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Worth restoring this watch?

If it is even possible.
I found this smashed into the back of my father in law’s tool box drawers. I have used that tool box for 12 years. Four of those years professionally and never saw it until a few weeks ago.

Audition 25 jewel automatic that still runs
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ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
As an heirloom watch I would have it restored. I prefer mechanical watches and have some from my father and both my grandfather’s. For an heirloom watch the cost wouldn’t bother me at all. The trouble out here in Australia is finding a Watchmaker. They are few and far in between.
 
If you can find someone to restore it and you want it as an heirloom then go for it. I would suggest you try and get it serviced every once in a while as well so that it gets passed on in working condition years down the line.
 
Does it run accurately? Perhaps it could be cleaned and a new crystal installed. I would guess (I do not know enough to judge) it will be much more expensive to service than it is worth if there are any serious problems. If I were in your shoes I would first try to find out more about when/where/how your Father-in-law wore the watch, what connection was there. You wouldn't want to put much effort into a repair, only to find it was something that he did not wear or that his buddy left behind in the tool box while helping him work on some repair.
 
I had my fathers watch restored. It was an old 1952 Felca brand, now owned by Titoni. I contacted them and they did a complete rebuild for 60 Swiss francs. Took nearly 2 mo ths to come back but looks brand new and I wear it with pride. So go for it.
 
I had my fathers watch restored. It was an old 1952 Felca brand, now owned by Titoni. I contacted them and they did a complete rebuild for 60 Swiss francs. Took nearly 2 mo ths to come back but looks brand new and I wear it with pride. So go for it.
That is fantastic. Did they replace the whole movement or just the parts which typically wear out. Regardless, it is nice to hear that the manufacturer (new owner) serviced the watch for such a reasonable price.
 
That was for the postage. The customer service dept said they would honour the life time guarantee on the watch if it was still working on them receiving it. My father looked after it, it was his only gold watch and cost him a weeks wages back when he was in Egypt in the 50's after being in Europe serving with UK forces. He stayed in for 26 years so went all around the world. Titioni replaced the worn parts and jewels, re-guilded the case, repainted the dial and fingers, fitted a new crystal which had to be made from an old pattern apparently, new strap and crown. All the old replaced pieces were also sent back to me. While not a huge watch, well known brand or exciting in the world of horology, its a direct link to my departed dad.
 
Do it, I still have my first watch from about 60+ years ago, along with my father's first wrist watch. When he got mine, he liked it so well he traded in his gold Elgin pocket watch which I wish he had kept. I have one other I may some day consider restoring. It is an obscure brand here, Eloga. I was stationed in Turkey back in the early 70's and my wife and I took a tour to Israel. We were wading in the shallows in the Dead Sea when she felt something, reached down and pulled out that watch. The leather band had almost rotted off. We took it up to the local concession, rinsed it in fresh water, wound it and it started running. The only thing I have done to it since that time has been to install a new band, it still runs and keeps good time for a mechanical watch.
 
That was for the postage. The customer service dept said they would honour the life time guarantee on the watch if it was still working on them receiving it. My father looked after it, it was his only gold watch and cost him a weeks wages back when he was in Egypt in the 50's after being in Europe serving with UK forces. He stayed in for 26 years so went all around the world. Titioni replaced the worn parts and jewels, re-guilded the case, repainted the dial and fingers, fitted a new crystal which had to be made from an old pattern apparently, new strap and crown. All the old replaced pieces were also sent back to me. While not a huge watch, well known brand or exciting in the world of horology, its a direct link to my departed dad.

Now that is a company that stands behind their product. Indeed, a rare thing nowadays.

Tim
 
Do it. Blast the case, have it PVDd back to silver (real platinum would be lovely), service the movement and have the face and hands cleaned up. It will be purely sentimental value but worth every penny.
 
Do it. Blast the case, have it PVDd back to silver (real platinum would be lovely), service the movement and have the face and hands cleaned up. It will be purely sentimental value but worth every penny.
 
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