Originally published at: Watch someone restore a burnt Omega wristwatch | Boing Boing
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Long live the maker, and the fixer maker too.
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This makes me wistfully wonder if it’s too late for a career change. I think I would love to be a watchmaker. Amazing stuff.
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Most amazing part was the bearing setting tool… would like to have know what they fluids they we’re using to cleaning with, and if the one machine was an ultrasonic cleaner of some type.
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Something something… Ship of Theseus… something… something
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BTW, the link in the article is broken
The text link “Watch Restoration Vlog” goes to “https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC” which is a dead link
(the actual embedded video is fine though)
But wow the actual video is amazing, taking what looks to be beyond repair trash and repairing it 
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I just realized that some of the pleasure of watching these restoration videos is that they’re economically pointless - given the labor involved in restoring the items, it’d be cheaper to just buy a new one. But I realized that’s not the case here - given the absurd prices for these watches, it probably makes sense, economically, to put in these kinds of hours to “repair” rather than replace them. Weirdly, I find that disheartening for some reason.
I’m kind of surprised by how much of the watch they could still use. Obviously there’s no straps or glass to begin with, and they didn’t use the original face, but other than that, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of replacements. The “watch” - i.e. the mechanism which tells time - is still being used more or less in its entirety.
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I’m convinced some of the videos in this genre—not necessarily this one, but some—are faked. Not the repair, but the destruction. Like there’s some original damage that would require replacement of the crystal, say, but then the thing is crapped up with dirt or soot or extra damage to already-ruined parts to make the resto more dramatic.
I saw one recently where the restorer found the watch on the side of the road as he was driving by, and the watch moved positions between him spotting it and picking it up. Hmmm…
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It’s totally a thing, i’ve seen a few makers and restorers on Youtube comment about it over the past couple of years where they suspect some channels are purposefully abusing, rusting and weathering old items so that they can restore them on camera.
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Here’s an interesting article related to the movement used in that watch - and the history behind it.
came here to say this as well. there’s an art of sorts, to making these objects look broken beyond repair. it’s a form of magic trick.
burning a watch in a fire would damage the delicate parts considerably through thermal expansion. the tolerances are extremely tight on a hand piece like that.
still, these videos are entertaining, and super relaxing to watch.
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that last sentence exactly. i don’t care how the thing got crapped up in the first place. organic damage or any other kind. the reason i love restoration videos of any type is that it takes me out of wherever my head is, and i can just watch someone who is an expert at what they do apply their skills – often with a range of tools and machinery i will never see in real life. also – i never read the comments! happily in the dark as to how the item got that damaged.
shame omega gimped it
I’m not sure I get what you mean?
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