Services

A routine cleaning usually takes a couple hours and starts at $90. The movement is disassembled completely and hand-cleaned with brushes and pegwood to remove any heavy deposits and most of the old oils and grease, etc., prior to going into modern watch cleaning machines. While the cleaning machines brighten the plates and make everything look "clean," the hand cleaning and "pegging out" is actually more important in removing old oils and deposits. Hand cleaning and machine cleaning combined results in a movement that is clean, and looks clean. 

Historically, Victorian era watches were lubricated with fine sperm whale oil and grease. These oils may seem primitive to us today, especially compared to the wide assortment of specialized watch oils used in modern movements, but they worked very well. Finely adjusted precision "railroad-grade" watches of the late 19th century kept excellent time, even though they were lubricated with only one grade of watch oil. 

Fine sperm whale oil had unique properties that made it an excellent watch lubricant and might even still be in use today except for strict Federal and international laws regulating products made from whales.  As a substitute, for lubricating the train, I use a general-purpose Moebius organic-based oil that is very close to the properties of the sperm oil that would have originally been used in Victorian-era watches. I use a synthetic grease for the mainspring and arbor, and click. I do take advantage of modern watch oils for lubricating the pallet stones, and use Moebius synthetic Syntescap 941.

Most of the time, watches just need cleaning and don't need extensive repairs. If I agree to work on a watch that is truly broken, I can usually repair it, even if it means making new parts. 

Broken balance staffs are the most common failure I encounter in vintage watches. Most Victorian-era watches had no shock protection at all and even a fairly mild drop or impact can bend or snap a balance staff pivot. Parts and balance staffs are generally available for American-made watches from the major companies (Elgin, Waltham, Illinois, Rockford, Howard, etc.). It is much harder to source parts for Swiss and English watches and they usually have to be made. 

Over the years I have made countless custom balance staffs, re-pivoted train wheels, installed new bushings, and repaired fusee chains (including making new hooks). 

Repairs can be expensive, especially if parts have to be made; the repairs can often end up costing more than the watch is worth. Sometimes, watches are just too damaged beyond realistic economic hope, and I'll let you know if this is the case. For items of deep sentimental value, where "money is no object," I will do my best! 

After broken balance staffs, the second most common issue in Victorian watches are broken mainsprings. Historically they were made from blue spring steel and these springs were never expected to remain in service for decades, let alone for over a century! After repeated cycles of tension and release, blue steel springs weaken and will break. 

Replacing mainsprings in American-made watches is usually a simple and relatively inexpensive task, as springs are still generally available (although they are rapidly drying up). If parts are available, I recommend replacing blue steel springs with white alloy springs, sometimes called unbreakable springs. Broken Swiss or English fusee springs are another matter and can be difficult to source. I cannot make mainsprings. 

Old stock blue steel mainsprings are usually $25 or so these days, and the white alloy springs can be $35 or more.