Rclough

Lovely gesture; great site; privileged to be a part of such a fabulous community; keep the posts coming fellas (& ladies!); Happy Christmas everyone

Great pics of some great 'pieces'; Thanks for sharing; for personal interest, what was the guide price on the Red Sub? Did it sell? And if so, what did it achieve? Cheers rclough

Thank you Ryan - Again, sound advice - Will let you know what option I go for in the end - Cheer - Richard

Good advice - can't hurt to get a quote to use as a gauge - Thanks very much

Dear friends, I hope this post finds everyone well; if you have a moment please take a look at these pictures and & let me know if you think this piece is worthy of restoration; as you can see its in need of some serious TLC (new glass, new bezel, bracelet needs cleaning / buffing plus it needs a full mechanical overhaul as its running fast). I think the value of these (in good condition) is approx £900GBP, so I need to be careful not to overspend on the work. Any recommendations as to who might be best placed to complete the work are gratefully received. Note - The post restoration photo is not of the watch but is one similar, included for illustrative purposes to show what the watch could (and should!) look like. Many thanks in advance and stay well.

Thought you might like to see this, my best mates IWC rep; I think its a small crown; He's had it since 2003, bought on business trip to China; I don't have any more information, but, maybe some of you can fill in the blanks? Stay well.

Thanks all for your comments; I'll post more pics soon. Love this site and it's contributors. I get so much info and pleasure from other members posts its a true privilege to be able to return the favour. Stay well everyone. RC

Once again - thanks all for your feedback and comments; Re your questions:- vlydog - The repair is likely to be completed in January 2012, so not a whole year to complete, just slightly in to next year. I get the general feeling that nothing comes before quality (at the Zenith Repair Centre) and things take as long as they take. They've already had my friends watch for 3 months, and all that has happened is it’s been disassembled! They go at their own pace. Freddy333 – Did we visit any other sites while we were there; unfortunately we didn’t have the time; we did whizz past Patek Phillipe on the train (looked like a building from the future on the set of the Telly Tubbies (i.e. surrounded by lush green fields / Swiss countryside)). When we go back to Le Locle in the new year to collect the Zenith, we will spend more time there and maybe take in the COSC. Will let you know in a future blog. PeteM – My friend decided to go with a ‘like new’ restoration after much deliberation. Why? Because, the watch is a 'lifer' … He intends wearing it until he is no longer able to at which point he will pass it to his son; the is means that this watch will have the opportunity to ‘age’ all over again, but this time, my mate will witness the process. He has asked for all replaced parts to be returned. Trust this makes sense. Thanks again - Stay well

Guys - Thanks for all your comments; I will upload more photo's for analysis shortly; Interesting advice re repping her and then wearing more often; I hadn't thought of that as an angle; Thanks also for the names of servicers for my Milgauss rep - Much appreciated.

I recently had a landmark birthday (40), and to mark the occasion, an old friend booked us both on a day trip to Le Locle in Switzerland to visit the Zenith factory; Why? He had sent a vintage Zenith chronograph in for a service (2 months ago) and they (Zenith) came back to him with a list of work required, and some options (mainly relating to the extent to which they were going to restore his timepiece (i.e. like new, or, retaining some of its original wear and tear?)); In the end my friend found that the language barrier coupled with the inevitable time lag that goes with email correspondence proved too much to deal with, and the only thing for it was a trip to the servicing centre to agree next steps, face-to-face with the watchmaker who was going to be doing the work. So off we went - It was a long day; Flight at 7am (London Heathrow to Geneva), a two hour train journey to Le Locle (via Neuchatel), a short walk from the station to the factory, meeting the watchmaker, agreeing the work, and then the same journey in reverse … But, what a day. At the Zenith factory I got a real sense of heritage; the quality; the old factory walls steeped in history; the staff who spent as long as was needed, took to discuss the requirement (for my friends watch); a unique experience, and one that I look forward to repeating next year when I accompany my mate again, this time to pick up the finished item. Here are the pics.ArrivingThe factoryHeaven's gateVintage chrono in a Bento BoxThe CEO's Tourbillon Our watchmakers El Primero

Here is a pic that I thought some of you good people might be interested in seeing; my gen Red Submariner. It’s the 1680 model and dates from 1972. It used to be my Grandfathers and it’s true to say it doesn’t come out to play very often, but it’s very special to me (both as a rare watch and as a sentimental heirloom). It was last serviced in 2003 at the Rolex service centre in Bexleyheath, Kent (UK) and it’s been keeping good time ever since. A couple of years ago I treated her to an aftermarket Sub box (pictured) and I’ve recently invested in a Modalo watchwinder to keep everything moving / lubed. Look forward to hearing your comments, and, if anyone anyone can recommend a UK watchmaker (to service my recently acquired Milgauss rep), I’d be very grateful.

Thanks for moving the posting; looking forward to adding more content soon. Apologies for the accidental duplicate post; doing this on an iPhone (easier said than done)! Any recommendations for where to get my Milgauss services in the UK gratefully received. Cheers

I’ve been meaning to upload a post for some time; to say thanks to everyone who has contributed to this fab site which gave me the insight and confidence that I needed to make my first purchase (pictured) from Joshua: I went for the Milgauss with Swiss ETA 2836 movement, and it’s a beauty; perfect in every way; exactly as described; couldn’t be happier. I’ll upload some more photo’s soon, inc some of a recent trip I made to the Zenith factory in Le Locle (Switzerland). In the meantime, can anyone recommend a UK watchmaker (to service my Milgauss rep)?