Book Review: Omega Watches - by John Goldberger

***Apprentice Corner

This week, I'm reviewing 'Omega Watches' by John Goldberger. The book is a simple one - the title says it all really. There's no story to be had. Over 240 watches are featured, each with their own page spread accompanied by a short description. If you're looking for the history behind the brand and pieces you'll have to look elsewhere.

Then what makes it so special?: The author himself.

John Goldberger is an author of five books on watches and one of the most accomplished watch collectors on the planet. In fact, I'm at a loss to think of any other on his level.

He's been at it for over 40 years now and has established himself as the go-to guy for the experts themselves. There are precious few people with a watch-IQ that even remotely comes close to his.

Extraordinary effort went into the curation of the beautiful photos used; all watches shown are from private collections, many from the collection of Mr. Goldberger himself. Some pieces are so rare they aren't even in the Omega museum.

(Early chronographs: the Ref. OJ2393 and CK2393)

The pieces featured are diverse yet focused: pocket watches, Seamasters, Constellations, Speedmasters and everything in between are presented, but the author has selected only the finest examples from each category.

I find the omission of the Omega 30I - the first tourbillon wristwatch - rather odd, but what I'd remove to make space for it is a hard question indeed, such is the high quality of the curation.

(Seamaster Ref. OT2520 with Neptune Chariot enamelled dial)

The book is an essential addition to any Omega enthusiast's collection. It'll almost certainly find a permanent home on your coffee table or desk as you continue to flick through it over many years.

Two of Omega's earliest, most adventurous designs: a tonneau shaped + circle watch)

A quick search online for the book leads to some very expensive listings ($477 on Amazon). The book was produced in limited numbers and books of this nature tend to be quite pricey so this isn't surprising. There appears to be a copy on abebooks.com for under $100 but you'd be wise to first ask to seller if it's an English version as the book was also published in Italian (John Goldberger's mother language).

Past the Point of No Return

Some of you surely remember an email that was sent about 6 months ago that was titled 'The Point of No Return'. It was about the decision to acquire a very fine piece of machinery which will allow us to manufacture some extremely delicate watch parts. A major investment, a venture into a completely new field of micro engineering without any real understanding of how such a piece of machinery will be operated and how long it would take to learn how to use it. A leap of faith.

Many responded with letters of support but a cautious few pointed out the obvious. Even if I'm able to acquire such equipment (let alone being able to afford it) where would I place it? In other words, such piece of equipment would be simply too large to be fitted in our office. Not to mention that it would require a 3 phase electricity outlet, extremely rigid concrete floor, air conditioned environment, a compressor, coolant pumps and fluids and a secure operational environment.

To put it simply, before I can even dream of such a machine I would need to acquire an adequate industrial unit, which will be transformed into a proper machining workshop.

The realisation was painful. But I had no choice. To cut a long story short, after a few months of searching for suitable industrial units I am happy to report that, as of last week, we are proud owners of what we call the rebelde Northern Beaches Horological Workshop.

Yes, it is a fancy word for premises which require a complete strip down and refitting but we are very proud of the fact that in just a few weeks we will commence the building works.

And hopefully by February/March next year our workshop will be ready to see the first piece of CNC equipment moving in. Yes, this job will require a lot of man power but as said before, we have no other option but to keep going forward.

One thing that we're very proud of is that we will be taking on the full financial risk and so there will no pressure from a third party for us to start making a profit immediately. A project like this cannot be embarked on under pressure so we will at least have the liberty to grow at our own pace.

Tool of the Week: Elma Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine

***Apprentice Corner

There’s been a lot of talk recently about all the manufacturing machinery we’re acquiring for the rebelde project. But as it continues to grow and we prepare for the first batch of servicing to come to us in two years time, we’re also slowly improving our servicing capabilities. This week’s tool is, once again, not really a ‘tool’, but rather a serious piece of machinery that will help us provide the highest level of service to our loyal customers, whilst making our lives a whole lot easier.

Repairing watches is a very time consuming process and though it has served Nick, and its previous owner before him, well for over 30 years, our old cleaning machine has begun to show its age. One must sit by the cleaning machine for the duration of the process to regulate the speed, manually moving the cleaning basket between stages before drying it at the end.
It does the job, and does it well, but the machine can be a bit precarious to use and our time could be better spent elsewhere.

Shipped all the way from Germany, the Elma Ultrasonic cleaning machine has been “going to arrive next week” for the last few months. It was on its way before I even started and I was beginning to think it would never get here.

Every step of the process, including drying, can be individually regulated and is performed automatically by the machine. Short of it gathering up the pieces, cleaning them and then placing them back on the bench for you, it does everything one could ever ask for from a watch cleaning machine. Used by all the large Swiss brand manufacturers, this is the pinnacle of cleaning equipment.

That said, it isn’t the machine itself that cleans the parts, but the solution. Luckily, the hard work on that front has been done for us as well.  The cleaning solution must be of a very particular composition in order to effectively strip the various lubricants and grime that attaches to watch mechanisms.

We buy our solution from Chemwell, a Melbourne based company that has been producing cleaning products for kitchen, automotive, watchmaking and other industries for over 25 years. Though they produced nearly 900 litres of watch cleaning solutions last year, only 5% of their business is for the watchmaking trade. We’re very grateful for their service – acquiring watch-specific cleaning liquids can be a bit of a hassle, especially here in Australia.

So once again, we’re here to serve you, our loyal rebelde comrades. This is another snippet of our excitement and preparation of the servicing for the 450+ rebelde watches that are now with their owners. We can’t wait.

Warm Up Session

***We are slowly getting into it. The very first component the boys are designing today is a yoke, a lever that sits in winding/time setting assembly.

 

Tool of the Week: Moebius FIXODROP

***From Apprentice Corner

Today, I’d like to share with you a short story of one Hermann Moebius. Haven’t heard of him? That’s okay – few have. But despite his relative obscurity, he’s a man whose lifetime pursuits helped solve one of the greatest issues faced by watchmakers. These innovations have proved to be of use in a wide range of micromechanical and electronic applications.

His story ties in to this week’s ‘tool’ of the week. It isn’t really a tool at all, but rather something you use to help ward off the devilish force that plagues all things mechanical – friction.

Watchmakers knew of the importance of lubrication early on, but none had the time nor the necessary background to solve the problems associated with the oils used. The first oils used were a mixture of animal, vegetable and mineral oils. Such oils have very good lubrication properties but suffer from poor oxidisation stability. That is, they tend to thicken and gum up in a short period of time. Stabilisers were developed to help prolong the decay process but not enough to be sufficient to be used in a watch.

In large mechanisms, parts tend to operate at a relatively slow speed and high pressures prevail throughout.  The parts are usually bathed in oil which is replaced at regular intervals. The spread of oil isn’t usually a problem.

Watches have almost the exact opposite properties: they operate at extremely fast speeds; low pressures prevail throughout; oil spread is a problem; they’re serviced at long, irregular intervals.

A watchmaker himself, Hermann Moebius was acutely aware of the need for a lubricant specific to micro-mechanisms. In 1855 he founded his company ‘Moebius’ and set about developing the perfect oil, systematically testing oils with a multitude of different properties and selling them on to other watchmakers.

His efforts didn’t go unnoticed and he quickly acquired a strong following. The product of his research solved many of the problems of classic oils and remains in use to this day. From a chemical point of view, the ‘oil’ he developed doesn’t have anything in common with classic oils – it’s a type of synthetic oil.

Today’s ‘tool’ helps solve the problem of spread. Getting oil to stay put when the surface area is small or geometrically awkward can be a real challenge. Developed by the company Hermann Moebius founded over 150 years ago, this liquid is a surface coating, a type of liquid plastic that acts as a glue for oil.

We use it on parts which “work hard”:  pallets jewels, auto rotor wheels and rotor bearings.
Its use is simple: the part need only be dipped in the solution, leaving an invisible film over the part which helps retain oil at these critical points.


And every time we use Fixodrop, we honour the legacy of Hermann Mobeius, the man who solved one of the most challenging problems of modern horology.

Monday Lessons

***A quick Monday afternoon exercise turned out to be more of a challenge than originally anticipated.
 
While I was working on Valjoux 7750 I asked Tyler to quickly work out how many times the chronograph hand ticks per second. He recorded the motion then slowed down the video and quickly pronounced the chrono seconds hand ticks 4 times a second. I then asked him to figure out how many teeth the chrono wheel has.

He quickly concluded that the count is 240, "give or take 1 or 2", and this made perfect sense because if you divide the frequency of the oscillator by the number of ticks per second then 240 would be the right number.  But for some reason I really wanted him to physically count the number of teeth exactly. After all Valjoux 7750 is the movement he will be working on at the TAFE in his third year and we don’t want him embarrassing us.

As enthusiastic about watchmaking as he is, he found the task of counting a bit trivial and assigned the job to Laura, who to her credit, without being burdened by estimation did the proper count. To our surprise the centre wheel has not 240 but 200 teeth. Which means that the seconds hand actually ticks 3.333 times a second, not 4. The point is you can be deceived by what you see, and even what you recorded. Once again, watchmaking is all about being overly pedantic, even when you are “100%” sure that you are right.

The question remains, how are we going to cut a 200 teeth on a 7.2mm diameter wheel one day in our workshop? We have no idea yet, but we will do it. 

Happy collecting,
Nick 

A special THANK YOU to comrade rebelde

***Once again, I was humbled by your support for the rebelde project. The entire batch of R series was snatched up in less than two hours. 
For those who were not quick enough: unfortunately I don’t have an estimate as to when the next batch of watches will be released. Right now, the focus is purely on rebelde50 as well as a number of other exciting projects of which I will tell you more in due course.


The good news is that I am completing last few pieces of rebelde Titanium B batch and two watches will be available by the end of the week. We’ve had tons of good feedback on titanium: you love the feel (super light) and you love the size (45mm). I wear one myself on our Puerto Rico black croco strap which gives the watch a cool, almost "dress look". See the pic below. The price of TiB is $3,000 and the watch includes our 5 years guarantee on parts and labour.


For our overseas subscribers: the reddish wood (watchmaker’s bench) is Queensland maple and the little block is Tasmanian oak. One day, when I have nothing to do, I intend to hand-make a couple of simple watch boxes using some exotic Australian wood. I am getting better at finger-joinery but this is an art form in itself yet to be mastered.


The past 3 months have been just crazy. My mind is completely consumed by watchmaking. We are learning so much about machining, measuring and CAD. We are spending great deal of time and money setting ourselves for the next phase of 'Australian Horology'. In few weeks time Josh and I will be travelling to Germany and Switzerland and I cannot tell you how excited I am about this trip. Again, all we do here is purely result of your continuing support. 

Thank you kindly and stay tuned for more!

rebelde TiB 65/75, assembled and available for immediate delivery.

Happy collecting,
Nick

Announcing rebelde R

***The biggest product announcement cliché of all time has to be the one starting with "Good news! - Our new gadget is here!" And I have to admit, I've used this opening line myself more than once.

However, for a few people out there, today's announcement will not only be good, long awaited news, but a total surprise! After almost two years, the Control Tower is back in stock, ready for immediate delivery.

Yes, this is the one you've been waiting for: the stainless steel maxi dial rebelde.

The entire production re-run is 10 pieces because right now I could only source 10 'gold-signed' 6497 movements. Also, the dial supplier could only provide 10 maxi dials. And finally, only 10 steel cases with plain bezels could be manufactured and engraved on such short notice. Limitations galore.
What we have for you is therefore a limited re-run of rebelde R batch, with each piece signed R01 to R10. The red seconds hand is not just an icing on the case, but a very distinct detail that makes the R batch stand out from the original issue.

It goes without saying that rebelde R will find their new owners in a heartbeat. However I am happy to make you even more special and even more appreciated by including two more goodies:
- a sterling silver rebelde Mark pen to accompany your new watch
- a very special 5 years + 1 day guarantee [5Y1D]

Now, you may rightly wonder what the 5Y1D guarantee is all about? It's simple: your rebelde R is fully covered for 5 years, parts and labour, so you won't have to spend a cent to keep it going. 
However, if you bring your watch to us one day after the guarantee expires, we will extend it for one more day. And that one day extension is priceless to you, because on that day we will completely strip your watch down, do a complete overhaul, polish your case and fit a brand new strap. And we won't charge you a cent for your first major overhaul - we'll treat it as an 'under guarantee' job.

Your rebelde will be then ready for another 5 years of faithful performance.

It has been almost 3 years since we started the rebelde project and the beauty of it is that we are now 'richer' by over 400 happy watch owners. We measure our success not by the number or value of watches sold, but by the number of happy rebelde comrades. And I have no doubt that if you join our club today you will be more than happy with your rebelde R and our commitment to you, as a valuable partner who is helping us to write yet another humble chapter in the history of Australian attempts to produce an Australian watch.

Thank you for your support.
Rebelde R, total production 10 pieces, 8 pieces available for sale (numbers R02/10 - R09/10).
$2,950. 

Happy collecting,

Nick

Book Review: Timepieces - Masterpieces of Chronometry, by David Christianson

***From Apprentice Corner

No book review last week - I was too busy snowboarding! Anyway, straight back to it.
This week I read through Timepieces by David Christianson, a renowned horological historian, certified master watchmaker of 25 years and a past president of the American Watchmakers and Clockmakers Institute. Timepieces chronicles the various developments - across different cultures over thousands of years - that produced watches and clocks as we know them today.

Interestingly, most of the critical developments were not concerned with time at all. The incredible hydro-mechanical astronomical clock tower built by Chinese polymath Su Song (1020-1101 AD) was not built to tell the time, but rather to track celestial bodies as they hurtled through space - crucial for calculating dates in the Chinese calendar and for interpreting astrological signs. The most important technical development related to mechanical watches - the marine chronometer built by John Harrison - did not tell the time per se, but rather used differing times and spherical trigonometry to allow sailor’s to calculate their longitude while at sea.

Indeed, in its early years, mankind was mostly content with letting time flow by. It was only with the onset of prayer requirements from religions such as Christianity and Islam that man began to require more fine-grained structure in their lives, facilitated by clock bells ringing out across the town.

These events are carefully related in Timepieces along with many, many others. Whilst the first half of the book details pre-modern developments, the second half focuses on those that have occurred in more modern times. The fall of the American industry and rise of the Swiss are touched on, the author detailing the conflicting forces that shaped the landscape. Technical advancements such as the coaxial escapement and the electronic watch are weaved into a narrative that helps the reader understand the interplay of factors that led to each one’s development.

The selection of photographs, paintings and diagrams chosen for display in the book are excellent; the author’s encyclopedic knowledge of the field enabling him to select the perfect photos required to properly illustrate the topic at hand.

The photos used in the section on some of the earliest watches are but one example of this. Early watches were hugely expensive, fragile and terribly inaccurate - losing minutes or even hours each day. They were objects reserved only for the particularly well-to-do. Owing to this, they were often extravagantly crafted - engraved, enameled, jewel encrusted, oddly shaped (sometimes made to resemble religious symbols) and built to reflect fashion trends.

Sure, watches are still made this way today, but it’s worth noting that the earliest watches were not really made to be worn. They were seen as objects used to decorate, and so were much more delicate, better resembling an ornament you might place on the mantle than wear on one’s person.

Today, you’d be hard pressed to find a watch exquisitely painted in the manner found on this French necklace watch from the 16th century:

Timepieces is not just a book for horology nerds. The story of how modern timepieces came to be is a fascinating one and should be of great interest to anyone with an interest in science, engineering or fine craftsmanship.

Understanding the history behind that faithful mechanical wonder on your wrist will leave you in awe at the sheer audacity of it. Shock, corrosion, friction, magnetic/electrical fields, temperature, gravity - every phenomenon imaginable is pitted against it, willing it to stop ticking.

The defiance it displays to function in spite of it all is the result of an unbroken chain of toil stretching back hundreds of years. Reading Timepieces gives you some insight into that process. You'll smile each time you glance at your watch – though I’m sure you do that already.

The graves Astronomical watch by Patek Philippe. It remained the most complicated watch from its creation in 1933 until 1989.

rebelde50 dial design

***Work in Progress

We bring you today the update on rebelde50, and exciting photos of the dial being designed:

Josh working hard on the new software designing the new dials for rebelde50

Here is a snapshot of an unfinished dial design – a work in progress and nothing has been decided as yet.
As much as we love the Californian dial, many of our customers prefer the straight Arabic numerals. At this stage due to the amount of requests we've had, it looks like rebelde50 will the first non-Californian style dial featuring straight numerals.

Exciting times at rebelde HQ!

Happy collecting,
Nick

The stainless steel rebelde on top of Kosciuszko

Tool of the Week - Dumont 14A Watch and Clock Hands Holder and Remover

***From Apprentice Corner

This week’s tool is an odd one. I had no idea what it was used for when I first saw it. The locking system told me that it’s made to hold something (as opposed to just picking and placing, as with tweezers), but I was still none the wiser.

Unable to deduce exactly what it’s used for, a demonstration was in order. Nick walked over to his bench, grabbed a container of seconds hands and placed one directly into the tool, locking the hand in place by its inner tubing.

The tool is primarily made for removing and holding watch and clock hands, but its odd shape and circular cut-outs along its length make it useful in a whole range of unforeseen circumstances.

Picture of the tool from the Dumont manual

The 14A is used daily in our workshop for holding parts in place whilst drilling seconds hands for rebelde watches.

The 14A is no longer available from Dumont. Like watches themselves, watchmaking tools can be discontinued, making them even more special and desirable.

Until next time,
Tyler

Rare Breitling Memorabilia

***A rare piece of memorabilia

Here we have a set of 6 pack of Breitling postcards, exclusively available from Breitling themselves.

Photographer: Kazuyuki Takahashi
Happy collecting,
Nick

Tool of the Week: Bergeon 5700

***Apprentice Corner

Tool of the Week

Case-back openers. More of them! Seriously, we can't get enough of these things. Despite having so many different shapes and sizes, we still routinely encounter watches that don't quite fit any of our templates.

Sure, some might 'almost' fit, but it's not worth the risk. If the part that locks around the case back was to slip whilst turning the handle of the bezel press it could well result in serious damage to your watch.

Nick has even resorted to turning parts on his lathe at home just to fit certain models. There's no one-size-fits-all tool.

Here is more of a tip: if you’ve just started setting up your watch repair shop then invest in Bergeon 5700, which is industry standard and will accept a wide range of attachments. 

rebelde caps

***Hey, good news - we're working on rebelde caps!

These are protoytpes, just in this morning, but if you'd like one please express your interest so we can work out quantities. 
Email josh@clockmaker.com.au now.

Available in black and red and can be worn all year round. 

Happy collecting,
Nick

Swiss Not Happy

***Export of Swiss Watches in Decline

Swiss watch corporations are freaking out: the latest data shows that the export of Swiss watches has declined for 11 consecutive months. The reason apparently is the high Swiss Franc and the price of gold. Richemont Group just fired 350 people and Omega is apparently contemplating doing the same.

While this explanation may sound plausible to shareholders, the problem is far more complex. The price of gold is on the rise, but gold is still 30% cheaper than it was in 2012/13 when export was booming.

In May, Richemont CEO Richard Lepeu said Swiss watchmakers "should never be arrogant" and shouldn’t rule anything out. "Technology's progressing very fast, and we never know what might happen."

Lepeu is referring to smart phones. Once again, it appears that Swiss underestimated the impact of new technology: except for TAG, no major Swiss watchmaker is interested in getting into the smart watch business.

However, in my opinion the real reason for a decline in export and sales is a more obvious one: the price of Swiss watches went through the roof. The product is simply too expensive and there are only so many watch buyers who can afford to spend $10,000 on a new timepiece every few months. The other even more obvious reason is the crazy idea that Swiss watches should be sold exclusively throughout 'brand boutiques'. Getting rid of independent retailers who were able to sell volumes of watches at somehow discounted prices is now firing back. Just a few years ago, one could have bought a new Omega watch from a number of dealers located from North Shore to Parramata. Today, there is just one independent AD who still has an Omega account.

The solution is simple: lower the prices, open more independent retail accounts, make the spare parts available to independent watchmakers and watch your export sales go through the roof.


Happy collecting,
Nick

Celebrating Inquisitiveness

***When it comes to watchmaker lathes and manual turning, my skills could be best described as at novice level. I am more familiar with 'large' clockmaker-size work and tool making, something you do on a Myford ML7 size lathe. 

Earlier today I was looking at carbide and tungsten gravers blanks, suitable for hand engraving of fine pivots. The seller was located in the US and the price was right - but what really dampened my enthusiasm was a line above the tool description: "If you need instructions on how to use it then it is not for you".

A statement like this is both arrogant and obnoxious. Mastering hand engraving is a life-time journey and any piece of information that would come with a new tool would be more than welcome. Lathe work is like playing a guitar; each player has their own technique, of which some are better than others. 

When it comes to the precision, speed, accuracy and repeatability of turning then every detail, no matter how unimportant it could be, could make the difference between a good job and a fantastic job. If a seller is unwilling to share their knowledge then I really don't want to do any business with them.


The same applies to our customers. The watches we sell - both new and preowned – do require some level of 'introduction' to the new owner. While I have handled tens of thousands of watches in my lifetime, I am often surprised with a function or a detail I haven't noticed before. Just couple weeks ago, a buyer of an Omega Moonwatch asked me if the 1861 Calibre was fitted with a hack function. I really couldn't remember - despite disassembling that very same calibre hundreds of times.


Asking questions should be encouraged, and inquisitiveness should be rewarded, not ridiculed.
Unfortunately the way we teach - from kindergarten to postgraduate studies - is by flooding the students with knowledge expecting them to absorb it without providing any feedback in return. No wonder kids hate school, teachers are frustrated and customers are unhappy.



Nick

Putting things into perspective

***Putting things into perspective



This morning we talked about the size of watch components we routinely handle in our workshop.
Any craftsman - a violin maker for example - would have no problem cutting and measuring a piece 1 millimetre thick. But our watch components are much finer and smaller. For example, the escape wheel pivot is 15 times thinner than a millimetre. And a hair spring is just 20 microns thick (one micron is one thousands part of a millimetre).

To put things into perspective, we took a photo of micrometre jaws holding the hairspring.
We shone the light from behind the instrument so you can see the gap between the 'jaws'.
Without the light, the gap is not visible to the naked eye.
 

The majority of vintage watches suffer from poor handling so hair spring alignment is often part of the service. To make the coils perfectly concentric is an art form - this job is done by hand using fine tip tweezers and without any special magnification, except the eye-glass. And this is what you learn to do in the third year of a watchmaker apprenticeship.

A 20 micron part is literally the cutting edge of fine mechanical engineering and it is obvious why watchmakers are so proud of their skills. A person trained to handle such fine work is a priceless asset to society - and if you know how to repair watches then you can be easily trained to handle any 'larger' components in the medical, optical or electronics industries.


Sydney TAFE is the last remaining teaching faculty for aspiring Australian watchmakers. Only 12 watchmakers enrol in the 3 year course each year because Australian watchmakers are not taking up the apprentices. 

And the main reason why knowledge and skills are not passed on is simple: the calculated and precisely executed restriction of the supply of spare parts to independent watchmakers by big Swiss brands is causing devastating effects. Yesterday I had a conversation with a Swiss colleague who said that even Swiss watchmakers are very upset by the restrictions and corporate greed which is causing loss of jobs in Switzerland.


But the small rebelde team keeps marching on - and we are looking for another young and talented person to join us. If you wish to become a watchmakers apprentice or know someone who is excited about practical micro-engineering then spread the word.

Happy collecting,
Nick

Rolex Servicing

Probably the most common inquiry we get is “do you do Rolex repairs?”
The short answer is; it depends.

With the current workload of rebelde watches to be assembled, every moment in the workshop is priceless. In other words, rebelde is, and always will be, our priority. However, there is always that great sense of satisfaction that comes from the repair or restoration of a Rolex watch that was written off as unrepairable or too old to be repaired by Rolex themselves.

Our bottleneck is the availability of genuine Rolex spare parts. Since Rolex no longer supports independent watch makers in Australia, we are forced to search for genuine parts worldwide. In general, the restriction of spare parts makes them more expensive and it takes longer to get them. So if you’re not in a hurry then in most cases, yes, we can help you.

The other group of customers that we are able to help are the owners of vintage Rolex watches who prefer to keep the watch in as an original condition as possible. When it comes to servicing and replacement of spare parts, our golden rule is to preserve the original dial and hands, bezel and bracelet; which means our goal is to preserve the authenticity and collectability of the Rolex, rather than to turn them into factory-new condition.

The third group of customers are Rolex owners who simply find Rolex servicing prices unreasonably high. If you need an independent second opinion and a second quote then again, most likely, we would be able to help you.

The final group of customers are those who find our service more down-to-earth and who prefer a more intimate relationship with the watchmaker. To them, we simply can’t say no.

Our speciality is vintage Rolex sports models like the Submariner, GMT Master, Explorer and, of course, Datejust.  In most cases, the complete overhaul/restoration cost would be around AUD $850.
The only restriction is we don’t work on watches manufactured after 2010, we work only on the older watches.

Happy collecting,
Josh

Sydney Watches Pty Ltd is an independent watch repair service centre, not affiliated with nor authorised by Rolex, Switzerland.

1973 Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655/0

Rolex Explorer II 1973

Big projects call for big decisions.



To finance the acquisition of a CNC watchmaker’s mill, I will be reluctantly parting with one of the watches from my private collection: 1973 Rolex Explorer II.

Stainless steel case and bracelet, case size: 40mm. Black dial.

What is special about this piece is that it was acquired from its original owner - a gentleman who bought it in 1973. 

The watch has been overhauled by Rolex a few years ago and has not been worn since.

It comes with the original Rolex box and two service guarantee cards - from 2004 and 2013. The serial numbers and model reference numbers are clearly visible and match the paperwork.

This Rolex Explorer II with the bright orange hand is one of the most popular vintage Rolex models and is sought after by serious collectors. However this particular watch has been meticulously restored so it is perfectly suitable to be worn daily - if you choose to do so.

It goes without saying that my preference is for the watch to remain in Australia. My price is AUD $27,000 + GST. However, if the watch is to be exported, then the export price is USD$20,900.

Available for inspections: please call for an appointment.