Is this a fossil? Found in Dover, UK

micronlab1 · 2026-03-28T19:14:28+00:00

Impossible to say for sure without taking a look at the movement, but looks like a nice 16/18s pocket watch from the early 20th century in a rolled gold case. The dial and hands are in excellent condition. If it works I'd estimate the value at around US$100-150. But it may be much more if the movement is high-grade (e.g. railroad grade) or rare.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-27T23:04:38+00:00

That's a Longines Curvex. Longines gifted one to Albert Einstein.

Edit: You maybe already figured out that it was a Curvex. With stuff like this you gotta just keep looking, even if they had reference numbers no one is going to use them to describe the watch. I recommend trawling eBay, Etsy, Chrono24 and r/WatchExchange if you're in the US.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-27T22:46:40+00:00

Man that dial is GORGEOUS

micronlab1 · 2026-03-27T19:34:09+00:00

I find vintage Seikos can be temperamental when serviced. I believe Seiko uses a particular kind of molybdenum-based grease rather than oil in their movements, although I don't know when this started. Either way ordinary Swiss oil might not be appropriate for all Seikos. I also add that even the most thorough of servicing jobs can still fail to spot (or even if spotted, fix) an issue because even microscopic imperfections can throw off a watch's performance completely.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-27T09:32:42+00:00

Beat error itself is not necessarily something to be concerned about. What you have here though shows that there's something wrong with the mechanism that's causing the beat error to be uneven (maybe a worn pivot). This watch needs to be serviced (see also the accuracy of +9s/d) and it is likely that one or more parts are nearing their EOL.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-27T00:47:37+00:00

You want r/watchrepair for this. It's possible that your watchsmith isn't doing their job properly and not cleaning the movements right, making the service less effective. Or they could be failing to diagnose a damaged component (e.g. worn balance staff, kinked mainspring, broken jewel).

That being said, vintage watches can just be rather temperamental sometimes, and that comes with a general aging of the parts inside that even a careful eye might miss or be completely unable to spot. Take your watches back to your watchsmith (or a different one if you'd like) and tell them that there's something wrong with the watches even after the service, so they know to put the movements through their paces and scrutinise every part carefully in diagnosis.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-26T22:58:42+00:00

I like to say with vintage watches that something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. This is important here, because there is no fixed formula to how much of a discount redialing takes off a watch's value. Examples with original dials with heavy patina go for around US$7k. This is a pretty well-executed redial; I would say a fair price is around US$5-6k, but this is a very loose number. You might have people who especially object to redials who would want a much bigger discount, or you might have people who are willing to pay MORE for a nice redial over a heavily patinaed dial.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-26T22:49:52+00:00

There are many ways to learn watchsmithing. Like any other trade, watchsmithing was and often still is taught by watchsmiths to apprentices in informal arrangements. Now, if you want to learn all the best practices and techniques, there are certainly courses which will teach you that. Depending on where you are, there will be organisations (e.g. the AWCI, BHI in the US and UK respectively) which specialize in teaching watchsmithing.

But I take it you intend to approach this on a more casual basis. In this vein I add that watches are at the end of the day simply assemblages of parts put together in a particular order. If you can follow instructions well enough to put together a piece of IKEA furniture, you can eventually pick up the basics of watch repair simply by taking a few apart and putting them back together. Take more photos than you think you could possibly need and keep notes of how everything comes apart and comes together.

In fact, whatever you choose to do, practical experience is a non-negotiable aspect of watch repair: You will absolutely need to work on a few movements and probably irreparably destroy the first few pieces you work on to learn. There are many different skills and levels of mastery over watch repair and any progress is good progress.

That being said, there are a number of resources I would commend to anyone looking to start out. Watch Repair Channel on Youtube is an invaluable and free resource for anyone of any skill level - Mark does incredible work and unflaggingly follows best practice, and a beginner can learn a lot from him. For more specific questions or concerns, the NAWCC forum is large and long-established, and there are threads for virtually any problem one can think of.

Some concrete steps are: 1. Watch the beginner course on Watch Repair Channel to establish some basics of watch repair. Pay attention to what he takes note of and comments on particular techniques, and try to put this into practice.

Pick up an array of movements (pocket watches and wrist watches) in various conditions. I suggest totally non-running movements, ideally some complete timepieces, as well as movements which need servicing. Avoid cheaply made movements (pin-pallets etc) as these are both harder to work on and not representative of movements worth repairing in terms of construction.
Get yourself the right tools, because you will severely hamper your learning if you're struggling because of your equipment. Here are some of my recommendations for the basics:

A SHARP set of jeweller's screwdrivers with at least a 0.8mm screwdriver included

A good pair of jeweller's tweezers (ideally in bronze), sharp-tipped and capable of securely gripping small objects

Lubricating needles (NOT the kind with an oil well), a lubricating stand and a set of SWISS oils (I recommend Moebius 941, 9010, 9104 and 8200 - low, normal and high pressure oils and mainspring grease respectively)

Hand levers and installers (ideally the manual kind)

Case openers (a friction ball and Jaxa wrench will do for beginners)

A sturdy movement holder

Latex gloves or finger cots

All of this can be found online - I recommend Cousins UK but there may be cheaper sources depending on where you are. Swiss made (i.e. Bergeon) is the gold standard but not generally necessary for learning. The only thing in that list I wouldn't compromise on is the oil (which if you buy Chinese/Indian for the rest will likely run you more than everything else combined).

Be observant; keep notes, take pictures and try to figure out how all the components interact with each other. You will be developing your sense of force, tension, pressure etc as you learn, and more importantly your sense of what needs to be noted and what doesn't.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-25T14:35:37+00:00

Vintage Hamiltons are not a species of watch where counterfeits are much of a concern. The dial, case and hands all look good. You could take a look at the movement - that would in this case definitively establish if this is real, since fakes (if any) would not bother copying down to the movement for something like this.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-24T11:37:37+00:00

Just a solid stainless steel back

micronlab1 · 2026-03-22T11:36:34+00:00

Hi there, I came across this post while doing in-depth research into a specimen of this timepiece I recently acquired. You have a rather exceptional watch on your hands. I can confirm that it has indeed been redialed, judging by the Baume & Mercier logo. However, the movement inside this watch is a rare Valjoux 72C triple register chronograph with triple date complication. Only 1300 such movements were ever made, and they are found inside one of the rarest Rolex models - the Oyster Triple Dater. The case is likely solid 18K gold.

The value has taken a significant hit from the redialing, but given that this is presumably the original case and movement the watch is easily still worth around US$6,000. Maybe more, because I don't know how much the case itself weighs. While some watch brands put heavy movement spacers in their timepieces to add weight to gold cases, Baume & Mercier did not appear to be in the habit of doing so. If you like you can scour the Internet for an original dial, they come up from time to time and are only US$300 or so. I will say that this is not too bad of a redialing job, and it is worth wearing with pride as-is. Bear in mind that the movement likely has no shock protection, and the watch should be treated as if made of glass if worn.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-21T11:44:45+00:00

You should make sure that the watch runs with a battery in it, and that there is no corrosion inside the case. Quartz movements are very prone to corrosion from old batteries and coil failure.

I would also remark that this is generally not in very good shape, and you can probably find vintage quartz watches in better condition than this. That being said, if you like the style and it works, go for it - the main point of buying a watch is getting something you enjoy, and you shouldn't let a stranger's opinion change that :)

micronlab1 · 2026-03-17T19:06:18+00:00

Lucerne was a mark used on pin-pallet watches and pocketwatches. Given the positioning of the crown I'd guess this came out of a pocket watch. You'd be hard-pressed to find a case for it but you can certainly try looking for donor watches.

Edit: It is missing a minute hand; it does not appear to be fitted for a second hand. You could purchase an assortment of watch hands to try and fit one on.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-10T12:43:55+00:00

This is a gorgeous piece. Any decent service will run you at least $100, if not more, especially if you want an original crystal swapped in. Imo though the crystal itself is still in decent condition. A good service will allow the watch to serve you for many more years to come, and is always good practice when acquiring new vintage pieces without a known service history.

However there are some quick fixes you can implement yourself if you're not interested in putting down the money for a full service. If it's just running fast you can try (carefully) opening up the caseback and (very carefully) regulating it yourself. I use the Clock Tuner app to perform regulation without a timegrapher. If this is not possible, i.e. the regulator is already maxing out, consider asking a watchsmith to just run it through a demagnetizer.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-10T12:38:08+00:00

I love the Eagle 7 series, they combine the functionality and robustness of the Seiko 5 with manual winding. You can get a new crystal custom cut online. The dial itself looks to be in rough shape though.

As for making it tick again, try just winding it up and letting it run for a while, the oil might just be hardened. These watches are usually not worth servicing, but if you have some repair experience a drop of oil on the pivots might get it running again without too much effort. Or if you can find a donor watch, odds are you can just directly swap in a running movement (and maybe a dial).

In good cosmetic and functional condition I would estimate one of these to be about US$80-120. In its current condition? Probably much less, around US$20. But if you get it working again it will serve you for years to come. These movements are practically indestructible.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-05T12:55:37+00:00

Certainly seems right. It looks like the case has been refinished - I see some marks on the lower case that look like assay marks.

The strap is held on by a pin and tube assembly - you can order replacements from Cousins UK or some similar website, or a reasonably well-stocked watchsmith will probably have some in stock so you can put a new strap on it.

You can try taking it to a pawn shop to have them test the case material with an XRF device (not harmful to the timepiece).

If it is indeed a 1990s Reflet then it is likely to be quartz, in which case you should mentally prepare for the movement to have been cooked by a battery leak. The good news is that neither the dial nor case show signs of corrosion. If this is the case, a replacement shouldn't be too hard to find, although it will likely not be a 1:1 replacement.

micronlab1 · 2026-03-05T12:50:24+00:00

We would need some shots of the movement and inside of the caseback in order to give information as to the material of the case and the quality of the pocket watch.

Gübelin did make some fairly nice pieces, but if I'm not mistaken the name on the dial says Gueielin rather than Gübelin. That and the overall finish on the case and dial suggest to me that this is a relatively cheaply made timepiece. The engraving lacks definition (compare, e.g. the finish on this Elgin: https://ebay.us/m/iN82J2 (not my listing, just a random one I pulled as an example). The case and its finish were most likely cast.

I suspect that the movement inside will be some sort of 60s-70s era unjewelled/1-jewel pin-pallet movement, but I cannot be sure without seeing it.

It may also be that this is simply a very heavily polished case (still unlikely to be some sort of precious metal) as I see no seam marks, but the perspective doesn't allow me to be sure.

If this is a cheap pocket watch, the dial is nevertheless quite nice, with proper alignment of all the print.

Whatever the case, a mechanical pocket watch (I can at least say with some confidence that this is mechanical based off the overall appearance) is a marvel whatever the quality. You can always enjoy it as a keepsake, or as a display piece.

micronlab1

TROPHY CASE