the next 300 years.

Perhaps the visit at your watchmaker's will last a little longer than expected. Not to worry. He will seize this opportunity to take a close look at the watch movement ad calendar. On looking, he will certainly be astounded that such a thing was ever able to be produced. And that 215 years ago."

Needless to say, there are only a handful of watchmakers trained to assemble the Da Vinci. The entire calendar is located between the dial and movement plates, and held by just 4 screws. Not only that each gear, lever, tension spring and bridge must be placed in exact order but the each tooth of each wheel can be set in only one exact position.

Knowing your limits and sticking to them is one rule I religiously adhere to - so when the new baby arrived on Friday, I was just happy to take it out of the case, check the overall condition of the movement, made minor adjustments to the tome keeping, advanced the calendar for a few days to make sure it works as it should - and to take a couple of photos of the dial for my blog.

I am just so glad I won't be around in January 2200. to help you with the calendar slider!

BNIB: almost a keeper

2011-07-21T12:01:00.000+10:00

Hi Nick,

I have signed up for your email updates and interesting articles over the last 3-4 months and wanted to pass on how much I thoroughly enjoy these. I have always had a keen interest in fine watches as well as the history behind fine time pieces.

Part of the reason of me sending an email was to ask about buying fine watches online. I did research some of your articles talking about buying watches where the dealer won't divulge serial numbers and any history of the watch.

My brother lives in the States and is interested in purchasing a Panerai watch over there. There is one online as new with boxes and papers with a private dealer. My question is, with new watches how do they turn up with sellers that are not authorized sellers of new watches like Panerai initially? Secondly how does the warranty apply in this situation? Are there things to check to make sure everything is above board?

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

Richard

Dear Richard,

Thank you for your email.

Before I answer your question, let me share with you a very personal story.

A couple of years ago we met a guy who became sort of a friend. Mike was the nicest guy ever, very helpful and extremely polite. He loved my wife's cherry strudels and in return he would fix my letters for grammar and spelling. A fair deal!

As an accountant by trade he worked hard and saved his pennies even harder. Happy man - except for one detail: for some strange reason, no matter how hard he tried, he was still a single man. He really wanted to find that very special soul but for one reason or another, it just did not happen.

One late evening, Mike knocked on our door, announced. Obviously he was in a hurry and he said he needed my help. So we let him in.

He quickly logged into my computer and said:

"Nick, here are 3 ladies I've narrowed down from a selection of 12,000. A doctor from Novosibrisk, an architect from Petropavlovsk and a painter from a small village in Ukraine. Which one should I marry?"

To say that all 3 looked extremely beautiful would be understatement.

But that was not the Mike we knew, so I was curious to find out what made him pick those 3 particular ladies? And he told us: all three were exactly the same height, same age and same weight. For Mike, those numbers were the most important search criteria. The only problem he had is which one to pick?

And this is why he needed my help.

Now, let's just pause the story here for a second. If you were in my shoes, you would probably do your best to convince Mike not to rush with his decision. You would argue that there is the possibility of significant misinterpretation when deciding about a person purely on low quality .jpg fifteen minutes after midnight, and that height and weight have very little to do with heart and soul, and all that stuff. That's what any reasonable person and friend would say!

But not me.

Without a nanosecond of hesitation, without even the slightest bit of guilt or doubt, as certain as only a watchmaker could be, I pointed to the photo of the artist by the name of Yelena.

"She is the one, Mike. You can't go wrong with a painter."

And so he did.

Yelena arrived in Sydney in what I would call a BNBIB condition - a brand new Barbie in a box, with original papers, certificates, inner and outer boxes, hang tags, original receipt, spotless, conservatively described as 10/10. She would suit both a novice enthusiast or a seasoned collector. She was painfully perfect, with that heavenly Slavic accent - all those shs, tchs, ljs, zszs, which makes the sweetest French girls sound like Darth Vader.

There was only one bit missing: she came with no instruction manual and Mike could not figure out how to get her ticking - no matter how hard he tried.

So what is my point, you may ask?

Well, buying online could be tricky. There is no guarantee that you'll get what you want and there is even less guarantee that you'll like what you get.

For the same reason you cannot blame Yelena for being Yelena, you cannot blame a Panerai for being too large, too heavy, too expensive or even fake.

I hope this goes without saying, but when it comes to recommending an online product, I am completely useless.

As Roxette said, "...listen to YOUR heart - there is nothing else you can do"

Regards,

PS. Mike is now happily married to an Aussie mum with 4 kids. He lost few dollars in trade, but he kept the receipt. My wife still makes the best cherry strudels in the world, and as before, I still need someone to fix my grammar. As what happened to Yelena, I can not disclose for legal reasons.

Time keeping

2011-07-20T16:04:00.007+10:00

What a week! After receiving 127 requests to disclose the cherry strudel recipe and 16 requests to disclose Yelena's phone number (neither possible, sorry) finally a watch-related email from a fellow enthusiast:

"Can you explain in simple terms how the watch balance wheel is regulated to keep 'spot on time' ?"
-J.N.

Dear J.N.,

I am glad you've asked for a simple explanation because this will save us time :-) You've indirectly asked two questions and I'll try to respond accordingly.

But before we get into it, let me just say that I cannot stress enough the importance of this subject. Unfortunately I know of many watch retailers, dealers, collectors - and even watch repairers who handle high grade watches on a daily basis, yet most of them have only vague knowledge of time keeping adjustment.

Therefore if you care to immerse yourself in my brief reply, you will be miles ahead from them all!

Time keeping and regulation are fundamental to watchmaking and our ability to tell the time accurately. Let me just say that mechanical watches never keep 'spot on time' but neither do 'quartz' watches. Even atomic clocks are not perfect but they are getting better: In the 1950s they were able to keep time within 1 second per 2000 years, while today we got them 'adjusted' to 1 sec per 20 million years. Which is not really all that bad.

Back to mechanical watches. Instead of 'spot on time' may I propose we settle for the more practical term: 'reasonably accurate'. Let's say 2 seconds per day.

While 2 sec/day is way above any practical requirement (especially if you travel on Sydney buses) your watch will still be 1 minute off at the end of the month. But then again, this is at least twice better than official Swiss chronometer certifications.

Which makes the Swiss standard look pretty lame. Or does it?

Before we jump into any conclusions, let's put things into perspective.

The balance wheel assembly is the heart of the watch. It is directly responsible for time keeping.

In essence, the balance wheel is a mechanical oscillator - it is the heart of the watch. Or to put it simply, this is the device which makes ticks and tocks.

And those ticks and tocks are what the time is made of!

Take a look at the photo below.

One second consists of EXACTLY 4 ticks and 4 tocks (*for 28.800 bph movement).
No more, no less. Consequently, one hour is made of 28,800 ticks. Or 691,200 heart beats per day! That is almost seven hundred thousand beats!

Let's say that instead of 691,200 beats your watch heart ticks just 16 beats more (or less) per day That would be an error of 0.00002 % which is the equivalent of those 2 magic seconds we are chasing!

You don't have to be a mathematician to figure out that such a tight tolerance is nothing but a miracle - especially for a mechanical device.

Actually there is no other mechanical device - including precision laboratory instruments - which would or could keep such a level of accuracy 24 hours per day over a period of 5 years without any maintenance while submerged under water, or up in the air, exposed to a temperature range of 50 degrees Celsius or more. Not to mention game or two of golf, sledge hammer and occasional drop to tile floor!

Indeed, the mechanical watch heart is a MIRACLE of human engineering and it's ability to tick with such an amazing accuracy is a very unique property.

Now that we've learned how precious that little heart is, we can get into more detail about time keeping adjustment or regulation.

The heart (oscillator) consists of a number of components, but two are directly responsible for ticks and tocks are:

- spring (often called a hair spring) and
- balance wheel

If you like formulas, you'll love this one: it is a real beauty! Actually the
greatest thing about Newtonian physics is that everything makes perfect sense!
(Unlike with confusing quantum stuff which came later :-)

The above formula describes the relation between time keeping, the hair spring
and the balance wheel.

Why is it a beauty? Because this is exactly what we need to know! It tells us that period of oscillation T [ticks and tocks] is determined by the position of weight on a balance wheel [I, inertia] and the stiffness of the hair spring [k].

In other words, in order to make our watch tick faster or slower, we could make adjustments to either the hair spring, the balance wheel - or both!

Rolex (and some other makers like Patek or the new Omega Coaxial) have designed their tickers in such a fashion that adjustment to time keeping is made by the variation of inertia of the balance wheel.

With most calibres of Rolex watches, regulation is achieved by adjusting the position of
regulating weights. The tiny little weight (marked A) is set closer or further away from the balance wheel rim (B). The closer to the rim: more inertia, slower period of oscillation, and the watch goes slower. The weight is effectively a nut; one quarter of a turn of one weight (4 shown on photo) equals approximately 1 sec per day.

Other makers opted for variation of stiffness of hair spring as a means of time keeping adjustment. Here, the inertia is constant (no weight on wheel) but the hair spring is
either shortened (stiffness increased) or extended by sliding the regulator lever [B].

As one would expect, both designs have advantages and disadvantages, and yes, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Since by now I have most likely lost most of my subscribers, let me just wrap it up by clarifying a couple of Internet misconceptions.

The myth: watches with higher oscillator rates are better time keepers. Well this one has been busted big time. If you are to remember just one thing today, then remember this: never buy a watch just because of high beat rate!

A 36,000 bph watch is not necessarily a better time keeper than a watch ticking at 19,800 bph. The higher beat also comes with a few side effects: it requires a very special kind of lubricant for the pallets / escape wheel; more frequent overhaul and if movement is not serviced properly there would be more wear and tear.

This is the main reason why Rolex Daytonas produced with Zenith El Primero movements
(Pre - 2000. production) have 'modified' movements: the original Zenith bph was reduced to 28,000 and true to tradition, Rolex preferred free sprung balance wheel with variable inertia adjustment.

But the 36,000 bph has one fantastic property: it allow us not only to mechanically split the second to 10 beats (5 ticks+5 tocks) but to display the 1/10 of a second on the dial as well. And yes, the high beat oscillators are less sensitive to outside forces which are trying to throw the oscillator out of balance.

The common bph for mechanical wrist watches are 18,000 - 19,800 - 21,600 - 25,200 - 28,800 - 36,000 corresponding to 5 / 5.5/ 6 / 7 / 8 and 10 beat per second.

For those who like to think "outside the circle": you can actually chose ANY rate for your mechanical oscillator, as long as you have a wheel cutting machine to cut a wheel with 64.9754 tooth and don't mind "hour" hand displaying 3.483 hours per day :-)

Gustav Becker with a good provenance

2011-07-14T12:01:00.000+10:00

Hi Nick,

My name is Troy D. and have been a subscriber to your mailing list for sometime and was wondering if
you would be able to help with the identification of a wall clock that has been in our family for some time now.
It is believed to be a Gustaff Becker made in 1907. It was brought to Australia by The Redemptorists and was for the Monastery in Mayfield,
Newcastle which was founded in 1885. When the monastery closed it was obtained my family.
The history of the clock is a bit vague but it is believed that it was either brought to Australia by the one of the fathers
or it was constructed by one of the craftsman constructing the St Alphonsus monastery in Mayfield.
It is believed that the clock has been maintained quite well and is in perfect working order.
If at all possible from the photos attached to this email could you shed some light as to its make and
approximate value for insurance purposes.
Your expert experience on this subject would be greatly appreciated on this matter by my family
and also any tips in keeping this beautiful timepiece in perfect condition.

Your Sincerely,
Troy J D

Dear Troy,

Thank you for your email.

While you have supplied a number of photos, you have unfortunately made my dating task almost impossible by not providing a crucial one: a photograph of the back plate which will show us the Gustav Becker logo.

In order to do so, you must take the movement with it's sitboard out of the case. The sit board itself is fastened to the case with a couple of wood screws. Remove those screws and pull the sitboard form its slot.

Now be careful not to detach the mechanism from the sit board itself! Otherwise you will alter the position of hammers in relation to its chiming rods!

(I assume you are capable of doing this as per instruction, if not, it is better to leave it to a clockmaker.)

If your clock is indeed manufactured by Gustav Becker then you should be able to find a company stamp / logo on the bottom of the brass back plate.

This is what you are looking for:

As you can see, GB cloaks were manufactured both in Germany and Czecho-Slovakia (Bohmen or Bohemia) .

The clock case itself is clearly dating from the early 1900s as per your suggestion, and so is the dial. However the dial style and shape of hands remained popular until 1960s.

The clock itself is of fairly common construction for the era. It was built to tel the time, not to impress! It is a spring driven 8-day movement with 3 trains: time, hour strike and quarter chime
on 4 gongs. The fifth gong is for the hour strike only. On your photo, you can see the lever behind the dial, above the 2 o'clock position. This lever allows the owner to "turn off" the chime, strike or both.

There are a couple of important factors which must be taken in consideration when determining value for insurance purpose.

First, it is the value of the clock as a timepiece. Secondly, it's sentimental and historical value.

While your clock comes form a good home it would be difficult to convince any insurer that it possesses any significant value purely on it's provenance. Therefore the replacement value must be established based upon historical sales data for a similar clock made by Gustav Becker. The overall condition, especially of the dial and case, repair history, etc. would be considered as well.

In general, Gustav Becker clocks are regarded as mid-range quality German clocks. From the late 1850s to 1935 GB produced hundreds and thousands of clocks - maybe even well over a million! The company was bought by Junghans in 1935. With so many clocks produced - and so many still in good working order - GB clocks have very modest collectors value, even for examples in very good to excellent condition.

The possibility that the clock was made in Australia is extremely unlikely. While the clock cabinet (case) could have been made locally, there is no evidence in your
photos that suggest so. Case construction, ornamentation, veneer and overall finish looks consistent with mass-produced German examples.

Based on the above, a figure of around $1200 - $1500 would be a fair and reasonable insurance valuation amount.

Regarding maintenance: let's leave this for the next newsletter!

NOTE: While I am happy to provide my opinion on any timepiece based on photos and description - if time premits - such opinion is NOT legally binding in any financial or legal matter.
Proper and adequate Insurance Valuation is only possible upon physical examination of a watch / clock in question. Valuation service is available at nominal charge.

To regulate or to overhaul

2011-07-13T12:01:00.001+10:00

Dear Nick,

Please do not take offense to my e mail, I am just seeking clarification of my recent experience. I am a past customer of yours having purchased a Rolex Submariner 14060 M in 2007 .
As I live in Adelaide and was visiting Sydney for a conference last week I wanted to take that opportunity for you to regulate my Explorer 114270 “D” series which is running 8 secs fast per day consistently. I rang your office three weeks ahead of time and told the person who answered that I would like you to regulate the watch while I was in Sydney .She said that I needed to ring closer to the time to arrange to bring the watch in. I did that and just happened to speak with you personally and when I explained what I required you told me that it would need and over hall which would cost $850.00 and 6 weeks turnaround time, and that regulation was not an option. To say I was then very surprised when upon returning home I opened an e mail from you citing a recent example where a customer returned a watch which he had purchased from you and wanted you to regulate it as it was running either fast or slow( not sure which) . You stated that it was a simple fix ( less than 5 minutes work) and it was running +_ 1 sec ..straight away..but you did have great trouble with the case back. My question is this : was your lack of willingness to regulate my Explorer which did not come from you (as it was a gift from my wife) .or some other reason? I am just confused. I am a huge fan of yours and have directed many people to seek you out for their watch purchases, but I am left feeling somewhat let down over this experience. I suppose what I was hoping for was that you would welcome me as a customer and agree to at least have a look at the watch and if in the end it meant leaving it with you as you were not at all confident that regulation would work ..then I would have done so.

I certainly do not want to impose on you and I know you are very busy , but I do feel kind of “not wanted”

Thanks you for taking the time to read this.

Kind regards
Richard, Adelaide

Dear Richard,

Thank you for your email.

Time keeping in mechanical watches is a very complex issue. It took us over 500 years of development to reach this current stage of precision! Today, makers of mechanical watches are investing more money than ever to improve time keeping even further. Unfortunately, due to the very nature of mechanical watches, environment, temperature, gravity, materials used, lubricants and design of escapement, we have already reached 'the peak performance' in the mid 1800s (for clocks and other chronometers) 1920 (for pocket watches) and 1970s (for wrist watches).

Without going into detail - indeed, one can write a book on the subject! - let me just point out that majority of modern (post 1950s- to now) mechanical wrist watches with straight line lever escapements like the one employed in Rolex calibres are designed to keep time within a few seconds per day. Official Swiss Chronometre certification COSC stipulates that an average daily rate of -4 to +6 seconds per day is "good enough" to pass the chronometer test. Almost all brand new watches which are finely lubricated and adjusted could keep time within 1 or 2 seconds per day.

In reality, this 'ideal' time keeping property is degraded relatively fast once the watch leaves the factory's assembly line, regardless whether the watch has been worn on the wrist daily or sitting unworn in the box. For a simple reason: deterioration of oils and lubricants! If we can produce a watch which will require no lubrication and is made of materials which will not wear out, then such a time piece will keep 'factory new' time forever. Of course, this is not possible and all mechanical watches need regular overhauls. Unfortunately, unlike with your car, one cannot just drain the old oil and replace oil filter - there isn't one in a watch! Watch movements require complete disassembly, cleaning, assembly and only then it is ready for final adjustment.
This is what we call "complete overhaul" and yes, in the case of Rolex watches $850 is standard charge. A complete overhaul is recommended every 5-6 years.

Now back to your question: why I was unable to adjust timekeeping of your Explorer in 5 minutes or less, while such adjustment was possible with GP?

According to Rolex serial numbers and production data, your D serial Explorer was manufactured in 2005 or 2006. As you indicated it is a 114270 model which has a chronometer certified movement. It is now 6 years old and had no previous service history. Which means it is now due for an overhaul. As I have explained over the phone, attempting to improve the time keeping of a watch which is due for an overhaul by varying the frequency of its balance wheel is incorrect procedure. Such adjustment is only possible for watches which are less than 1 year old, while
oil is still relatively fresh - like in the cases of above mentioned Girard Perregaux.

Let me explain why.

Your Rolex watch movement consists of a number of 'units'. Power source (main spring) train wheels, escapement, automatic winding unit, time setting section (stem and crown), calendar assembly, etc.

The units which are directly related to time keeping are: main spring - train - escapement.

All three sections are carefully designed and engineered to work together in harmony. Or more precisely, the forces which turn the wheels (main spring and train) and frequency of balance wheel (escapement) are finely synchronized.

Here is an example: if you have a weight-driven wall clock, try to gently pull the weight down. You will immediately notice that pendulum would no longer be 'ticking' as it used to.
Reduce the weight, the same thing will happen. (There is one more twist there: more or less weight will not necessary make the clock go fast or slower, but that is another story altogether).

What I'm trying to say here is this: your watch will only keep correct time when the forces applied to the train wheels and consequently, the escapement, are right.

That invisible hand which messes with your movement (taking the 'weights' of a clock train) is friction. So before we can get to final time keeping adjustment of an oscillator, we need to make
sure that forces around it are as per original design. To 'restore' that driving force, we need to clean the watch and re-oil it again.

How can I tell that a watch needs an overhaul?

Basically, I am checking the condition of lubricant by observing the force in the watch train. I am not going into detail, but a simple check on a time keeping machine will tell me if your watch is due for an overhaul or not. The loss of amplitude is usually a dead give away, but there are other things to look for. Again this has nothing to do with the average daily error (seconds per day).

Which leads us to a conclusion: a watch due for an overhaul (low amplitude of balance wheel) can still keep reasonably good time but trying to compensate for poor time keeping, which is the result of low amplitude, by varying the frequency of the oscillator ("regulation") is a bad solution.

Of course, there could be any number of other reasons why your watch may not be keeping correct time, but we cannot even consider any of them unless we take care of the obvious.

In the same way that you cannot ask your doctor to prescribe you a specific medication you think fits your symptoms, I am unable, as a professional, to undertake a certain procedure just because I'm requested to. Especially without physical examination of your timepiece.

I am sorry if you felt that your business is not welcome, but I can only assist you if you trust my expertise. As I've said over the phone, you are more than welcome to bring the watch in for a free of charge assessment.

In addition, I would be more than happy to further elaborate on any technical aspect related to time keeping, if required.

Dear Diary

2011-07-12T12:02:00.001+10:00

Have you ever thought about what would be the most challenging place for a journalist to write from? Maybe Benghazi, or Tripoli, perhaps Damascus? Well not really. It is a two-bedroom share apartment on Bondi. With all the booze, free chicks, cheap pot and endless surf, a young journalist would have to have the will power of Dalai Lama just to sign a cheque, let alone for anything else. Except maybe for Newtown. Same as Bondi, minus chicks and surf.

The phone rang a few minutes before 5pm. My assistant wanted me to take this urgent call: it was from a journalist who was writing an article on watch collecting.

Immediately, I got excited - could this be the call from Bani McSpedden, the sharpest pen of Australian horology? BMS is my hero - and I've been waiting for an invitation for an interview since the day I saw his first article in the Financial Review. The guy is unparalleled. Many have tried, but only BMS succeeded in placing terms "Tissot", "TAG" and "tourbillon" in one sentence. Interchangeably, of course.

It turns out that on the other end was a wannabe surfer from Newtown.

Without any introduction, he got straight into it:

- Nick, I am writing an article titled "Investing in Watches." Would you be able to answer a couple of questions for me?
- Sure, no worries.
- OK. Here we go. Question number one: what can you tell me about IWC watches in 60 seconds or less?

He was neither joking nor patronizing, so I mentally encircled c/ stoned. Yet I could not help but help. The kid clearly possesses the most prized virtue: he wasn't a darn time waster.

- Listen Jack, this one is too tricky. Why don't we move to question 2?
- Sure Nick. Question number two: What is a better investment: Rolex Daytona or Breitling Navitimer?
- Mate, you can't go wrong with Daytona.
- Thanks - he said cheerfully - great stuff!

About three weeks later, someone emailed me the link to a major Sydney paper. Title: "Get rich quick collecting Flieger Chronographs". Miraculously, Jack pulled 3 solid paragraphs on such a challenging subject and to his credit, he also referenced me as N.H, celebrity watchmaker.

There is absolutely not a slightest doubt in my mind that he was never paid for his hard work - but hey, neither was Piers Akerman for his first article- and look at him now!

There was only one problem - ever since this incident, I haven't been feeling the same. As Lady Cora would say: “The point is, Nick, if you've refused Jack, you would never become a celebrity, but you would have an unsullied reputation. Now, you are just damaged goods.”

Well I didn't think much of it really - until about four weeks later when I got stuck in the elevator between the second and third floors of Culwulla chambers. Stuck with me - and with the elevator - was that long legged blond legal secretary from the 12th floor.

Since I am neither Indiana Jones nor Charlie Sheen, we spent time quietly staring at the floor. (Lift needed a new carpet!). Forty five minutes later, just as we were slowly running out of oxygen, she finally said:

- So, what do you do for living?
- I am a celebrity horologist.
- Wow, that's fantastic! Where is your restaurant?

[to be continued, upon request]

The ultimate fantasy

2011-07-11T11:50:00.002+10:00

I must confess: I do enjoy Downton Abbey.

Sitting in front of the box on Sunday night has become a small ritual. And I just love every bit of it - the costumes, decor, casting.

My mechanically minded brain is easily stimulated with obvious predictability of each scene and every dialogue. You just know what they are going to say and what happens next.

While most Brits watch it because they are familiar with the vocabulary, I watch it because I'm not. When it comes to Victorian England, I am as clean as a slate (blame my Central European upbringing?) but for some weird reason, I have a feeling, that if transported back to the 1920s, I would not be out of place or time!

Here is my ultimate fantasy:

- Carson, the Longcase clock is not showing the time?
- Yes my Lord, it has stopped last night. I have arranged for Mr. Hacko to repair it.
- Mr. Hacko? That pompous clock swindler?
- Yes my Lord, I am afraid so.
- Carson, surely we can afford here someone who is more familiar with the treatment of fine timepieces?
- ... I know your Lordship would never want him to come, but since Mr. Dent left for London, Mr. Hacko is the last remaining clockmaker in Newbury.
- Good riddance!
-... And there is one more thing, my Lord... Mr. Hacko has not been paid 1 shilling and 2 pence for his last job - a repair of the pocket watch Mr. Pamuk gave to Lady Mary...
- Is that so? Well Carson, it is not quite fair to deprive a man of his livelihood when he has done nothing wrong. There are many worse professions than a clockmaker...

Seriously - the set of Downton Abbey is overflowing with fantastic antique and period pieces. I've spotted at least a dozen long case clocks and there is a fine bracket or ormolu clock in every room in the mansion! A feast for an eye - great scenography.

A five minute job

2011-07-07T16:50:00.010+10:00

A couple of weeks ago we've advertised a nice Girard-Perregaux Classic Elegance '1966' watch in 18K gold case, set with diamonds. A very fine, elegant slim-line piece. The watch went to a good home - and I had the privilege of meeting both the owner and his wife - we spent almost two hours chatting. Very nice people, both over the moon about the purchase.

A few weeks later, the owner came to tell me that he is still very much in love with the watch and wonder if I can adjust the time keeping because watch was gaining a bit of time. Of course - this is just a five minute job - so I suggested that I can do it while he waited.

The five minute time frame to accomplish the task was a bit of an overkill. It really just takes a few seconds to pop up the case back, slide the micro regulator, and snap the case back on. Two minutes at most.

The watch arrived yesterday around lunch time, as scheduled. As predicted, the regulation was a piece of cake - it was oscillating gently within -1/+1 sec per day. Perfect! But getting the case back on was impossible! No matter how hard I was trying to push it on, it just would not click back! After 10 minutes, both my thumbs were sore, purple, red and green in color. But the physical pain was the least of my worries - it was the overwhelming sense of failure combined with nonchalant underestimation for time required to accomplish this simple task!

I excused myself to the owner and asked if he can leave the watch overnight.

An hour later, I've decided to give it another go. I cannot even estimate how many case backs I've snapped back on in my life - this really IS a stupidly simple task. But this one just would not budge!

Now, there are two ways of getting the case back in place: one - to place the watch in a press and snap it on, and two: to do it by hand, as I was doing. This second one is actually a preferable way, especially for solid gold cases which are thin and soft. And the ONLY way for diamond bezel watches with concave crystals. Unless of course you have at hand a factory made case holder, manufactured for this particular model.

Applying too much pressure with the wrong tool could lead to a catastrophic outcome: bent case, broken lugs, smashed crystal, scratched dial, bent hands, and crushed diamonds. Plus most likely a beyond repair movement. In this particular case we are talking about a $18,000 damage. A true watchmaker's nightmare.

Taking the watch to Girard-Perregaux's service center would be both embarrassing and useless because they would not be able to help - the watch would go back to Switzerland because there is no casing tool for the '1966' Elegance in Sydney. And this is exactly what any smart, sensible Swiss trained watchmaker would do.

But not me...

With no obvious and immediate solution, I've decided to take a few minutes rest and clear my mind. And then came the EUREKA moment! A piece of PVC tubing bought recently for a domestic plumbing job was almost ideal to turn into a custom made casing tool!

There are multiple challenges in making the holder: the material must be soft enough not to mark the gold case, yet strong enough to withstand pressure. The watch must perfectly sit, resting only on lugs, with the point of rest as close to the bezel as possible - yet not on the bezel itself. It goes without saying that glass and diamonds must remain "free" at all times, and the same goes for the winding crown.

Turning a piece of PVC into a holder is not a big deal and I was happy to put the old trustworthy Mayford lathe into good use. The lathe was too heavy to lift onto a bench from the floor so all the turning was done on the ground!

Voila!

Recess for winding stem and crown.

Finally the moment of truth: pushing the press down.

To my relief, with just the right amount of pressure, the case back clicked on in one go.

Not quite a five minute job - but definitely one less thing to worry about. As a wise man once said: nothing is impossible for those willing to improvise :-)

Coming from a good home: 1970. Sub 1680

2011-06-27T15:23:00.009+10:00

Provenance - from the French provenir, "to come from" - means the origin or the source of something, or the history of the ownership.

In horology, documented evidence of provenance for a watch could be essential to establish that it has not been altered and is not a forgery. "Good and clean" history of ownership including any documentation related to original sale and servicing history is highly prized because the provenance itself can make a considerable difference to a watch's selling price in the market. An expert certification (for example, an insurance valuation) is not a replacement for good provenance because certifications themselves may be open to question. What you really want is material evidence which itself goes back to the date when the watchwas either manufactured or sold.

Unfortunately majority of watch owners are either not aware of the importance of keeping a 'log book', let alone interested in preserving the certificates, receipts, original invoices, hang tags, instruction manuals or even boxes! This is the main reason why only a fraction of vintage watches do come as complete sets, and only few have some kind of written documentation related to ownership and servicing history.

For that reason, our recent acquisition turned out to be a very special deal. A lovely, all-original Rolex Submariner 1680 manufactured in 1970; arrived with original fold over bracelet accompanied with a guarantee booklet! (The booklet is known as "Guarantee and at your service" sic.)

The booklet was to be filled-in by the Rolex retailer at the date of sale and kept as a servicing logbook.

Thanks to the efforts of a meticulous owner, we are now able to trace back the servicing history of this Submariner.

Manufactured in 1970, the 1680 was sold in June 1972 by Charles Packer and Company, London. The original owner vividly remembers the price: "132 pounds and 50 new pence, introduced just after decimalization in 1971."

The very first service was undertaken in 1977. Here is an excerpt from the logbook:

Date	Details of Service	Serviced By	Charge
12.4.1977	Clean, oil, adjusted	Prouds Chatswood	$ 28.50
16.4.1981	New glass, bracelet	Rolex Hong Kong	$144.50
25.3.1985	Clean, new bezel insert	Sydney	$132
24.6.1988	Re-sealed, clean	Sydney	$193
28.2.1992	Clean, seals, new glass	Sydney	$286
20.2.1998	as above	Sydney	$324
10.8.2007	as above	Sydney	$488

Once again, thanks to this meticulous record keeping, we have not only fantastic provenance but great historical data related to Rolex servicing charges over three decades as well!

As collectors and students of horology, we can only wish that every watch owner will take the same care of his precious ticker.

For more photos of this Rolex 1680 see http://www.clockmaker.com.au/w/p772.html.
Private stock, serious offers welcome.

Why are serial numbers so important?

2011-06-24T14:24:00.003+10:00

The other day I was going through a pile of old watch magazines, when a glossy two-page flyer "flew out" of the Horologian Society. The title grabbed my attention:

"STOLEN. The following watches were stolen in London on 2nd June, 1980. Any information as to their whereabouts, etc. please pass to Det. Sergeant McMahon, Vine St Police station, London, SW1 or the Art and Antiques Squad, New Scotland Yard, London Phone 01-230 2150"

What followed was a list of 13 pockewatches with photographs and very detailed descriptions. The stuff were without any doubt both high grade and highly collectable. A couple of watches were Breguet, there was also a nice Kullberg, a Buffat Tourbillon and a vintage Lange. I can almost feel the owner's pain.

I wondered what would be the chances, 30 years later, of tracking any of these watches. To my surprise, it only took 2 minutes of googling to track the Breguets. After all, individually numbered and unique in design, they would be impossible to hide!

In November 1999, both Breguet No. 3259 and No 3964 were sold at Christie's. Here is the link to No 3259:

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=1473128

Accompanied with provenance notes:

Purchased by M. Le Comte de Toreno, 4 September 1821, for 4,800 French Francs. The Belin Collection, no. 170, Sotheby's, London, 29 November 1979, lot 194.

Based on the above, we know that last recorded sale was in November 1979. But what happened seven months later remains a mystery.

The second Breguet was also sold at the very same auction so we can assume that they remained together for 19 years after the theft. Curiously, both watches were no longer associated with their original chains and fobs.

I was able to trace one more watch: Hunt and Roskell No 10413. It was mentioned in Merrill Lynch Cap Gemini (a managed fund) World Wealth report in 2007 and it is now part of a fund offered to investors interested in fine arts. God's strange ways...

I guess it would not be all that difficult to trace most of the stolen watches. Thanks to the fact that more auctioneers and dealers list stocks online, it would be just a matter of time before they will resurface.

So the bottom line is this: keep a good record of your collection. Serial numbers, photos, detailed description including receipts, guarantee cards etc. are essential if there would ever be need to report them as missing.

Second point: never buy a watch with serial numbers removed! And dare I say - never deal with dealers who refuse to disclose serial numbers online! Dealers have only two "valid" reasons for not disclosing serial numbers publicly: for fear that such stock could be stolen or to 'cook the books' and avoid GST and income tax. A legitimate business should also provide and disclose unique stock numbers, valuations and Tax invoices.

Second hand dealing in Australia is a highly regulated area and have strict rules with regards to handling stock and collecting data - including regular reporting to the Police. Therefore it is not a matter of choice to report or not, to disclose or not or to hide and play dumb. This is the only way to keep the traders 'honest'.

Similar regulations are in place in almost every country in the world. Online dealing is no different to 'over the counter' dealing so the same rules apply. Don't settle for less because by buying illegitimate stock or supporting shonky dealers, you are actually sailing in murky waters - and possibly be the first one to sink ending up as shark's feed.

Remember: the honest dealer has nothing to hide!

At the end of the day, we are merely guardians taking care of fine horology for generations to come. What an enjoyable and noble task!

An absolute entry level - or thereabouts...

2011-06-06T15:11:00.005+10:00

The second most commonly asked question is "Nick, which one should I go for?" The short answer is - go for what you like and can afford.

And here is the longer version:

$10 - $200

The absolute entry level range in mechanical watches. Heaps to chose from - if you are not worried about external condition, resale value, water resistance, time keeping and... everything else! The name of the game here is go for what you like - and lower your expectations to avoid disappointment. You can still snatch a bargain: a smart Seiko 5 or some obscure Swiss made brand form 1970s in NOS (new old stock) condition. Unfortunately any money you'll spend on restoration or repair would really be just throwing good money after a bad watch. Not wise. Avoid anything that is not in working order - if it does not keep time, it's not a watch!

$200 - $500

Again, there is so much to choose from - especially on eBay or at an auction. Despite large offers, you would barely be entering the Swiss watch market so be extra careful: buying just for the look is no longer recommended. Most of the stock in this price bracket is unrestored and non-functional: "Bargains" in need of major repair - or at least complete overhaul. Overall condition rarely rises above 5/10, which means virtually no resale value. However if you are looking for
a nice 'beach special' and don't mind scratches or an out-of-trend size, then you should be able to find a decent pre-loved 'ticker'.

$500 - $1000

For five hundred bucks you should be able to pick a fairly decent Swiss watch. Or even a waterproof one - if you stretch it to a thousand ;-) Best buys are pre-owned Longines, Oris, or TAG in 8/10 condition. Don't settle for discoloured dial or hands, chipped or scratched crystals or worn / damaged bezel. A short bracelet is acceptable (you can always find a few extra links) but don't expect it to come with box or papers. Great price bracket if you are on a hunt for a nice, well-made pocket watch! Many pocket watches like railroad open face in steel/nickel or silver case still represent the best value for money in mechanical time keeping!

Tip: Buy only pocket watches with original balance staff, winding stem in perfect condition and no damage on case/hinge.

$1000 - $2000

Great place to be - especially for a first time buyer! In this price range, there is plenty of quality stock on offer. Best buys in pre-loved: Omega Seamaster and Speedmaster in 'as is' condition.
If you are not in a hurry, snatching a 9/10 piece should not be that difficult. And spending a few extra dollars on an overhaul is a wise investment- you'll have a watch which will last you for many years to come!

Tip: If you intend to own more than one timepiece don't overspend! One or two watches will do you just fine because the resale value is still under 50% at the best. Be picky: go for good provenance, box, papers, or recently overhauled stock. Take your time to learn about watches and watch collecting - investing in ‘knowledge’ is priceless!

$2000 - $3000

Welcome to the world of fine mass produced watches! Well, you've just arrived so don't get too cocky :-) This is really a 'wearer's market' - you are buying watch to wear, enjoy and be proud of. Smart choice: fine pre-owned stock in 9.5/10 condition or better. Unwanted gifts. Demonstrators. Overhauled stock - maybe a last year’s model, but still in like new condition.
This is Omega's territory: Moon watches, limited editions, Seamaster chronographs, smart Aqua Terras, dress, casual, sporty - plenty to chose from. A kind of stuff you would wear in office or with an Armani suit. Stuff that will impress any Holden or Ford owner, stuff that makes your boss (who still wears a 20 year old plastic Qantas el-chipo) look like a character from Summer Heights High.

Of course, if you are only buying a watch to impress yourself (as you should!) then feel free to explore other options: Baume and Mercier, TAG Carrera, Chopard, Mont Blanc, Fortis. Remember, you are taking advantage of other people's extravagance (previous owner made a wrong pick - wrong size or model, or simply wants to upgrade too quickly and need your liquid funds) so make sure to take as much advantage as you possibly can! Have no mercy, take no prisoners: ask to see that original receipt!

Vintage market: again, plenty of choices. Go for overhauled and restored - you can finally afford it! Avoid all battery operated and gold plated stock. Holy grail: a nice 1940s military chronograph in steel with black dial restored by an experienced watchmaker.

Tip: Don't even think of Rolex - in this price range you'll get nothing but a headache.

$3000 - $5000

Heaven for a first time buyer: You can finally buy them all :-) Or one good piece at least. Arriving at the Rolex level is fun: strong brand name, good re-sale value, water resistance, classic look. Plus all the Breitlings, top of the range Omegas – even the odd Panerai. You can have it all: the look, the quality. Each and every watch you try on feels good and appears as an excellent value for money!

Unfortunately for an enthusiastic and aspiring buyer, this is probably the most difficult price range. Such buyer is faced with a bitter paradox: While he was happy to double his or her spending budget, it looks like he really halved choices. He realizes that there is no such thing as a waterproof Navitimer, large Datejust or cheap Submariner. That dream 5513 with cream dial and original hands is nowhere to be found. Why is picking the right one so difficult now?
Confused, he spends more time researching, talking to dealers and reading watch magazines. Online watch forums no longer offer clear direction and eBay is no more Las Vegas.

$5000 - $10000

For those who've reached the 5-10K price range, life is good again. Finally, everything makes sense: You get what you pay for! Most importantly, you no longer need help choosing the right stock. As an experienced buyer, you know the difference between in-house movement and ETA,
and you no longer judge the watch by its appearance, brand or size. You are very picky (which is a good thing) have refined taste (still more a result of previous mistakes than in depth knowledge) and you are confident talking to fellow collectors and dealers - who finally take you seriously :-) Jaeger LeCoultre is king, and so is the IWC. Limited editions Panerai are tempting.
That black dial Daytona really looks cool :-) You've also realized that your pile of Omegas and two Datejusts is not really a serious collection. You are grateful to local dealers who exchange the whole lot for a nice pile of cash. Dealers are your best friend, collecting is fun - and you are ready to move on!

$10 - $20K

We are now talking serious money so let's get serious.

Best buy: Like new condition Rolex President. A mint condition Patek. IWC Big Pilot. Anything Lange (but not Glashutte!)

Now here is my tip: $15K is a mental barrier for even serious watch collectors so there is hardly any competition for fine stock. Cash is king so don't be surprised to see dealers bending backwards for your business. Finally, you are buying for enjoyment, not to impress.
And thanks to GFC, that double red Seadweller with box and papers is no longer out of reach.
You hate dealers, but that's OK.

$20K - $50K

Patek 5146 or 5110? Why not 5135? Maybe 1970s Daytona? Platinum Portugueser? Go for it, have fun :-) Watches are fun - as much as your newly acquired VIP buyer status is. You no longer have 'watch friends’ - neither real nor imaginary. After being banned from most watch forums you again talk to dealers.

$50 - $100K

Tourbillon. IW 177. JLC Master Grand T. Panerai PAM 276.
You have received a Christmas card from Angelo Bonati.
That dealer in Hong Kong now knows you by your first name.

$200K+

More tourbillon: Lange Cabaret.
You are invited to October Fest and Richemont pays for your beer and wurst.
Harry Winston Opus Eleven? Can't wait to see it finished!

$500K to 1 mil.

Finally, you are ready to let go all machine made stuff. Intrigued by haute horology, you now spend both summer and winter holidays lurking around Geneva. Can a watch be regarded as a Super fund? Self managed, of course! Too much to chose, but sitting on a waiting list for 5 years is not fun.

2.5mil +

Jaeger LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie.
Single at 62 - and you enjoy every moment.

3-5 mil

You are back to Patek military chronographs.
Flying on Tuesday to Geneva for Christie's auction preview,
then flying on Saturday to bid on it in person.
Bidding over the phone is so not cool.

5mil +

Watch collecting is no longer fun - and playing all day with that Patek 1527 ($5.6 mil) has gotten a bit boring… You've got them all and you want some more - but there is hardly anything out there to quench your thirst!

Flying to Switzerland is no longer practical either so you've bought a stunning thirteenth-century chateau overlooking Lake Geneva.

Nice people from Christie's left a message that you may be interested in a small portrait by Picasso - great piece - with an estimate of just $9mil - absolute entry level in fine art...

2011-04-13T16:18:00.006+10:00

Today I came across a vintage watch booklet which had the following slogan on the front page:

Encountering this was one of those moments that, although you are already being aware of it, really drives home the point of just how much times have changed. I mean, really, who could get away with using a slogan like this in 2011?

Anyway, time for a bit of fun...see if you can answer this:

Who is the company that this slogan belongs to, and what year is it from?

A. Patek Philippe, 1942.

B. Jaeger LeCoultre, 1920.

C. Rolex, 1966.

D. Omega, 1947.

Scroll down for the answer!

*NB: This slogan was used for at least 10 years prior! For those interested, an excellent article on the subject written by Jake Ehrlich is available here.

Collectible Omega Sportswatches from the '70s

2011-04-13T12:36:00.004+10:00

Collectible Omega Sportswatches from the '70s
- an Evening with Jon Wallis; April 20, 2011, 5:30pm

Want to know more about the vast range of Omega Sports watches from the 1970s? Need to know your Flightmaster from your Speedmaster and your Constellation from your DeVille? Want to know which are the most accurate and which are the rarest? Contemplating a vintage Omega dive watch and want to understand the range? Want to get to know some quartz watches that actually are collectable? And of course, we hope to answer those questions and more on the night!

So, come along to the presentation on Wednesday, April 20 and Jon Wallis (Author of The PloProf Book and DeskDivers.com and PloProf.com websites) will talk you through the collectible Omega watches of the decade. Jon will answer your questions too! Feel free to bring along your 70's Omegas on the night so the group can revel in Omega's '70s glory, and of course we can time your watches on the timing machine as well.

BOOKINGS: This is a private session at our premises so seats are strictly limited to 12. To reserve your seat please call us on 02 9232 0500. Cost: $40 per person.

Pop Quiz: The Results are in!

2011-03-31T13:30:00.007+11:00

The response to the quiz was overwhelming! A total of 247 replies were received within 24 hours.

Quite frankly though, I was a little disappointed with the number of incorrect answers, especially since the correct answer was there - a simple guess should have had a one in four chance!

Some of you went to great lengths to explain why one or the other case back was 'wrong' by taking into account style of letters, font, symbols, logo type, finish of steel, model and reference numbers.

Yet only ONE correct answer was received:

"Dear Nick,

Both are genuine! I’m from Sabah, Malaysia.

Regards,

Michael Lee"

Well done Michael!

This just proves that our northern neighbours do know their watches and are good students of horology!

(Michael: Please email me your address - I have a small present for you).

"Original or fake?" is my favourite watch topic. Often, there is no easy answer and it takes a great deal of effort and expertise to become 'fluent' in this area of horology. Putting the pieces together, working backwards and employing every available forensic skill is often challenging...but always rewarding.

The purpose of the quiz is to encourage you, my fellow watch enthusiast, to question everything and to have some fun along the way :-)

In regards to case backs: I hope to be able to present you with a brief article on what to look for in order to avoid pitfalls. Stay tuned!

It goes without saying that buying a fine timepiece based on photos is like handing over your wallet to a stranger. If your chances are 247 to 1 then basically you stand NO CHANCE against online scammers! Scary!

Now, are you ready for your second chance?

(And If you find my emails of no value or if I'm wasting your time then of course, feel free to unsubscribe - see below for details)

I want you to win :-) so although today's question is not much easier, you should have more chance of scoring with only 3 answers to choose from.

Below is a photo of four Rolex dials, the first one is from a Datejust model and the other 3 from a Submariner.

The second photo shows the reverse side - and the third one shows writing on each dial in detail.

Note that only one dial is signed "Rolex".

Question: Which dial/dials are GENUINE Rolex dials?

A. only dial number 2. is original
B. all dials are original
C. all dials are fake

Mail your answer to nick@clockmaker.com.au

Have fun!

Pop quiz: Fake or real?

2011-03-29T12:13:00.005+11:00

So you think you know your Rolexes? Then here's a little pop quiz for you:

Shown below are two case backs.

Which answer is correct?

Case back 1 is a genuine Rolex, case back 2 is a fake

Case back 2 is genuine Rolex, case back 1 is a fake

Both case backs are genuine

Both are fakes

Before you rush to answer, take your time to study both
case backs (enlarged images below).

Send your answer to nick@clockmaker.com.au

Good luck and have fun!

***Need help?
Here is a tip: Case back 1 comes from Datejust model Ref. 16234 [steel/18K white gold], and 2 from Submariner 16610...

Another day, another fake...

2011-03-25T15:20:00.006+11:00

As you may already know, the ultimate reward for a watch dealer is the 'discovery' of an unworn sleeper: a watch which is 30 or more years old, yet in unworn condition.

Last Monday we received a call from a young lady who wanted to sell a “beautiful and unworn gold Omega watch”. Unfortunately the Omega Geneve in 18K solid gold case accompanied with the "original" receipt of purchase (dated 1972) turned out to be just another fake. Yes, the movement cal 601 was an original Omega movement, but everything else - the case, bezel, case back and bracelet - was unfortunately after-market production.

The dead giveaway was the shape of the case. And even more so, the inscription found inside the case back:

While it could fool an untrained eye, for an expert this case back was a painfully amateurish attempt to deceive. The logo type, the engraving, the style - in fact, the lot - was just wrong.

In this particular case, the engraving was done by hand using a sharp engraver (Omega case backs are stamped, not engraved). The quality of workmanship was pathetic too; each and every letter was engraved out of line, and even the Omega symbol is out of shape.

The second line was even worse: it looked to me like it had been engraved by some old half-blind crook working by candle light. I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard!

Ironically, the middle case itself was nicely done. It was highly polished and would appear attractive and even desirable to anyone whose best watch had been a Russian Raketa or Poljot.

The "original" receipt was issued in Italy and printed in both Italian and Serbo-Croatian. No doubt, the intended market for this forgery were cashed-up Yugoslav customers who flooded Trieste in early 1970’s.

While I had to politely decline to buy this watch, it certainly has brought back some memories from my early days as watchmaker-apprentice from my father's workshop. Very often, "new" Italian watches were brought to my father's workshop and he was often left with no other choice but to break the bad news to gullible buyers.

The world of forgery knows no borders and when it comes to watches, this trade has been alive for at least 500 years. Back then, the master con artists were the Brits and French, followed by Spaniards and citizens of New Colonies. Italians, Russian and Romanians had their run in 1970’s until global trade took off in China, Vietnam and Korea.

Today, thanks to the advancement of Internet, there is practically no country that is not involved in some form of watch scam, fraud or forgery.

Another day, another fake...

Aquadive Depth-Time Model

2011-03-22T15:00:00.005+11:00

An e-mail we received from DeskDivers' news desk - A MUST READ!

Back in 1968 a small watch company filed a patent for a cool idea to measure
depth on the dial of a normal dive watch. They decided to back that watch
with technology through and through using cutting edge ideas including
hydraulics and an electronic movement. What started out as a good idea
became a seriously good product (not without its ups and downs of course),
yet within 10 years the company was no more - quite a rollercoaster of a
ride for any business!

Click here to get the full story

The “secret signature” business

2011-03-11T12:11:00.002+11:00

We are constantly bombarded by fake items; from leather bags, to clothing, to jewellery, to watches, “knockoff” versions are everywhere.

For some reason, most people seem to think this is a relatively recent occurrence due to the sheer volume of fake stock currently available, when in reality, counterfeiting is as old as humankind itself!

There is a small pocket of the consumer market that is fine with the phony version of larger brand products, but ultimately production of these goods harm the original manufacturers and those willing to pay for brand name and the quality that comes with it.

The problem with fake goods is that the quality of them is now almost as good as the quality of the originals, and in some cases, even authorised service centres are unable to distinguish between genuine and fakes!

To combat this, it is common practice in the watch industry that the manufacturer would use a “secret signature” to mark his product.
Here is an example of Cartier’s signature: a rose symbol stamped on the middle case, just above 12 o’clock and underneath the bezel.

This symbol is not there for the end user. It is well hidden and tucked away from the eyes of counterfeiters as well. It is there for the service centres as assurance that they are assessing and dealing with the genuine article.

Of course the “secret signature” does change from time to time, which makes our own investigative more interesting!

2011-03-02T16:27:00.009+11:00

Yes, we've seen them all.

Every now and then, a watch brought in for repair reminds me that fine watches are not designed and built for those who have no appreciation for fine mechanical engineering.

Pictured below is a four years young Rolex Submariner 16613. What exactly happened to it will remain a mystery, and even more so how it happened; but one thing is certain: applying brute force will not do any good to the fine winding system of any mechanical wrist watch.

Here is a brief explanation of what happens when you pull the winding crown
to set the time:

The stem (attached to the crown) will engage a number of setting levers, which
will in return push the clutch wheel to engage with the intermediate setting wheel. From there, the motion is transferred to few more wheels and finally to the hands.

Needless to say, the gear work is very fine and requires gentle handling.
Applying too much force too quickly will definitely cause problems.

To put the things in perspective, here is a shot of a clutch wheel and set wheel
next to a 5 cent coin:

If those wheels are free to move and lubricated properly, they will withstand
significant winding force. However if the wheels seize up or are jammed (by a loose crew or case clamp) then unfortunately something will break.

And here is another close-up:

Note the stripped teeth! In addition, the hardened steel setting lever was bent too!

Black specks shown above are actually broken off teeth that have lodged themselves
deep inside the watch movement, causing the watch to stop.

And all this could have been avoided with just a bit more care and common sense.

The photo below shows partially disassembled Rolex 3135 with calendar and winding system removed.

The bottom line is this: if the winding or time setting feels strange or tight, restrain yourself from applying any excessive force. Leave it as is and take it to your watchmaker. Often this is a tell tale sign that your watch is due for an overhaul.

The last thing you want to do is to cause further damage - which is not only completely unnecessary, but very costly too.

Cartier alarm clocks

2011-03-01T14:50:00.003+11:00

If you are one of my regular subscribers, then you are well aware that I am a sucker for Cartier alarm clocks. Fine Cartier clocks have been in production since the late 1800's, and some of the finest examples are now worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars! They have always been regarded as toys for the privileged few, but in today's era of mass production, it is nice to know that Cartier is still designing fine alarm clocks.

Yes, starting your day with the soft chime of a Cartier alarm clock is one of life's little luxuries...

A pleasant buying experience

2011-02-21T11:06:00.008+11:00

The experience of buying a high grade watch should be no different than one of buying a sports car or diamond ring. It should be a pleasant, memorable and definitely a satisfactory event.

At the end of the day, you - the buyer - is parting with a large amount of money,
so you should expect to be treated not just professionally, but with respect. After all, when it comes to buying a new piece of jewellery or a watch, that buying experience is included in the price of your item.

This is exactly why retailers spend a great deal of money to impress you with
the shop fit-out, the luxury packaging, the red carpet and the glass of champagne. Don't get too excited though, you are the one who is paying for the lot (including the fake smile!).

Unfortunately those very same luxury retailers are often the first ones to rob you of that precious commodity.

Indeed, the "fancy" buying experience is often overvalued and poorly delivered.
Why bother buying at full retail price from an authorised and exclusive dealer when
the moment you walk out of that glamorous shop your watch (or car, or diamond ring) loses 30, 40 or even 60% of its value?

Some buyers are victims of their own mindset and they will continue to buy (and pay) retail simply because they are incapable of considering alternatives. There are numerous, but here are a few:

- buying from an authorized dealer located in the suburbs
- buying last year's model on sale
- buying a new, identical item from a non-authorized dealer or
- buying a pre-owned watch in mint or near mint condition from a second hand dealer

You would be surprised how much you can save once you decide to break away
from that 'must be brand new' mentality.

Indeed, some of the finest pieces of jewellery, diamonds, fine watches and clocks, objects 'd art, paintings, books, scientific instruments, motoring - even real estate - have already been passed from generation to generation often increasing in value. All of these objects are no longer available new, yet when sold at auction they generate great interest and attract knowledgeable buyers.

Interestingly enough, based on years of dealing with collectors and savvy customers,
we know that those who actually have more disposable income and can afford luxury
are very happy to buy fine pre-owned items!

To put things in perspective: out of the entire quantity of fine watches in circulation, brand new watches account for just a fraction of a percent. A mere tip of the iceberg!

Therefore if you have consciously excluded the idea of owning fine pre-owned stock, you are not doing yourself any favors.

For an educated buyer, the ultimate buying experience is VALUE FOR MONEY and a thrill in hunting for timepieces which are no longer available
from authorized retailers. They love to save, not to lose money; they buy items which are not necessary the latest hype but those which have already depreciated, have a proven resale record, have reasonable resale value and can be bought at a significant discount.

Finally, in order to get your business and take your buying experience to the next level, many second hand dealers and watchmakers will provide additional services like case and bracelet polishing or adjustment, valuation, repair and servicing, or even a trade-in or buy back option of your timepiece.

As we always say, those who are not in a hurry and have realistic expectations will always get a better deal and ultimately be rewarded with a truly satisfying buying experience.

Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33 MARS Titanium watch
A rare collector's set

"Selling" online

2011-02-17T16:13:00.010+11:00

As most watch collectors are aware, there are a near-infinite number of second hand watches for sale online through a multitude of dealers – some reputable, some less so.

The information age has made it so simple for the dodgy types to cut and paste from websites and use these legitimate sounding ads to con unsuspecting buyers.

I was recently tipped off to this ad by a friend. The fact that this particular dealer "borrowed" his product description from my own website is nothing new - I am actually more surprised that one of my ads ended up on Gumtree Cape Town, South Africa (of all places!)

The bottom line here is simple. If the seller doesn’t give you the opportunity to see the item in person, DON’T BUY!

There is a huge difference between “selling” online and selling online. It may seem obvious to say, but many buyers are still falling for it – don’t be one of them.

Lost & Found

2011-02-14T09:37:00.004+11:00

Have you stopped to think what would happen if your watch were to be misplaced or lost? It's a situation that can happen to anyone, so I thought I'd share this email enquiry that I'd recently received about this very situation:

Hi Nick

Just a superquick query - we found a Breitling watch on the street yesterday morning. My partner knew of the brand & that they were a good quality watch - and expensive! We handed it in to our local Police Station. My partner said there appeared to be some kind of number on the back....Is this number able to be used to track the owner? I'm horrified that someone has dropped such an expensive watch. It was close to the roadway, as if it had come off someone's wrist while getting into a car. There are 2 aged care homes nearby & we've dropped in there with negative results.

Many thanks in advance
T

Dear T,

First of all, you must be congratulated on your honesty! In your effort to locate the owner of the lost watch, you've gone way above your duty of care. Well done!

To answer your question: Unfortunately, numbers on the case back are not directly related to the owner. There are two lots of numbers on it: 1) The model reference number, which (in the case of Breitling watches) starts with a letter followed by 5 or more numbers. The second lot is the unique serial number.

It is always a good idea to record any numbers or text engraved on the case back of your watch. If it is lost or misplaced, this is crucial piece of evidence which will help in the identification of your watch.

Better still, have your watch valued and insured! Insurance valuation does not cost much (we gladly provide free insurance valuation for all watches we sell). In the unfortunate case of loss or theft, please contact Police and your insurance company promptly.

Back to your situation: We do hope that police will be able to trace the owner of the Breitling, however, if the watch remains unclaimed for a certain period of time, legally you will become it's owner. :-).

The police will contact you and you will have every right to claim it, keep it or sell it - assuming, of course, that it is a genuine Breitling.

Thanks,

Nick

More Lost & Found here

Some related stories sent in by one of our readers:

'Some years ago I was running along the beach at Kingscliff, northern NSW and found a watch lying in the sand. The watch was a diving model Tag Heuer – quite an expensive watch back then. Whilst I would have loved to keep the watch I knew the owner would have also loved to get it back so did the right thing and handed it in to a local police station.

Several months later I received a call from the police station to advise me the watch had not been claimed and I could pick it up – I was delighted! However, the following day I had another call from the police to advise me not to bother claiming the watch as it had been stolen, along with some other valuables, during an overnight break-in at the police station. Oh the disappointment!'

Another watch story that had a good ending follows:

'A good friend had his car broken into a couple of years ago at Byron Bay and had his 1970s Omega Seamaster stolen. Several months later a work colleague had his car stolen from the beach at Kingscliff (about 40 mins drive north of Byron). Months later, the police found this car in QLD and advised my colleague of the find and asked if he had lost an Omega Seamaster watch that was in the car’s glove box. On being told this story, I told my Byron Bay friend to contact the QLD police just in case it was the same thief and his watch. He did this and described the watch to the police – yes it was his – it had returned!'

Dislodged hour markers

2011-02-09T10:49:00.007+11:00

The dreaded scenario: whilst admiring the fine details of your new Rolex, it accidentally slips through your fingers and finds itself on a one way collision course with the floor. In the milliseconds before it even hits, a number of possible outcomes flashes through your mind - none of them good.

After the impact, you examine the watch carefully. Although there is no visible major damage and it seems to be functioning correctly, you do find that an hour marker has dislodged itself from the dial. What should you do?
First and foremost, pull out the winder in order to stop the watch and avoid any possibility of the loose hour marker scratching the dial.

Secondly, you have two choices to consider in regards to repairs. You can take it to a Rolex service centre where it is highly likely that service will involve replacing the dial and overhauling the watch altogether, which can set you back roughly $1500. The other option is to bring the watch to us, which will set you back all of $50 – free if you purchased it from us.

Why the drastic difference in price? Because we see this as a simple repair (assuming there is no damage to the mechanism itself). Each hour marker is held in place with 2 “feet”, and can easily be set in place permanently with a microscopic drop of adhesive – no replacements necessary!

Treasures of the Reef

2011-01-11T10:52:00.003+11:00

Nick,

You may have forgotten – it was ages ago when I was last in your showroom – but I did promise to give you a copy of the report we sent to Rolex after my wife lost her Lady Datejust off the coast of South Australia many years ago, only to have it turn up, miraculously retrieved from below the waves, where it had been lodged in a reef.

Attached is a copy of the original report to Rolex. It’s brief (I think Rolex cut it down from its original word length) but it still covers the essentials, a copy of the cover of the Rolex booklet and the Rolex letter to me.

There’s a bit more to the story – the involvement of a pawnbroker, Rolex in Melbourne and the police but those are side issues.

The reason I’ve not fulfilled my promise to you is that in our move from Sydney to Adelaide (again), our copy of the Rolex publication that our report was reprinted in was mislaid or just plain lost. In early December this year (with Christmas coming and nothing to offer you), I decided to write to Rolex in Geneva and ask them if they still had archived copies of their publication dating back to the 80s.

I returned from Adelaide today and found a copy of that original publication and a nice letter from Rolex.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

Will you please consider me a man of my word? Yes, belated, but I’ve done what I said I would do.

My best to you,

Lance

PS I’m into your web site almost every day. I do want you to sell me that old, non-working Submariner I’ve pestered you about.

BREITLING: The Spare Link Saga

2010-12-16T12:21:00.010+11:00

A couple of weeks ago, a lovely young couple was in our shop, looking at a fine Breitling Navitimer watch for the gentleman. After seeing the watch and with some careful consideration, they decided that it was precisely the watch they were after and that they were ready to purchase it – but just one thing stood in their path… the bracelet was a bit too small, and would require two extra links to comfortably fit on his wrist. Unfortunately we did not have any spare links for this specific watch, but told them that we would immediately contact DKSH, the authorised Breitling Service Centre, to source the links. The couple was seemed disappointed that they couldn’t take the watch home that day, but would wait until we had gotten the appropriate links.

We phoned DKSH that day, and they requested that we submit a fax specifying the desired part. We did so, and followed up after a couple of days to verify that they had received our request. DKSH informed us that the man responsible for watch parts was out of the office, but they would get back to us. Finally, we received a phone call from someone at DKSH asking for some additional information, a bracelet number, which we provided straight away over the phone. This gave us some (false) hope that they were actively trying to locate the links.

After several days of silence, we called back, and were told that despite giving the bracelet number, the man we really needed to talk to was out sick. Calling back four days later, the man was still sick! By then, it had been more than a week since our original request. Again after a couple of days, we phoned and were finally able to talk to the repairman who handles spare parts. He informed us that he had just gotten back to work after being ill; he had received our parts request, but it was in a large stack of other requests, and it would be a few days before he would be able to get back to us. After getting in touch with the relevant person at DKSH, we gave him a bit more time. A week passed and no response, so we called back. We were able to speak with the service manager, but unfortunately did not have any luck. She informed us that the repairman was extremely busy with watch repairs, and most likely would not be able to get to our spare links request until after the holidays. Despite being the service manager, she nor anyone else at the company, is able to locate and distribute spare parts except for the repairman who remains flat out or just plain “out”.

Before this entire debacle, we knew that DKSH was notoriously difficult to deal with, but their inability to supply two spare links has brought it to a new level. We are fighting ignorance; we are fighting continually arrogant people with no sense of customer service.

The tragedy of this story is that there is no ending. Three weeks has passed, and we are still unable to source the two necessary spare links to give the Breitling Navitimer a new home and we have absolutely no idea if the links are available, how much they cost or how long it would take to get them delivered.
Honestly, I doubt that there is a single person reading this who believes that answering a simple spare link request should take more than a fax and follow-up call. Neither does anyone believe that drilling a hole in a piece of stainless steel is rocket science; these links are not hand-carved out of some rare extraterrestrial metal, they simply come out of a link-pooping machine!

A loss of sale is really something we can live with, but such a blatant attack on our intelligence and the intelligence of our customers is not something we are going to put up with any more.

Update December 23rd .
Another week passes, and we contact DKSH Breitling Service Centre once again enquiring as to current status of our request. Unfortunately there is no progress as they’re closing soon and reopening on January 4th. We are told that they will deal with our enquiry in due time (?)...

ROLEX: Don't mess with us Mr. Tran!

2010-07-20T10:40:00.004+10:00

"Can we speak with Mr. Tran?"
"Tran speaking!"
"Rolex here. You owe us $2.2 million".

7,000 fake Rolex watches are steamrolled in Philly

(AP) – Apr 27, 2010

PHILADELPHIA — A steamroller has crushed about 7,000 fake Rolex watches in Philadelphia under the orders of federal authorities seeking to deter would-be counterfeiters. Customs officials staged the destruction Monday to highlight law enforcement's role in protecting intellectual property rights. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the watches were seized from Binh Cam Tran, who pleaded guilty last year to charges including trafficking in counterfeit goods.

Tran is serving six years in federal prison. He has been ordered to pay more than $2.2 million to the Rolex Co. Authorities say Tran fabricated hundreds of thousands of fake Rolex watches in his home near Philadelphia. Officials seized about 24,000 counterfeit watches and enough parts to create 1 million more.

Time to move on

2010-07-20T10:29:00.006+10:00

After nearly 35 year behind watch repair bench, I think I am ready for downsizing. Servicing 'all brands, all makes, all models' is no longer practically possible. Swiss manufacturers refuse to supply spare parts to independent watchmakers and with no spare parts there is very little I can do to fix your timepiece.
I've started apprenticeship in my fathers workshop at age of 12. I clearly remember times when we could get almost any spare part shipped in no time. Swiss spare parts dealers were bending backwards to get our business!

Unfortunately for watchmakers, time has changed. Small, independent, highly skilled and experienced watchmakers are now seen as 'pain in bum'. Big brands wants all the repair work done 'in house' which allows them to act like any other monopoly. They charge what they want, they give no options.

In all fairness, if you are perfectionist then you should have nothing to worry about. Your watch will be serviced/repaired/restored to factory-new condition by it's Swiss maker. Yes, such service is expensive and will take for ever but quite frankly no independent watchmaker can provide service that can come even close to factory standard.

Since I have run out of most spare parts for most brands (except for Rolex for which I am still able to source spares from overseas supplier) as of this month I am providing repair service for Rolex watches only. More precisely for makes and models manufactured between 1960 and 2005. This includes all Datejust, Date, Precision, President, Submariner, GMT, Explorer and other sports and standard models. The only exception is Rolex Daytona, Tudor and OysterQuartz line.

Focusing on one brand will allow better turnaround time and hopefully better overall service. It will allow me also to step away from work bench and spend more time sourcing, buying and selling other fine timepieces and to finally commence restoration of vintage Rolex watches from my own collection. It's time to move forward!

Who the *#$% is Jackson Pollock ?

2010-07-20T10:05:00.020+10:00

Before you jump on me for using a profane language, let me clear that above sentence is actually the original movie title. But more about that later.

Suppose you have choice of buying a 1 year old Rolex 16613 and the same model watch, but 3 years old. Which one would you go for? Well this is no brainier; while the younger watch is an obvious choice, you would make the right decision only in case that said younger watch is also in significantly better overall condition.

The key word here is the overall condition.

Unfortunately with vintage watches, overall condition is less important. The predominant factor is ORIGINALITY. You don't really want a watch in your collection which is a marriage of bits and pieces. Such watch may keep time, but the time keeping in vintage watches is even less important than overall condition.

Lets expand this bit further. You are a keen collector, knowledgeable buyer, ready to part with rather large sum of cash on an extremely rare piece. What would be the predominant factor that you'll be looking for in a watch now?
The overall condition? Originality?
Price? Resale value? Investment potential?

All of above, of course, but to a degree.

To tell you what the key point is would be too easy. And if I do so now, you will have no reason to watch one of the best documentary movies I've ever watched
on this topic!

The movie is called "Who the *#$% is Jackson Pollock".
It is available at your local video store.
Rent it tonight and watch it because the key point or moral of the story is so brilliantly presented - it will change your understanding of rare, valuable and unique objects (and the way they are they traded) forever.

Aussie websites cash in on counterfeits

2010-07-07T16:24:00.009+10:00

[Jeweller Magazine, July 2010]

Jeweller has discovered that Australian-based websites are openly selling counterfeit watches and jewellery from well-known brands under the guise of “replicas”.

Investigations by Jeweller have established that a local website – www.***Replica***.com.au – sells exact copies of well-known brands including Tag Heuer, Breitling, Omega and Rolex.

The website is registered to a company called Brantley Pty Ltd and Australian Securities and Investments Commission records show the company as having two, Sri Lankan-born, directors; Kristiaan Martenstyn and Peduru Jayalath.

The registered address of Melbourne-based Brantley Pty Ltd is Unit 1508, 18 Waterview Walk, Docklands and the website lists a telephone number as +61 414 015 405 and makes the following claims; “We are Australia’s #1 Replica Watch Retailer, 1 Year FULL Replacement Warranty, 7 Day Risk-Free Money-Back Guarantee.”

Last week Jeweller contacted Martenstyn, who confirmed that the company had been operating for two years but claimed his actions did not breach any Australian or international laws. He went as far as describing his business as operating in a necessary industry because consumers demand the product.

“I wouldn’t call it counterfeiting,” Martenstyn said, adding that his products were “high-end replicas” produced in Geneva, Switzerland. Interestingly SwissReplicaWatches.com.au states, “We say NO to dodgy ‘fakes’ from Asia.”

According to intellectual property expert Lisa Egan, a senior associate at law firm Middletons, assessing whether product is counterfeit is quite straight-forward.

“If a business is using brand names without any authority [form the brand owner] then it’s likely to be a trademark infringement,” she said, adding that selling exact copies could also be a “design infringement”.

Egan confirmed that the term “replica” was incorrect – copies carrying a brand’s logo are classified as “counterfeit” goods.

Martenstyn justified his operation by claiming the website “helps” the watch brands.

“People who buy from us, they are not going to buy the original, so it doesn’t directly affect the trademark owners. In fact, it helps them,” he said.

Egan said the only reason the site could remain online was if none of the affected brands had taken action.

“It’s up to the owners of the brands to take action against it and have that content removed,” she said.

Martenstyn claimed he had never been contacted by any of the brands featured on his website.

“We’ve never actually had any issues at all. If we were to have any sort of issues with the trademark holders we are happy to work to meet a resolution,” he said.

The blatant nature of such operations raises questions about why the websites are allowed to remain online in Australia, given the potential damage caused to the brands’ reputation and integrity.

Interestingly, Rolex managing director Richard De Leyser said he was aware of the website.

He refused to comment on the matter any further, but said: “We take any infringement of our copyright very seriously.”

Martenstyn said he would continue operating the website for as long as his business was profitable.

“The reason we are in business is because consumers demand the products,” he said, adding: “The day that consumers no longer wish to purchase such goods, that’s when we wouldn’t supply them any longer.”

Rather than taking a low-key approach, further investigations reveal the company appears to be ramping up its operations, having recently advertised for two customer service representatives.

“We are looking for two new members to join our dedicated and friendly team that specialises in supplying high-end luxury goods such as jewellery, timepieces and paintings,” the online advertisement reads.

Egan said there is a number of steps companies can take to protect their intellectual property from online counterfeiters.

“The first port of call is to send a letter to the operator of the website,” she said, adding that Google can also be contacted to have a website excluded from search results.

“If that’s not dealt with appropriately then court proceedings could be issued.”

Egan said responsibility lies with the brands to protect their own copyright.

“I think brands need to be really vigilant in monitoring these websites. It’s really about the brands taking a proactive stance and making sure they’ve got their brand appropriately protected,” she said.

Martenstyn stressed that he had not been contacted by any of the brand owners about his website and added, in an interesting twist of logic, that he believes that his business activity is legal because no one had contacted him to say it wasn’t.

He added that his legal advice is that he is not in breach of the law.

In addition, a disclaimer on SwissReplicaWatches.com.au states that the brands “cannot prosecute any person(s) affiliated with this website”, citing code 431.322.12 of the Internet Privacy Act.

Many more online stores display similar disclaimers, all citing code 431.322.12 of the Internet Privacy Act.

Another Australian website, DesignerWishlist.com.au which offers Tiffany and Gucci labelled jewellery cites the same code, stating: “Any person representing or formally employed by any of the brands offered cannot enter this website. … If you enter this site and do not agree to these terms you are in violation of code 431.322.12 of the Internet Privacy Act.”

Apart from the fact that a broad disclaimer like that would not be accepted by a court, Jeweller’s research could find no evidence of the existence of the, so-called, Internet Privacy Act. It appears to be a disclaimer used by many counterfeit websites in an attempt to deter legal action.

Jeweller emailed Martenstyn asking, “The Terms & Conditions section of your website refers to the "Internet Privacy Act". We can find no such Act, can you direct us to it?”

Martenstyn was also asked whether he agreed that the product his business sold was counterfeit given that it carries the logos of well-known brands.
At the time of publication Martenstyn had not replied.

Legal advice obtained by Jeweller indicates there is no law that prohibits legal action against a website. Any information obtained from these sites may be used by the affected companies in court proceedings."

Epilogue: July 6, 2010.

After reading the above article I was literally in an overwhelming state of disbelief and shock.
Is it really possible that someone based in Australia would display such
arrogant disrespect for Australian Commercial Law?

Or could this be just a late April fools day joke?

So I've decided to ring the above mentioned mobile phone number in order to
find out what is really going on here.
- Hi, my name is Nicholas Hacko. I am a watch dealer.
I've just visited your website and wonder if you also wholesale watches?
- Hi. Well I am just a watch dispatch person you need to talk to my boss.
- That's fine. However, it is important that before we enter into any business transaction, I want to make sure I am not breaking any laws...
- What do you mean?
- Well you guys do sell fake watches, right?
- No, not fakes. We sell replicas.
- Replicas, fakes, same thing...
- No, no. Our replicas are NOT fakes!
- Oh sorry, my misunderstanding. So you actually do sell genuine Rolex watches?
- No, no. You don't understand the difference with fake and replica...
- Huh?
- ... not genuine Rolex, just Rolex replica. But definitely not the FAKE Rolex.
- OK I see. You sell REPLICA Rolex!
- That's exactly right. Genuine replicas which look identical to real Rolexes.
- Very good. So would you be able to accept payments in replica money?
- What do you mean, I don't understand???
- You know, the replica money. Money which looks identical to real money but it is just replica. Like the stuff I can print on my printer...
- [laughter...] I don't know, I am just a dispatch worker. You really need
to talk to my boss [more laughter...]
- OK - let's say that I do come into agreement with your boss and he does accept my replica money for his replica watches - which sounds like a perfectly fair deal to me - would you accept that replica money as your wages?
- [upset voice] Are you serious??? I don't work for fake money!!
- No, no, no - it is not FAKE money, it is just REPLICA money, mate ...
- Sir, I am busy, if you have any more questions please send us an email.
Our email address is info@Replicax.com.au .
Thanks for calling. [phone hangs up]

So there you go. I never thought that my newsletter would provide
a link to REPLICA ROLEX website, but this bunch of clown dummies
actually deserve as much publicity as we can offer.

Is there a lawyer in the house? Can we get free legal opinion on this one please :-) ?
(What a heck - we'll even take REPLICA LEGAL opinion from FAKE lawyers)
Happy collecting,

Nick Hacko

Bad mathematics

2010-07-07T13:53:00.003+10:00

Gold stolen from watchmaker Rolex
AFP June 04, 2010

LUXURY Swiss watchmaker Rolex has been robbed of more than 15kg of gold - worth almost E15 million (US$21.83 million) - and a foundry worker has been taken into custody, a judicial official said overnight.

Rolex, whose status-symbol wristwatches cost several thousand dollars apiece, says the employee, a temp, admitted stealing 5kg of gold from the plant in Plan-les-Ouates, the official said.

The man's lawyer, Francois Canonica, said he has been detained and charged with theft and breach of trust, the ATS news agency reported.

"Whether he should be blamed for the extra 10 kilos remains an open question," said the lawyer. "It appears that the security system put in place by Rolex - supposing it has one - has shown its limitations," Mr Canonica said.

Oh boy... As they say, never let the truth spoil a perfectly good story.

Unfortunately this time the AFP got it wrong because 15Kg of gold is *not* worth 21 million dollars but only USD$ 576.000.

One can only hope that Swiss judge will do his maths before sentencing the poor idiot.

Less than perfect ? Fantastic!!!

2010-07-07T13:44:00.010+10:00

While taking photos of K1964 Omega Moon watch, I've noticed something really unusual: there was something above the letters TER (speedmasTER). It looked like bit of dirt but under magnification it was clear that this was a 'metal left over' of casting / stamping during the manufacturing process!

Such imperfections are usually detected in foundry, or during assembly, engraving, polishing, or at least during final QC. Imperfect watch cases rarely appear on the market.

Strangely enough, this one slept through the net and neither the salesman or previous owner have noticed it.

Great conversation piece !

Every passion has its Holy Grail- have we found ours?

2010-07-07T13:36:00.010+10:00

Every passion has its Holy Grail, and Rolex Daytona book collecting is no exception.

Yes, one can enter the Daytona book market for as little as $35.
And very solid subject-related book sells for $120.
But a hard-core Daytona collector serious about his investment would not settle for nothing less than $700 Bible called Rolex Chronographs by Pucci Papaleo editore.

Now, if you feel that $700 for a book is heaps of money then please keep reading.

The above mentioned Pucci Papaleo, self confessed "collector, devotee, historian, but above all willing victim of love for beautiful timepieces" is now ready to take you to the next level of book enjoyment.

His upcoming book "Ultimate Rolex Daytona" is volume of epic proportions:
the 12 KG book is "work of infinite complexity with the very best, and only the very best (Daytonas) chosen to portray every requirement of each aspect...with the one objective of crating something not only unique but above all undeniably beautiful".

The book is limited edition, 600 pieces typographically printed in seven colors
and high definition.
Papaleo hired highly specialized architectural photographers who took photographs
on optical bench. The end result is masterpiece with finest rendering of effects in
details, hues and textures.

So what is the book like this one worth to you? $1000? $3000 ? Obviously we are talking serious money here but if you want to reserve your copy then be prepared to part with solid $7,300 AUD (plus postage).

Again, if you think than only a madman would spend over $7K on this book then you are new to watches and watch collecting:
few weeks ago, the very first copy of Papaleo's book was sold at Christi's for AUD$ 44,065. Yes, it was a charity auction, but that hardly makes any difference.

[ Just in case that you are tempted to place an order for Ultimate Rolex Daytona make sure to talk to me first. If we can order few pieces as combine order, surely Papaleo will find bit of room to move on price :-) ]

And if you don't want to go above $35 then get yourself Patrizzi's Pocket Expert Daytona form my website http://www.clockmaker.com.au/books/
This one is very popular and selling fast, so you better be quick!

Private stock: bruised, battered and beaten

2010-07-07T13:24:00.009+10:00

Last week I had request for one particular vintage Rolex Submariner.
Since private stock rarely sees daylight this was great opportunity
for a photo session. I ended up spending 3 days
pulling apart a number of Submariners and in the process I took over 400 photos :-)

Time well spent - I now have enough material
for a PowerPoint presentation called "Collecting vintage Rolex sport watches"
which I intend to present this month.
This 'watch talk' event is suited for both novice and advanced collectors,
especially those interested in Rolex Submariners.
Stay tuned for more! Oh yes - the new wall projector is on it's way
so expect nothing less than a full IMAX experience :-)

For a quick preview fell free to browse the private stock listed at
http://clockmaker.com.au/private

While I don't regard myself as a watch collector per se,
I don't mind hanging onto a few pieces.
This particular lot was built up over a period of 12 years
and consist predominantly of "virgin" (unrestored) Submariners.
A word of warning: if you are not familiar with vintage watches
be prepared for shock and horror!
Although some pieces are in top collector's condition, most
other Subs are purposely left unrestored, scratched and dirty.
Yes - some of them still contain dirt and soil - in the very same condition
I'd found them! Which is exactly how mad collectors want them.

But we'll talk more about that on the night.

(You may wish to bookmark the above link because I do intend to
list few more in near future).

Rolex dials: fancy and exotic

2010-07-07T12:02:00.010+10:00

From the mid 1980s to the late 1990s Rolex was heavily involved in production of
very special, exotic watch dials. Those dials were mainly fitted to Date and Datejust
models. Precious and semi precious stones like sugilite, rose jasper, blue and green jadeite, pink opal, coral and almost every colour of shell were used to turn conservative looking Rolex watches into unique and distinctive timepieces.
My favorite exotic dial is blue sodalite which was used in production of gent's watches, including Daytona models.
Pictured here is a slab of Bolivian sodalite:

...and an 18K WG Daytona with sodalite diamond dial
on blue alligator strap:

Unfortunately fancy dial Rolex watches are not common and they rarely appear on pre-loved market.
The k1893 on today's offer is fitted with rare Arabia-shell dial. Great watch in 35mm unisex size.

Things that make you tick

2010-02-11T17:04:00.005+11:00

Last week I've sold an Omega Seamaster chronograph watch to a customer in Melbourne.
Before shipping I've checked the watch for a timekeeping, as I routinely do.
Seamaster chronograph is based on Valjoux 7750 movement which is
fairly rugged and reliable chrono. The watch kept almost perfect time: +1 sec/day
with 'healthy' amplitude of 330 degrees and zero beat error.
All good!

The watch was double boxed and shipped to Melbourne with overnight
courier.

Following day I got an email from the new owner.
He was very unhappy to say at least; his new Seamaster was gaining
two minutes per hour!

Obviously, he had every right to feel 'cheated'.

And so did I ! The reason why a mechanical watch will gain time like crazy
is always of mechanical nature, and most common reason of all
is mechanical shock. Whether the watch was dropped by the new owner or poorly handed
by courier it was at that point irrelevant.
I suggested for watch to be returned for further inspection
and made an offer to repair it free of charge.
Sometime it is much easier to accept blame
then to argue (yes I am happily married man, I've learned this trick 20+ years ago).

So the poor bugger (Seamaster) arrived today.

As per my expectation, the reason for excessive gain was
neither mysterious nor difficult one to rectify. Nuisance, nevertheless.
(Fellow watchmakers reading this email have probably guessed what was the problem).

Due to sudden shock, first coil of hairspring was pushed underneath the stud. As a result, hair spring
was physically shortened. The rate of oscillation become much higher
and watch was gaining time. I've 'painted' that first coil in red so you can see
what I am talking about. Photo below is showing enlarged balance wheel assembly.

All that was needed to restore correct oscillating frequency was to
unjam that first coil stacked underneath the stud.
Two seconds repair job!
Below, I've painted this first tun in green so you can compare it's
"before and after" position relative to stud pin. Note the even spacing between
adjoining coils - approx. 2/10 of millimeter!

Bottom line: Valoujx 7750 is fine chrono movement
designed to withstand fair amount of 'bashing'. But it is still
a mechanical watch movement and as such definitely not shockproof.
Like with any other mechanical device, things sometimes do go wrong
and small imperfection can cause substantial malfunction.
If you are new to watches then I suggest to invest
bit of time learning about maintenance, servicing and performance
of mechanical timepieces. Such investment will pay off big time in the long run.

All Sydney watchmakers I know are bit 'coockoo' - they have spent years
learning and practicing watch trade, dealing with both watches and customers.
Reputable ones are stubborn and grumpy but very proud, trustworthy and
honest people. They know their stuff inside out - but believe it or not - have absolutely no control over
Australia Post Express overnight service to Melbourne.

Happy collecting!

Scratch-proof, shatter-proof, foolproof?

2010-02-01T11:51:00.005+11:00

Watch crystals made of synthetic sapphire are often marketed as "scratch resistant", meaning they are very difficult - but not impossible - to scratch. Diamond can scratch them; so can man-made materials that incorporate silicon carbide. These materials are sometimes used to make tools or simulated-stone surfaces for furniture. The watch wearer should note that accidentally scraping a sapphire crystal against such a surface could cause a scratch.
So while your 'official and authorized' salesman would be more than happy
to tell you that your watch is fitted with scratchproof crystal, in reality
this is far from being the case!

Fine mechanical watches are definitely not shock proof either. Drop it on a hard surface and the crystal will shatter. Needless to say, expect further internal damage.

While the 'shock proof' myth originated in 1950s it really took off during the sixties / early seventies when ever creative advertisers of Swiss watches finally
managed to convince case making departments to mark mechanical watches as 'water proof, water protected, antimagnetic, nonmagnetic, schookproof, shockprotected, dustproof, unbreakable mainspring, and even ultrasonic!

My favorite all-time misleading caseback marking is "TROPICALISED WATERPROOF" which date from 1960s. While the watch mechanism and dial are long gone, the case back itself has survived remarkably well !

Summer, surf and vintage Subs

2010-02-01T11:40:00.005+11:00

Yes, I know it is 'so cool' to wear your 40+ years Sub while surfing but by doing so you are just asking for trouble. Most vintage watches are NO LONGER water proof so don't just assume that because it's Rolex it's OK to wear it in water.

This particular 5513 came in yesterday in rather miserable condition. In just 48 hours after the water got in, it started to rust! Luckily for the owner it was still not too late - most of corrosion was contained in main spring barrel area. Lucky this time - a close shave indeed!

Watch straps - part II

2010-02-01T11:29:00.002+11:00

Your response to last week's newsletter
in regard to overpriced leather watch straps was totally overwhelming!
Many of you voiced your opinion (over 300 emails received!) -
and I thank you very much for expressing it.
The 'strap scam' by Swiss manufacturers is so widely practiced.
It looks like that $500 is now barely enough for an original brand name strap
Many manufacturers are charging over $1000 for even mid-range models.
And if you think that's crazy amount to spend on a leather strap,
then hear this: an original pre-Vendome Panerai straps
now fetch over US$4,000 on second hand market - if you are lucky to find one!

But enough of bad news. Let's focus on positive.

Here are few tips for those who refuse to be ripped-off.

1. Don't give up searching for an ORIGINAL strap!

There are few watch wholesalers who still offer
original straps for certain models at wholesale price, direct to public.
A good source for Omega straps is Otto Frei
http://www.ofrei.com/WatchBandsAndStraps.html
US based but definitely worth doing business with,
especially at times when exchange rate is favorable to AUD.
They also have those hard to find Omega bezels
at half price of SMH Australia.

Australian watch parts wholesaler are not well stocked
and would not gladly deal with individuals,
however if you are watch collector or hobbyist you should have
no problem opening an account. You don't need
shop front or ABN either, especially if you pay upfront.

Smith and Smith http://www.smithnsmith.com.au/index.htm is based in Sydney
and Seivers (02 9279 1755) have offices in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.
Keep in mind that they are specialized suppliers so
be polite, factual and don't waste their time.
When ordering it is essential to provide strap manufacturer's code and
watch reference number. Both are good source for anything SMH and TAG.

2. Hand and Custom-made

This is your best value for money option, especially
when looking for a replacement strap for Panerai,
Breitling and other large case-size watches.
Good starting point is list of strap makers is located here:
http://paneristi.com/straps/index.html
Support independent craftsman!

3. Look for a substitute by another maker or brand

In some cases (and with bit of luck) suitable replacement strap may
be sourced by another watch manufacturer.
For example, most of Glycine straps are not only well made
and reasonably priced, but they are almost ideal for vintage
and new XL watches like Rolex Sub, Longines, Breitling,
IWC and Omega. Yes this may be a long shot but you'll love the saving.
See http://www.watchbandsonline.com/

4. The old-fashioned way: buy your next strap
from specialist strap maker!

Probably the best known strap maker is
Austrian manufacturer Hirsch, established in 1765.
On offer is large range in many different
styles, colors and band width.
http://www.hirschag.com/en/
In Australia, Hirsch is represented by Duraflex (02) 9417 6268
- call for your nearest stockist.
Or search for online retailer like
http://www.watchobsession.co.uk/shop/hirsch-straps-c-54.html

As the prices of original straps continue to rise,
more makers will specialize in production of
'aftermarket' straps. Most likely, being the strap specialist, those
makers will soon produce straps that are not only cheaper but
of better quality than originals - which will make them
brand name in their own. A good example of this phenomenon is
Mario Paci http://www.mariopaci.com/

If you have your favorite supplier or strap maker you
are happy to recommend let me know and I'll pass
your information in next email. As always, special thanks goes
to subscribers who kindly provided references and links to above mentioned
sites.

A fool and his money are soon parted - but Who is the fool here?

2010-01-27T11:53:00.001+11:00

It is January 21, and I already broke my New Year's resolution - I am
back to "grumpy old myself" mood.

Let's be realistic - I am a grumpy old troll.

And yes, I am totally aware that some of you are not going to like
this post. Few will unsubscribe and yes, I will get abusive replays.
But quite frankly political correctness was never on my 'to do' list,
and certainly not my New Year's resolution.

Yesterday, I was offered a nice Omega Railmaster XXL.
A lovely watch, sought after model in fantastic condition.
Except for a slightly worn leather strap.
We all know Omega straps are not relay cheap
so before I could commit on price, I sent my assistant across the road
to Omega boutique. The young assistant is new to watches so
I warned him not to be shocked if quoted in excess of $300.

Little did I know that I am the one up for the shock: the Railmaster strap was quoted $500!

Now, I know some of you out there honestly and sincerely believe that $500
for an Omega leather strap is fair and reasonable.

But not me!

A five hundred bucks is a lot of money, even for Elton John.

A cool, hard earned five hundred Aussie dollars will buy you
a brand spanking new washing machine, or two pairs of fine leather shoes,
or fancy TV. Even a holiday to one star resort in Fiji - but hey, this still counts as a holiday!

But what the hell is so special, technologically advanced or exclusive about
5 inch piece of leather to justify it's $500 price tag?
For goodness sake, a cave man invented his third leather strap
10 minutes after he hunted his first meal!

Don't get me wrong - this post is not about spitting venom on
leather goods industry - I have nothing but utmost respect for millions of poor, hard working third world workers
who make 'luxury' goods in swat shops earning $2 per day.
This post is about greedy corporations who are ripping us off
in the name of exclusivity, prestige and branding.

Well as far as I am concerned, as of today I REFUSE to pay
excessive and ridiculous amount of money for piece of leather that cost
$10 to manufacture. I am not a fool. I have had enough.

Here is my message to SWATCH Group: your strap prices are
joke, but we are not laughing. By "we" I mean hundreds of customers
I talk to and hundreds of watch collectors I see every month.
You have managed to upset your most loyal clientele.
This is no longer about spitting in face of second hand watch dealers
who support your brands with their own money - you have spat
on everyone from mums, dads, pensioners, small watch lovers, enthusiasts to
top collectors - and get this: we no longer enjoy your tyranny!

Yes, times are good and demand for mechanical watches is high.
But why are you taking us, your customers, for granted ?
The only reason your business exist is because of us.
The watch business is cyclical - over the 200 years of Swiss watch industry
very often the entire industry was shaken by advancements
in manufacturing progress, technical advancement or fashion
causing many makers to either restructure or close their doors for ever.
But next time (maybe in not so distant future?) I fear you will have no one to blame but your
arrogant greed.

My newly acquired Railmaster will be fitted with
a lovely $90 hand made, had stitched custom strap.
With my money I will support independent craftsman.
Otherwise, if I give in now, who can guarantee that next time I need
another Omega strap I won't be charged $750 or more?
Of course, Swatch people will call it fake. But only thing that is
fake is their silly smile when trying to excuse yet another price rise.

Yes, we love our watches, but no, WE ARE NO FOOLS.

The power of HOKKA

2009-09-28T09:49:00.008+10:00

Hello,

At about 12pm yesterday I rang the bell at your rooms in Castlereagh St and someone came to the door, I asked about Omega Watches and was turned away because the person was having lunch.

I am a huge clock fan and I have recently become interested in Omega Watches, Especially the MoonWatch which is what I wanted to look at. I liked the idea that I could start with a pre-owned watch.

I have been thinking about this experience with your business since and I have decided it was a horrible experience for me and I will not be coming back. It was a horrible way to be treated and It seems the business does not need money.

I was prepared to spend what a lot of people will consider to be a lot of money, especially for a watch, but I cannot give my money to a business that treats me this way. It is a shame because I liked the idea of dealing with someone who was independent and not a large corporation.

Sorry about the negative feedback but first impressions count and you may like to consider how you manage this going forward.

Darren.

Dear Darren,

thank you for your feedback.

Please allow me to explain what happened on that dreadful Friday: the person who opened the door at 12pm yesterday was me, so I am solely accepting responsibility for the horror you've went through.

However - and I beg you to accept this as a fact - I had absolutely no intention to hurt your feelings. The blame must be put on to that very strange establishment
located in the basement of MLC centre called HOKKA. The said HOKKA (or more precisely the young Rachel who works there) makes the best stir fry noodles in Sydney CBD. To my embarrassment I have to admit I am totally addicted to their noodles and a few times per week, I can be seen salivating and drooling in front of their noodle bar.
My standard choice is this: vegetables, tofu, bok choy, mushrooms, capsicum and extra tofu with thick rice noodles, chilly sauce and no oil. (This last no-oil bit is crucial!). For just $10 I get the most succulent, chilly-rich, hot melting-in-your mouth experience money can buy!

So dear Darren, when I am having my stir fry noodles (which again, for some strange reason is always at 12pm) I am experiencing something that can be only described as a hedonistic ecstasy. And if you ring my door bell at 12pm unannounced, you will either have to wait for 15 minutes (as I've kindly ask you to do, which for some reason you conveniently forgot to mention) or you would be asked to enter, sit quietly and watch me eating my noodles.

Now when I opened my doors yesterday, I had no idea that you were loaded with cash. What I saw was a tall, well-built, grumpy man and the last thing I wanted was to have you next to me when I eat my noodles.

Please rest assured that no amount of cash in your pocket would make any difference - even if you were George Clooney or James Packer, or Nicole Kidman's sister, I would still ask you to come back in 15 minutes. Such is the power of HOKKA!

Such addiction to noodles is very shameful indeed and could lead to a horrible experience for both parties. But if you want to deal with someone independent, not a large corporation (your words, not mine) then here is a piece of advice: when ringing at someone's door without appointment or announcement at lunch time, do the following: introduce yourself, smile a lot, speak quietly and if asked to leave and return in 15 minutes, DO EXACTLY AS TOLD BECAUSE YOU MAY BE INTERRUPTING SOMEONE'S LUNCH YOU WOMBAT!

Links:
George Clooney and Omega
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxKhuqaSTUc
Wombat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk4BA6eDwuU
Aussie Slang : If someone calls you a wombat it means you are slightly thick in the head. This is not a terrible insult because Aussies like their wombats and generally it means being slightly exasperated with your behaviour. There are far worse insults than this - like "May all you chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down".

THIS POST WAS FEATURED IN watchmaker's newsletter.
Here are some of the comments received from subscribers:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOOD STORY !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nick

I like that story very much.
You may have “lost” a watch customer (with a “lot” money), though won a noodle customer for HOKKA – how ironic - next time I am in Sydney, I am up for some!

Regards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Dr Nick,

My friends and I love your newsletters and marketing circulars. Great story about that potential client ringing your bell unannounced during lunch.

I guess because most of us are so obsessed about the power of money and finance nowadays, it probably gives many of us the mistaken impression we own everyone merely because we have cash in our pockets.

I remember my days working part-time as a room service waiter in 5 star hotels when I was studying at university. Although the vast majority of the guests I struck were reasonable and polite, staying in a luxury hotel seemed to turn some people into ruthless fascist dictators.

I learned an enormous number of valuable life skills working in hotels & hospitality ie: politeness, self-restraint, co-operation, a results orientation, an excellent telephone and speaking manner, how to upsell and inspire consumption, as well as lots about liquor, wine and cuisine.

The most important thing I learned however, is that in customer service (and in work, marriage, friendships and life in general), we must set ourselves personal boundaries. These boundaries protect us from exhausting ourselves completely of energy, generosity, humour and self-esteem.

I loved your response to that guy’s complaint because I empathise completely. Out of a 8-10 hour productive working day, requesting clients arrange viewing appointments and that little 15 minute escape to enjoy something private and special like some Hokka noodles are probably your only boundaries.

Keep up the good work Mr Clockmaker.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe you can buy my planet ocean so I can fly from London to Australia to try the Hokka noodles! :-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Those noodles look pretty good, pretty veggies, I’d would not have answered the door…
Kindest regards,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Nick,
I am addicted to two things. 1 watches and 2 Asian cooking. I can relate to you 100%.
Well said my man. I'll be sure to respect your 15 minutes of time out when I visit you.
Best regards,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The best email I've seen in years, and I get a lot of the buggers, especially at around lunch time on a friday..

all the best Nick

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Nick
Great noodle story. It is not the watch you wear -its the time you waste... The wombat at the door person always talks about the huge purchase they are going to make, But were interrupted by a limp noodle. Most times this person has mental problems and perhaps has never eaten "The oil free version" of her noodles. Buy a box of the same style you like and send it to the person 3rd class mail.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick, you've blown it with the last of the big spenders now mate. Cancel that order on your new Lear Jet, get your deposit back on the villa in Tuscany, send the Veyron back.
On the other hand, enjoy your noodles, you spotted a time waster and made the right choice.
Cheers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Nick,

I'm glad to see (and read) a man who treats all his clients professionally yet maintains standards and above all a SENSE OF HUMOUR. I enjoy your blog, your weekly emails and respect your knowledge and work.
Keep up the good work and keep smiling. Remember that it's only Monday so the week can only get better!
Regards,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fantastic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for this note,
We in the office were looking for a new place to get our lunch...
Very helpful article, like all you notes.
Kind regards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Business is business
“lunch is for wimps!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now that's what I call customer service!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Nick,

I am not 100% sure about the pre-requisites, but I feel your email to Darren should qualify you for an Order Of Australia Medal.
It looks like someone never had to tidy their room up when they were little...
Enjoying your posts immensely,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

love this Nick!
you made me smile
I am not yet a customer, but drool over your watches regularly.
I am now drooling over your lunch and the related habit indulged in
hoorah to you i say!
and i reckon the wombat doesn't deserve a nice watch!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laughing My Fat Ass Off :-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the floor rolling around in stitches…..damn they look good those Hokka noodles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Nick,

Reading your emails, and drooling over your watches (possibly much the same as you drool over the thought of your noodles) is my little bit of 'happy time' - in a usually otherwise chaotically hectic day.

I have to confess that, earlier this year, also loaded with a fair bit of cash, I was also in the market for an exceptional timepiece.

I live in the country. I rarely get to Sydney. On those few times that I was in Sydney and actually able to look at watches, I did not approach your establishment specifically because I felt a bit intimidated by the whole 'make an appointment thing'. I'm sure that this is not your intention.

Incidentally, I was almost unceremoniously bundled out of the xxxxx shop in Sydney having indicated my initial price range - then up to $2,500.00. Actually, had they been a bit nicer and more patient, they would have been rewarded, as I was, by my budget increasing to about $4,000.00 - cash.

I ended up with a Tag Link Chronograph, ordered in from the factory, via xxxxx . Whilst I am extremely happy with my watch (after years of wishing and wanting, hoping and praying), I still wish that I had dealt with someone like you - actually, very much like you - in terms of your passion for timepieces. It is difficult to explain to those around me why this particular watch should be so valuable, and to my mind, worth every cent.

So, please keep sending out your wonderful newsletter. I still keep looking, and am particularly interested by your 'bargain basement' articles. Also, if ever I am in Sydney, and actually have the time, I will make a point of trying some Hokka noodles - 'the ones recommended by Nick from upstairs' - just to see what reaction I get.

Regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh my gosh, this is SO funny. And advice well received. Thanks for sharing a good story.
Regards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Nick,
What a wonderful reply. It makes me a/want to eat noodles b/visit your shop.
Thanks for making me smile today,
Kindest Regards,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well put
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well done Nick!! no one should get in the way of your noodles!!! I haven't stopped laughing, that was an awesome response!,

I will try some Hokka noodles when next in Sydney, Cheers,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
well done nick i was impressed with your comeback to that ignorant customer, everyone needs to eat enjoy your noodles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

you little ripper! made my morning reading that - is there any chance Darren comes from generation Y - why arent' you treating me like the centre of the universe (mummy & daddy always have), why don't you have a whole team on hand to serve me? why don't you realise it's all about me, me, me. Right - o - best I put my string of hobby horses back in the stable. Must plan to go to hokka for lunch one day. all the best,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well said, we are turning into pushy xxxx type people. Yes it is not uncommon for many businesses to shut for lunch and yes some of us will put down our lunch but only for special clients that have earned that level of service. I would suspect it was a sale you did not need, I can only imagine the issues with a purchase by such an attitude when dealing in second hand watches. I suspect if it was not like Brand new all hell would be paid.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funniest Letter Ever! Well done Nick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Nick, what I want to know is who is breeding all of these turkeys? I
don't know how some people manage to get thro' their day when horrible
tragedies such as that occur!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well done Nick. Hopefully the guy will learn some manners. In the meantime, enjoy your addiction.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well Nick,i agree with you,every time i've needed your expertise i have been very happy.I am yet to visit in person,but when i do it'll be at 12 o'clock,i'll shout lunch,you have to eat,take TIME to do it the best you can,thank's again for your exellent service,best wishes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Being turned away because someone is having lunch does not seem to warrant 'horrible experience' to me. Just wait and come back!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Nick

What I relief…….. I thought I was the only one hooked on noodles! Prior to 12 noon, like you, my mouth starts to water and the thought of noodles is almost excruciating. I switch my phone to silent and hold all calls so I can enjoy a moment of bliss. In my busy day it is the only time that is mine. Just me and the noodle.
Like you, all business stops and part from a major disaster, nothing interrupts this time.I am surprised that you even opened the door. Next time put your sign up – back in 15 mins.
It is pleasing to know that you have well placed priorities.
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Restoration of a 1945. Rolex Oyster watch

2009-09-28T08:51:00.004+10:00

This family heirloom was in need of major repair and was taken to Rolex Service Centre for a quote. Unfortunately, the watch was rendered as beyond repair because allegedly, Rolex does no longer have spare parts for their vintage models.

The entire restoration project took over 4 hours where most of the time was spent on realignment of the hair spring which was badly damaged by previous repairers.

The end result was rewarding. The watch now ticks at a rate of +1 second a day and ha a healthy amplitude of over 300 degrees. Not bad for a 64 years old watch!

The features of the watch are its original "quarter hatch" dial and its early screw lock crown.

Another filthy Rolex bracelet

2009-09-21T09:11:00.005+10:00

One would think that a watch owner who just spent $6,000 on a Rolex Submariner would at least make a modest effort to keep his valuable and fine timepiece in decent condition. Unfortunately, some watch owners could not care less.

Here are a couple of photos of a Rolex Submariner that came in for overhaul.

The amount of dirt and filth built underneath the clasp is just unbelievable. Not only that sand and dust will eat away the metal links in no time, especially when the bracelet is worn loose (embedded particles of sand act like grinding paste), but such filth (and I really don't have a better word to describe it) can cause a serious health problem.

All this can be avoided with just a bit of common sense. A stainless steel bracelet of a waterproof watch should be cleaned regularly. A toothbrush and soapy water (e.g. dishwashing detergent) will do a marvelous job.

Small restoration project: Panerai case polishing

2009-09-15T09:55:00.005+10:00

This Panerai Daylight belongs to a fellow watch collector and was brought in last Friday.

As you can see it had a nasty dent right on the edge of middle case.

I made a promise to publish photos of the watch before and after polishing, so here they are, for your enjoyment.

The entire polishing of the middle case (body) was done by hand using a metal file and various grades of sand paper and took less than 15 minutes, including bezel polishing.
Panerai watches are made of quality steel and respond well to both machine and hand polish.

Watch case half way through polishing

Final touch: photo of bezel after polishing on a buff wheel.

$ 500,000.00 clock

2009-09-02T11:37:00.015+10:00

The beauty of dealing online is that you never know when the next crackpot will hit your inbox.
I just have to quote the email received last night which is a fine illustration of how grandiose those crackpots can be:

SUBJECT: An oldest & excellent wall clock for sale

Sir,
I want to sale an oldest and excellent wall clock. It was made on those days when trade-mark was not necessary. There is no trade-mark on this clock. No confirmation where it was made. Yet the condition is good. It has English & Roman numerals, alarm & bell. Size of clock is 19 x 10 x 4 inch with wooden box.
It costs US$ 500,000.00 ( Five hundred thousand US Dollar ). If you are interested to buy it, please contact me. Image enclosed. Thanks.
Sincerely,
XXX

Obviously, there is some entertainment value to this email. However, I've yet to find out any other reason to waste my time explaining to the "seller" that his clock is neither rare nor fine: as a matter of fact, one can buy truckloads of common American kitchen clocks on Ebay for $10 at any given day of the year.
If I really had to send a reply to this "seller", it would look like this:

...
I want to sale an oldest and excellent wall clock (It is really a mantel clock). It was made on those days when trade-mark was not necessary (no, it was not. It was made in 1880s). There is no trade-mark on this clock (yes there is - it is located on back plate of the clock movement). No confirmation where it was made (somewhere on the East coast of US, most likely NY). Yet the condition is good (unfortunately the condition is way below average). It has English & Roman numerals (no, it has Arabic numerals), alarm & bell. Size of clock is 19 x 10 x 4 inch with wooden box (the wooden box IS the clock).
It costs US$ 500,000.00 ( Five hundred thousand US Dollar ) (it is really worth $20). If you are interested to buy it, please contact me (no I won't). Image enclosed. Thanks.
...

Can anyone recommend a good junk mail filter please?

Black is cool!

2009-08-27T16:55:00.005+10:00

The world's first completely black chronograph was created in 1972 at the Porsche Design Studio. It was a unique style which still characterizes Porsche design today: fundamental, engineered, luxurious - because it is pure.

EDITION 1 is a tribute and a limited edition collection introduced in 2007.
It contains 14 items, each of them deliberately pure black:
a belt, finely grained soft lambskin jacket, briefcase, laptop case,
aluminum pen, credit card holder, finest Italian calfskin leather wallet,
titanium cufflinks inlaid with onyx, key ring,
powder coated zinc and brass lighter,
ruthenium pocket knife and titanium sunglasses.

The thirteenth item is the Porsche Design watch:

The very last, fourteenth item to complete this set
was Porsche Cayman S EDITION 1 (production run of 777 units).

Porsche Design Edition 1 P6341 is PVD coated Titanium, case extra large 44mm, on a black rubber strap powered Valjoux 7750 chrono movement.

For more photos, go to http://clockmaker.com.au/w/k1622.html.

Zenith El Primero - the king of watch movements

2009-08-21T11:22:00.017+10:00

My regular buyers are well aware of how passionate I am about Zenith watches.

I often say that a $5,000 Zenith El Primero is internally as good as any $50,000 Patek! When Rolex wanted the best chronograph movement money could buy, they went to Zenith - and until year 2000, the modified Zenith El Primero was powering hundreds of thousands of Rolex Daytona watches worldwide.

El Primero was first introduced in 1969 and was a classic example of watch engineering technology at its peak.

Unfortunately, today, many watch lovers are totally unaware of Zenith. While many less-known Swiss makers are riding the wave of watch renaissance by spending millions of dollars in advertising, Zenith - the king of watch movements - is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of anonymity, admired only by hard-core connoisseurs who appreciate quality and the history of horology.

Below are few fine examples of Zenith watches that we currently have in stock.

Zenith Class El Primero HW Ref. 02.0500.420 chronograph

Zenith El Primero Chronograph Chronometer Ref. 01.0500.400

Zenith Elite 18K Gold 30 0125 650

Zenith 'El Primero' Chronomaster Ref 01.0240.410

Zenith Automatic Chonograph El Primero Ref PA5303

Zenith "El Primero" Chronomaster 02.0240.410

Zenith El Primero Chronograph Chronometer Ref. 01.0500.400 - SOLD

1968 Breitling Big Navitimer Ref. 816 First Edition

2009-08-03T10:50:00.025+10:00

The very first Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 was manufactured on May 2, 1952. It was a revolutionary watch, providing pilots with a circular slide rule with a logarithmic scale which enabled them to perform all calculations linked to airborne navigation. Pilots were impressed with its functionality and reliability and the NAVITIMER (NAVIgation TIMER) soon became a must-have flying instrument they can rely on for calculation of ascent and descent rates, fuel consumption, average speed and distance conversion.

The watch was powered with one of the most tested and tried chronograph movements: a sparkling copper-red manual wind Venus Cal. 178. There was only one choice of dial colour: all-black.

Navitimer Ref. 806 was one of the best selling Breitling models and stayed in production until the mid 70s. Ref. 806 was fitted with other movements like Valjoux 72 and Valjoux 7736. The first Navitimer was an impressive watch - its 40mm case size stood out impressively in comparison with other pilots’ watches from the 1950s.

In 1967, Breitling introduced a new bold design: The BIG Navitimer, Ref. 816. This stunning, modern-looking watch was a daring step forward. Its 48mm case was very impressive - even for today's standard! Ref 816 was in production for only ten years and today, it is regarded as a sought-after model amongst watch collectors.

Case dimensions
Bezel diameter: 47.8mm
Case diameter: 49mm
Case including crown: 50mm
Case from lug to lug tip: 55mm
Lug spacing: 22mm

The dial diameter is 33mm.

It has a black dial with 3 white sundials and a unique styled hour and minute 'split hands' and red square-shaped hour and minute chrono counters.

The first edition of Ref. 816 had white markers on the dial and a red alignment marker on the rotating bezel.

The turning bezel was flat with rectangular notches on the octagonal stainless steel case. Despite being 48mm in size, the overall appearance is surpassingly 'low profile' – its overall thickness is just over 12mm. Also, the winding crown with chrono pushers are finely integrated for comfortable wear.

Navitimer Ref. 816 case back provides us with the following information:
Brevet Swiss Patent Number, DDE.BR Swiss Cross 11525 and Patent Year of 1967.
The patent was granted for Breitling's design of inner rotating bezel with ratched pinion.

The next line is 0816 which is the Model Reference number 816. The serial number of the watch is barely visible because it was only lightly etched, not engraved. This particular Big Navitimer bears the serial number 1244648 and according to Breitling production data, 1968 yearly production numbers are from 1204582 to 1262904. Hence, this watch was manufactured during that year, which makes it a very early production run of Reference 816.

Like the old Navitimer, the first Big Navitimer was fitted with the Venus 178 movement with a column wheel. The column wheel chronographs are regarded as the true "chronograph movements".

The Big Navitimer Ref. 816 was also issued as "left wound watch" so the case was drilled to allow positioning of the winding crown at both 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. The second hole (in this particular case the one located at 9 o'clock) is used to accommodate the bezel rotating pinion. The hole is closed from outside and often mistaken as the "setting pusher".

Watchmakers repair markings often provide valuable information in regards to authenticity and servicing history. Unfortunately each watchmaker has his own dating code method. In the case of this particular Big Navitimer, at least two repair marks can be identified:

GH O/H 9/84 stands for: Completely overhauled (O/H) in September 1984 (9/84) by watchmaker G.H.
The signature above it is even more straight forward: serviced on 24 February, 1987.

Unfortunately the third signature P.195423N is impossible to translate.

As all timeless classic watches, forty years later the Big Navitimer looks and feels as attractive as ever. Its unique style has survived (and outlasted) the grotesque 70s, the pathetic 'slim line' of the 80s and the identity crisis of the Swiss manufacturing during the early 90s.

I am not a typical watch collector - I don't pile them for either pleasure or profit, but this one is definitely a keeper.

A repair job that could have been avoided

2009-06-26T13:27:00.003+10:00

An ‘unbreakable mechanical watch’ has yet to be invented.

Unfortunately, bad things happen to good watches.

Accidentally dropping a watch on a hard surface (tiled floor for example) is bad but in some cases even more damage is done after the watch has hit the floor.

For some reason, the watch owner, recovering from a state of shock, will pull the winding crown and try to turn the hands. By the time he realizes that the hands are ‘stuck’, it will be too late – the dial (and hands) would have already been scratched by floating debris of the watch crystal.

While crystal replacement is a relatively straight-forward and not terribly expensive job, a dial and hand replacement is, on the opposite, always a complex and pricey repair. A job that in most cases, could have been avoided.

So, if you are unlucky enough to have dropped your watch, do not make it worse. Here are a few tips to avoid further disaster:

shattered crystal is not the end of the world – it is reparable, so do not panic.

unscrew the winding crown and pull it straight out to stop the watch.

DO NOT SET TIME or DATE.

if the glass is only chipped or cracked, but not shattered (and the watch appears to be keeping time), DO NOT WEAR IT.

Small crystal particles could still float inside the watch mechanism and will definitely cause further damage. Take it to an authorised Service Centre or an independent watch expert.

if you accidentally dropped your watch, but cannot see any sign of external damage: I would strongly recommend to observe its timekeeping for the next 24 hours. Make sure to carefully examine the watch case, crystal, bezel, pushers and winding crown.

If you notice anything unusual or find that 'something does not feel right’, do the right thing: take it to a watchmaker for an expert assessment.

Sixty-three Golden Years of IWC Caliber 89

2009-06-05T10:01:00.002+10:00

The year was 1946. The economies of Europe and Japan were in ruins, and people around the world struggled to recover from the deadliest war in human history. Quietly and seemingly unaffected from issues pressing the rest of world, Swiss watchmaker Ing. Pellaton was working on his new project. The International Watch Company needed a new movement: a rugged and reliable, yet finely finished and refined movement to be fitted in modern, post-war watch.

Calibre 89 was a success - it was a simple, robust and time only movement with "an air of elegance" in its design and execution that makes it stand out from the more common movements of its time.

Sixty-three years later, many IWC watches fitted with Calibre 89 not only continue to keep accurate time, but their accuracy is better than many other modern Swiss watches manufactured today! I have no doubt that in the years to come, appreciation for this little mechanical miracle will continue to grow.

Yesterday, I had the privilege to overhaul yet another Cal 89. The gold-cased IWC watch was worn constantly for nearly 40 years, then it was put to rest in the late 1980s.

Today it is the pride and joy of its new guardian.

The last photo shows performance after the final adjustment:
timekeeping error of 0.00 seconds/day and beat error of 0.0 m/s while effortlessly maintaining healthy amplitude of 325 degrees.

To put things in perspective, only 3% of brand new Swiss watches manufactured today are capable of keeping time within a daily rate of minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day!

The biker's Rolex

2009-06-01T14:32:00.003+10:00

It always feels good to kick-start a new week on a high note, but unfortunately, June 1st was an unlucky day for one Rolex owner: his GMT Master II suffered the disastrous consequences of a motorbike accident (luckily enough, the owner got away with only a few minor bruises).

Externally, the appearance of the watch was horrifying, but that is nothing compared to the internal damage sustained by this Rolex!

Below is the list of parts required to restore this GMT Master II to its former glory:
New bracelet, middle case, rotating bezel, bezel spring, winding crown and stem, new crystal and crystal seal, new set of hands, calendar wheel and the dial. Furthermore, the following internal parts would also require replacement: the rotor, balance wheel, escape wheel and all the wheels in going train, auto rotor wheel and case clamps.

The only parts that were spared from the impact are the bridges, screws, the main spring and a few wheels underneath the dial. In terms of dollar-value, less than 10% of the watch survived and the rest is completely wrecked.

Sure, Rolex watches are tough, but there is a limit to what a mechanical watch can endure.

Nevertheless, the owner still has the original Rolex box and the instruction manual which ironically, are now worth far more than the watch itself…

A tribute to Frankenstein

2009-05-29T15:09:00.005+10:00

Here is a rare beauty that you won’t see often: a stunning IWC Portugueser, dating back to the early 1930s. The 48mm steel case seems like it has been manufactured only yesterday – a timeless design!

This impressive watch is fitted with an 8-day power reserve, manual wind movement.

Before you rush to click on my email button to ask the proverbial "how much for cash" question, allow me to disclose one minor detail: this watch is unfortunately fake!

Yes, the watch’s movement is indeed a genuine IWC movement from the 1930s; but it is designed and manufactured for a pocket watch! In addition, the completely fake dial is accompanied with original hands and the stainless steel case has been recently manufactured either in India or China.

Some sophisticated con artist might call this a tribute to IWC watches or a marriage but to me, this is nothing but fraud because it was produced to deceive.

For a watch to be a genuine piece, all of the components need to be created under the same workshop by the same maker at the same time. Unscrupulous "watchmakers" who assemble watches from new, old, inappropriate of after-market parts remind me of Dr. Frankenstein, the man who created a monster.

Australia's Greatest Art Fraud

2009-05-25T17:04:00.004+10:00

A criminal investigation is under way into the art dealer's affairs after he vanished with at least $30 million in artworks and money.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, three customers "bought the piece (the above paint) from (dealer) and are adamant they own it. Yet none is in possession of it and collectively they are missing $120,000".
http://www.smh.com.au/national/australias-greatest-art-fraud-20090523-biv6.html?page=-1
You must read the entire article - it is definitely and eye opener into murky inner workings of Australian art trade.

You might ask yourself, "how can someone scam so many people with just one single painting?". Well, nobody knows for sure, but my first guess would be abuse of trust and accountability as a plausible factor that could induce people in being conned.

Almost every day, I receive phone calls from prospective customers who wish to sell their watches. In essence, this type of transaction is a straight-forward one - upon inspection, I would make an offer to purchase the watch for a certain amount of money. If the offer is accepted, the personal details of the customer as well as the serial number of the watch are recorded and filed, and a cash-cheque, payable at the Bank across the road, is issued.

Nevertheless, clients sometimes ask me if I would agree to take a watch on consignment. The answer is always NO. And I have more than one reason for not wanting to be involved with consignments.

A consignment is an agreement between the seller and the dealer, where the title of the goods (ownership of the watch) remains with the seller, yet the watch is physically in the dealer's possession. The dealer is entitled to sell the watch on behalf of the seller, keep a profit margin from the final sale amount and pay the rest to the seller.

For laypersons, it would seem that consignment is indeed an advantageous agreement for the dealer: the latter does not need to spend a cent in the process and if the watch does not find an owner, he can always return the unsold item to the seller.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case: When entering into a consignment agreement, the dealer takes on full responsibility for the watch in case of loss or theft, accepts to undertake any eventual repair or restoration and provides a guarantee on performance to the buyer. Being 'locked in price' and 'left at the mercy' of the seller, who can at any time opt out of the consignment contract for any reason whatsoever, is like walking on thin ice. And if I didn't have enough money to buy that watch in the first place, then obviously I cannot afford it (and obviously should not be trusted to take care of it!)

But there is still one more fundamental reason why I would never consider consignment:I do not want to be trusted unconditionally. Taking care of other people's goods is nothing but a burden.

So here is my advice to sellers and fellow dealers that could help everyone save time, money and headaches:
limit your level of trust to an absolute minimum - or even better: trust no one! Always exchange your goods for a real and tangible asset - cash.

"I owe you" is as bad as "you owe me".

The Number One Watch Enemy - Water (again)

2009-05-22T11:43:00.006+10:00

I have dealt with numerous cases of watches with severe water damage and I have to admit by experience that this is by far the most frustrating part of running a watch repair business.
The photos below show the extent of water damage penetrating to the case of this poorly-treated Swiss beauty.

The watch owner swore on stacks of Bibles that he always locks the winding crown before washing his hands. From the amount of rust in the case, I seriously doubted the veracity of his words.

According to him, the authorised service quoted $6,500 for repair (I did believe in this part of his confession), but I am afraid I do not have good news either...

Will keep you posted on this one. Stay tuned.

Time keepers and Time wasters

2009-05-22T10:39:00.008+10:00

All watches and clocks in my workshop, including the most expensive mechanical timepieces worth many thousands of dollars, are set to correct time by my master clock - an inexpensive battery-operated Swiss junket carriage clock in a rather ugly case. This unattractive little quartz clock amazingly keeps excellent time - I only have to reset it twice a year when daylight savings kick in.

In recent years, I have found myself setting watches against my personal computer(PC) clock. I am obviously aware that my PC clock is not a standard benchmark for this purpose as it is often many seconds away from the exact time (sometimes even a minute or two) but for customers, this is rarely a problem. A small portion of picky customers would set their watches to radio signal time; nevertheless, the rest could not care less.

Today, my assistant Denis arrived late for work and blamed my computer, giving me a "it's your fault" excuse. He also pointed out that all the 3 PCs in the office set are on different time, as well as his watch and two mobile phones. Obviously, it was time to get our clocks on time.
A quick google search for 'atomic clock' lead to the World Timeserver. According to the website description, "Atomic Clock Synchronisation is the best way to make this happen". Sounds just right! So I clicked on the link
http://www.worldtimeserver.com/atomic-clock/

The Atomic Clock Sync v3.0 has a very intuitive and smooth installation process and a few seconds later, I was ready to press the Sync Now button.

However, this seemed too good to be true and I got the following error message on my screen:
"Unable to connect to RPC server".
What a bummer!

So, until we get a grasp of what the RPC server is, we will continue to set our timepieces against our trustworthy Swiss junket clock. And Denis has been asked to set his watch 5 minutes fast, just in case.

Make it a Rolexmas!

2009-05-19T13:04:00.001+10:00

MAKE IT A ROLEXMAS
- The Marvelous ROLEX Wrist Watch

The Worlds Best by Every Test

Extract from the front page advert in Daily Mail dated November 24, 1927.

" A lifetime Gift for Christmastime - Because it is the best! The Rolex has emerged from every recognised test as the best time keeper in the world, a fact that is vouched for by Twenty World Records." And not to mention that obviously "...ALL GOOD JEWELLERS throughout the British empire stock Rolex Watches. Genuine Rolex watches have the name on the dial, or on the movement or under the case."

Not much has changed for the past 80 years - some Swiss makers are still living in their fantasy watch world, fabricating exaggerated claims and fighting endless battle against counterfeiters.

What caught my attention in this Rolex advertisement was the price range of Rolex watches, from "3 to 100 pound", which was a little fortune for a watch from a relatively unknown maker at that time. Clearly, Rolex had been an ambitious maker from their very early days and to their credit, Rolex understood the power and importance of marketing, way before their competitors.

Pendule de Voyage

2009-05-19T12:59:00.002+10:00

The reasons why carriage clocks are so popular amongst horologists are many: they are decorative, old and interesting, entirely practical as timekeepers with a reasonable degree of accuracy (some keeping better time than your modern Rolex watches!) With charm and fascination of their own, fine examples are becoming more valuable with every year that passes.

After the last post and recommendation on a watch book referred by me as 'Watch Bible', a number of subscribers asked if there was a similar book about carriage clocks.

Before answering this question, let me just say that it is important to understand that unlike wrist watches which are produced for less than 100 years, domestic clocks have been around for at least 600 years. Although modern carriage clocks became fashionable in the early 1800s, the history of carriage clocks is far from being fully documented. Therefore, a proper reference book on the subject is yet to be written.

However, a keen student of Horology should make every effort to acquire the book by Charles Allix and Peter Bonnert "Carriage Clocks - their history and development". This rare and hard-to-find book was published in 1974.

A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive Allix's book from a fellow horologist, Mr. Doug. Not only is he a keen collector, but also a true gentleman. Doug personalised my copy in a manner that truly reflects his kindness:

"Dear Nick - here, at last, is the carriage clock book. Charles Allix only published one edition. I sincerely trust that you will get as much pleasure and add to your store of knowledge as did I over the 25 years that I collected carriage clocks. Regards, D W."

With the book, I also received letters that Doug exchanged with Allix which provided further insight about the fascinating world of collecting. I take the liberty to quote just one paragraph from Doug's letter below:

"...whilst there (London, 1978) I bought two miniatures (carriage clocks) from Charles Frodhsam On the day I was leaving to return to Sydney I saw your book in a book store and a whole new world opened to me, thanks to you. Over the next 9 years I acquired 22 clocks including quarter strike by Leroy, a Jacot, a Margaine and Drocourt... I can't stress enough the pleasure and education that you have brought to me and countless others over the years..."

As A.G. Randalll wrote, "all who can recognise a labour of love when they see one will find in the Axells book clear evidence of more hard work, devotion to detail and sheer love of the subject than they have come across for a long time."

And that's what horology should be all about!

Rolex Case Polishing

2009-05-19T12:48:00.003+10:00

Restoring or refinishing a stainless steel watch case is not as difficult as may be thought. Unfortunately most watchmakers are either not interested in doing it properly or were never taught how to do it. Those few who have mastered the skill of hand-polishing would rather die than to reveal their secret of the trade! The trick in obtaining mirror-like finish is simple : a/ to use correct polishing medium and b/ to master polishing skills by following the correct procedure.

This tutorial is aimed not only at watchmakers, but also at watch dealers and collectors wanting to familiarize themselves with the process of hand-polishing. The procedure shown below was passed to me by my father (and to him by his brother Mihajlo Hacko, Master Watchmaker since 1948. who still does his own watch repairs!)

Guinea pig: 15 years old Explorer II Ref 16570, long overdue for decent case re-polishing.

I prefer to do all case polishing by hand.

Step 1:
To get rid of scratches, start with coarse sand paper, grade 220.

Keep it parallel and keep polishing until you remove ALL scratches, no matter how deep. This step is very important.

All scratches are gone, but the surface is very coarse and dull. That's OK. The most important thing here is to remove ALL scratches and to have the grain lines parallel with the case.

Step 2: Switch to dry paper grade 800. I use German made, but most sand papers of similar quality will do the trick. You can buy this grade at any automotive shop supplier.

Don't rush - take your time (at least 5 minutes per side). The surface is still dull but we are heading in the right direction.(note how more light is now reflected from the steel surface)

Same surface, magnified. Keep it parallel! If I can do it, you can do it too :-)

Step 3: very much the same, now with finer grade dry paper - here I use Swiss made 1600 powder coated jewellers paper available from jewellers suppliers. This is jewellers stuff, so they prefer to call it 4/0

Take your time, don't rush - 5 min. per side

The steel surface now reflects even more light and looks fairly smooth.

Step 4: More of the same. Medium: 3M Film sheet polishing (plastic)grade 60 microns and 10 microns (2-3 minutes each).

Available from jewellery suppliers only. 3M film feels like ordinary plastic sheet, definitely not your ordinary sand paper :-)

If there are still any visible imperfections go back to Step 3.

magnified

Step 5: polishing on buffing wheel

There are far too many different polishing cotton wheels available; go for medium soft cotton disk, 10cm diameter.
Apply some chromium oxide rouge (known as Green Steel Rouge)

Keep polishing. Be careful not to over-buff edges!

Once you achieve mirror-like finish, clean in ultrasonic.

piece of cake!

one more shot

Cheers !

How To Kill a $11,000 Watch in Two Easy Steps

2009-05-12T12:21:00.002+10:00

Step 1: wear it for 10 years without servicing
Step 2: unlock the winding crown and jump into the pool

The reason for the state of the Rolex Submariner, as depicted above, is simple.
The watch owner failed to overhaul his watch when the watch was due for service.

Consequently, the delicate rubber crown seal wore off and water got into the watch through the winding crown.

As a matter of fact, all of this trouble, including a $6,000 repair bill, could have been avoided by simply replacing the rubber seal, at the cost of $10.

To blame Rolex for those shocking pictures is ridiculous.
Owners should take their responsibilities and respect overhaul service when the watch is due.
However, I am afraid that we will see those same horrific pictures for the years to come, as there is no cure for stupidity.

The Curse of the White Towel

2009-05-11T16:05:00.008+10:00

Early morning breakfast without reading the daily papers is inconceivable. Having nothing better to do, my attention was caught by a small label sticking out from a cotton towel laying on the kitchen table:

"Wash separately before use. Wash dark colours separately. Warm gentle machine wash at max temp 40C. Do not use oxidizing/chlorine based bleaching agents. Avoid excessive use of fabric softeners and detergents containing optical brighteners. Warm tumble dry.
Do not iron or dry-clean. 100% cotton..."

Before you stop reading and conclude that I'm going cuckoo, I just want to make a point out of this random, ordinary observation. Isn't it amazing how much information the $5 dollar towel manufacturer provided on the label concerning "duty of care", required to keep the towel in top condition for the years to come?

Yet, how many high grade, elaborated and expensive watches come with any information such as "How to care" manual, service papers, or even technical information?

Here is an example of an International Guarantee card, enclosed with a $2,500 high-grade mechanical Swiss watch:

"This ... watch has been manufactured at Bienne Switzerland with choice materials only. For two years from date of sale, this watch is guaranteed against all defects, except those resulting from willful neglect."

How pathetic!

Believe it or not, the most common factor that cause the premature death of watches is not poor design, bad engineering or inferior parts used in production... The real 'cause of death' is simply a lack of regular maintenance and basic understanding of the watch's functionality.

It is a common mistake from all watch manufacturers to spend too little time (if any) in educating new owners upon acquiring their precious products. Instead, more effort and money are invested in advertising brand names, less on how to care for the watch.

Obviously, watch manufacturers are not very keen to tell you the truth:
Your mechanical watch is NOT capable of keeping flawless time,
it is most likely NOT water or shock resistant
and it requires maintenance on a regular basis, performed by an expert watchmaker.

If your watch would come with a label, like the ones produced by Caninngvale Australia, it would read something along those lines:

"Your watch is miracle of mechanical engineering. Although beautiful and expensive, it is very fragile so extra care is needed to assure proper performance. It is built to last for ever, as long as you take care of it -so complete overhaul on a regular basis is absolutely essential. Do not wear it while showering, surfing, swimming, being in the sauna, playing golf or sailing.
Do not wear it while operating electrical tools, bungee jumping or on public transport after midnight. If you do so, then you'll get what you deserve, or more precisely you'll lose what you don't deserve in the first place.

Branding is nothing. Your watch is not of investment value because watches in general are poor investment. However if you look after it like you should, it will have enormous sentimental value to your kids - until the day they run out of cash."

So there you go - I can't help but help.

2009-05-10T13:55:00.004+10:00

What to Collect?

"What should I collect?" is question often asked by both novice watch enthusiast and seasoned collector.

With so many attractive watches to be collected settling for a single brand or style is always difficult. To put things in perspective, let me just say that wrist watch collecting is still a relative novelty. For at least 300 years of timepiece collecting, collectors were predominately fascinated by mechanical aspects of timekeeping and their inner beauty and to lesser degree by a maker itself. Since late 1800s to 1970s a "true horologist" would have in his possession mainly pocket watches and fine carriage clocks.

With very little information available to the general public, one would spend countless hours investigating, reading and researching specific topics but for many, the piece in itself was of lesser importance compared to the knowledge. Joining a collectors' club, traveling around the country and establishing relationships with dealers and auctioneers was essential part of collecting.

With the introduction of battery-operated watches, mechanical watches became less and less popular and eventually, many collectors dropped the hobby of collecting them. With no new entrants into the game, prices dropped and those who heavily invested in watch collecting suffered unrecoverable losses. The next 20 years were the dark era of Horology.

A new age of watch collecting begun in mid 1990s, thanks to the Internet. All of a sudden, we stepped into the most exciting period of human history - an era of Free Knowledge. For the first time, many discovered the fascinating world of mechanical watches.

Online communities of collectors and auctioneers like eBay quickly shaped up the market. For the first time since the 1950s, mechanical Swiss watches were not just a technical curiosity but a sign of refinement, status and potential investment. Swiss manufacturers re-entered the mechanical watch market with the introduction of "new-old" models. The feeding frenzy was so massive that some manufacturers not only reproduced old mechanical movements but also entire watch brands. In order to sell, a handful of them even re-wrote history to suit their advertising needs.

Which bring us back to our original question: "what to collect in 2009?" I believe the new renaissance will result in more than one trend in watch collecting. Some will prefer investing in 'blue chip' watches like vintage sports Rolex or military watches. Others might specialise in one brand, like Omega or Patek. Some might go back to the roots of horology: quality vintage pocket watches and fine carriage clocks. And the remaining lot might buy whatever they personally find intriguing and beautiful

Investing time and effort for the purpose of developing knowledge is the most fundamental aspect of watch collecting, regardless of which paths and ways you personally undertake. During your journey, you can expect fellow collectors to criticise your appreciation on your preferred style or brand and you might find yourself on a solitary and isolated path but anyhow, you will develop a better understanding and appreciation for inner-beauty, which is quite normal. After some time, the small, external imperfections will not be the only factors that will grab your attention as you will then definitely pay more (attention and money!) to factors that are not easily spotted or appreciated.

Stay focused - a pile of watches does not make a good collection, regardless of how much you originally paid for them. The rule-of-thumb is not to rush as there is always a "good deal" coming up and those who possess patience and knowledge would be consequently rewarded.

If you are new to collecting, you should stay away from unreasonable eBay bargains and restoration projects. Do not fall into the trap of over-commitment such as borrowing money to invest in watches, unless your ultimate goal is to provide quality stock at discounted price to fellow collectors!

In conclusion, here is an example of what, in my opinion, is a perfect watch to collect - especially if you are on a tight budget.

The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the department in charge of the NSW Government's railways from 1855 to 1972. After a major railway incident that occurred in the US, the NSW Government ordered that every train driver and station master to be issued with a precision time-keeper - a pocket watch. Batches of railroad watches were ordered from the American Watch Company - Waltham, Massachusetts as the NSWGR expected only the best railroad watch money can buy for their staff.

Every issued pocket watch in NSW had its individual number engraved on the case back and some examples also had the owner's name. In addition, train drivers were also issued with a gun, bearing the same number as one engraved on their watch. Indeed, those times were turbulent.

Here is a photo of the NSWGR pocket watch from the year 1901.

Since my arrival in Australia in 1994 I have personally worked on not more than 3 or 4 examples of the NSW issued railroad watches for overhaul purposes. As you might imagine, those time pieces are fairly rare nowadays, but those who know what they are looking for can still find good working examples of the NSW issues railroad watches.

But that is not all: If luck is on your side, you might even find one NSW GR watch for under $500! So what more could you ask for? A great watch with a great history, fitted with a superbly manufactured mechanism at a bargain price! And enjoyment and satisfaction of doing research on such a fascinating subject is a priceless experience in itself.

If you are ready to immerse yourself into fascinating world of vintage timepieces then you MUST have good reference guide. Although plenty of information is already available on the Internet, nothing come close to learning from the real watch Bible: Complete Price Guide to Watches by Shugart, Engle and Gilbert.

There is no need to buy the latest 2009. edition: basically any post-1990 edition will do the trick and you can find one online for US$5 - $20.

Happy collecting!

Omega Railmaster 2503.52 Vs. Rolex Explorer 114270

2009-05-08T15:40:00.026+10:00

Enclosed below are some technical notes and my highly opinionated comments on two legendary watches (or more precisely their current versions): Omega Railmaster and Rolex Explorer. I hope this article will be helpful to those who are considering buying either of the two watches.

The original Omega Railmaster was first launched in 1957 as the successor to a watch created for the British Air Force in 1953. It was designed specifically for scientists, technicians, electricians and railway workers as it had a special double anti-magnetic case to protect the movement from harmful effects of strong magnetic fields.

Created in 1953, the Rolex Explorer was intended for rugged expedition use. It was issued for use on many notable expeditions - including the one led by Sir John Hunt which successfully ascended Mount Everest in May 1953.

	Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Railmaster Ref. 2503.52	Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer Ref. 114270
Case	Steel, high-polish and brush finish	Steel, high-polish and brush finish
Bracelet	brush finish, 3piece link	brush finish Oyster style
Clasp	hidden, fold-over, hidden lock	Oyster, flip lock
Micro adjustment	NO	YES
Half link	YES	NO
Bracelet durability	6/10	7/10
Solid end link	YES	YES
Case diameter mm	39.5	36.0
Case thickness mm	11.00	11.35
Bracelet width mm	20	20
Crown screw-lock	YES	YES
Water resistance	150 m	100 m
Dial diameter	31. 8	28.5

See-thru case back	YES	NO
Crystal profile	domed	flat
Crystal	Sapphire	Sapphire
Antireflective coating	inner only	NO
Luminous material	Super Luminova	Luminova
Movement caliber	Omega 2403 Co-axial Base movement Omega Cal 2500	Rolex Cal. 3000
Chronometer Certified	YES	YES
Jewels	27	27
Power reserve	48 hours	42 hours
Auto rotor ball-bearing	YES	NO
Beat per hour	28,800	28,800
List price [ Australian RRP ]	$A 3,725	$A 5,980
Pre-owned in 10/10 condition	$A 2,700	$A 4,700
Resale value	5/10	6/10
Maintenance	5 years	5 years
Manufacturers guarantee (new)	3 years	2 years
Service costs	$350	$500
Supply of spare parts to independent repairers –movement	restricted	restricted
Supply of spare parts to independent repairers – case and bracelet	limited	restricted
Bracelet replacement cost	$400	$900
Timekeeping under normal wear	very good	good, may require tune-up adjustment
Known mechanical issues	bracelet requires re-pinning	auto rotor post and jewel prone to wear
Other issues	low to medium ‘brand exclusivity’	commonly perceived as being ‘too small’
Collectors value	4/10	6/10
Investment value	low	moderate
In-style / fashion	8/10	6/10
Value-for-money	7/10	6/10
Strengths	easy to read, excellent luminescence, fashionable	strong brand name, comfortable for small to medium wrist, classic look

The 10 most legendary watches 'Down Under'

2009-05-08T15:35:00.005+10:00

Straight from the horse’s mouth: The list of watches regarded by Australian watch collectors as cult, sought after or simply the most talked about timepieces from ‘Down Under’.
Ladies- please pay attention – Christmas is just around the corner.

In their own unique way, the watches listed below have left a mark in the history of watchmaking and 'watch enjoyment and appreciation'. They are here to stay, no matter what the future of fashion for men may be. And Aussies just love them!

1. Rolex Submariner 16610

The Rolex Submariner watch owes its existence to Rolex's development of the first ever waterproof case. The Submariner was launched in 1953 and became an immediate success - the watch was sold in large numbers, not only to divers excited about the new frontier of deep sea diving but also to anyone looking for a rugged and reliable timepiece.

New:
$A 7,400

Preowned:
$A 4,000

2. Omega Speedmaster Moon

Omega Speedmaster 'Moon Watch' is the official watch chosen by NASA for US astronauts - the one that was actually worn on the Moon! Designed for research, engineering and sport professionals, the Omega Speedmaster has delivered precision timekeeping under the most extreme conditions. Unchanged since 1957.

New:
$A 4,100

Preowned:
$A 2,500

3. Rolex GMT 16710

In 1953, Rolex was asked by Pan Am to create a watch for airline crews that could display the time in the home country as well as the present location. The GMT-Master was an instant commercial success for Rolex and over 55 years later is still a major seller.

New:
$A 7,400

Preowned:
$A 4,500

4. IWC Portugueser

In 1938, in response to a request from two Portuguese watch dealers, IWC produces a large wrist watch equipped with an extremely precise 'in house' pocket watch movement. With its regulator style-dial, the watch was perfect for measuring and recording time. Today, IWC remains an absolute classic of timeless design.

New:
$A 8,500

Preowned:
$A 6,000

5. Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Duo

According to legend, Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso was created for British polo-playing officers serving in India at the end of the 1920s. Polo players were faced with an apparently insoluble problem: that of finding a watch rugged enough to stand up to their chic leisure activity. Nearly hundred years later, Reverso is still regarded as one of the finest and most intricate watches ever produced.

New:
$A 6,500

Preowned:
$A 4,000

6. Breitling Navitimer

In 1952 Breitling introduced a chronograph which had a navigation computer for pilots which enabled the pilot to carry out all necessary calculations during his flight. The Navitimer was later selected as the official timepiece of the US Aircraft Owners' and Pilots' Association. An essential instrument for professional pilots and popular fashion accessory for the rest of us.

New:
$A 7,500

Preowned:
$A 4,500

7. Omega Seamaster James Bond

While it is technically a divers watch, Omega Seamaster James Bond is the preferred choice as a day-wear watch for many Australians. This distinctive, rugged, reliable and truly water proof watch is a true cult timepiece amongst watch lovers with a classical "she'll be right" attitude.

New:
$A 3,700

Preowned:
$A 2,000

8. TAG Heuer Carrera

Since its creation by Jack Heuer in 1964, the Carrera chronograph has been one of TAG Heuer’s most iconic models. It derives its name from the Carrera Panamericana Mexico, a famously difficult car race of the 1950s. Carrera was worn on the wrist by most F1 drivers in the 1970s, and since then it has become the must-have chronograph of young Aussie watch collectors. Stylish and affordable, good value for money.

New:
$A 3,700

Preowned:
$A 2,500

9. Patek Calatrava

Originally designed in 1932, the classic round Calatrava watch was named after the ornate cross that is the Patek Philippe’s company symbol. The refinement of the Calatrava's classic design conveys much of the discretion and understated power that keep Patek Philippe at the pinnacle of the watchmaking art. Calatrava is still Patek's best-selling model, it marks its wearer with distinct good taste in any setting in a subtle way.

New:
$A 12,700

Preowned:
$A 10,000

10. Rolex Daytona 116520

Launched in 1960s, Rolex Daytona Cosmograph was named after Daytona Beach, Florida - the home of car racing known as 'world centre of speed'. The Daytona was promoted to motor racing world because it was a sophisticated and finely made chronograph suited for calculating average speed over a mile. The watch is regarded as Rolex's most distinctive design. Highly collectable!

New:
N/A

Preowned:
$A 15,000