My first vintage service--PLEASe HELP

[curare78]

Good evening,

My 1976 6239 is in need of a basic service. I found a very competent, well reviewed local watch maker who will do the service. What questions or instructions do I need to tell him?

Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Tools]

If he is competent, you will only want a mechanical cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment service.

Almost anything else could result in a devaluation in the thousands

[Dr.Smellody]

Originally Posted by Tools

If he is competent, you will only want a mechanical cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment service.

Almost anything else could result in a devaluation in the thousands

Good call.

I'd first ask their opinions on polishing. . . . If they pull out a grinder. . . .RUN.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Tools

If he is competent, you will only want a mechanical cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment service.

If you are lucky, all that will be needed is a CLA. But ... a good watchmaker may identify parts that are badly worn or damaged when the movement is disassembled. I would suggest asking the watchmaker to contact you if he thinks anything else is needed. Then you can make the decision how to proceed. It wouldn't shock me if he feels that one or two parts need to be replaced or repaired.

Make up your mind in advance about what cosmetic work you want done, if any. Most people will recommend that the watchmaker should not do anything to the case. I agree with this, case-work is a specialized job, so you should probably just ask him to leave the case alone. I also think that he should not attempt to clean the dial beyond CAREFULLY removing loose debris. Sometimes, a good watchmaker can clean up superficial oxidation on the hands (if your watch has any). Decide if you want to take the risk based on the condition of your particular watch. Recently, I have been routinely asking my watchmaker to stabilize the lume in hands from the reverse side.

The might want to make it clear to him that you are a "collector". He may roll his eyes, but he'll probably understand that it means you value originality.

[curare78]

Thanks Guys