I bought a vintage watch on ebay!

[Lula]

Well, I found a gorgeous vintage watch -- on ebay.

link

It''s going to ship out today; I should have it next week. I''ll post pictures and a follow-up after I receive it.

I''m a bit nervous, but I''ve been learning a lot about vintage watches on timezone.com and on Zaf Basha''s site classicwatch.com, and I think I got a good watch. The seller says the crystal has been replaced, and I''m really not sure if the crown is original, but everything else looks great. I''ll probably replace the band with a black suede or black grosgrain one.

 

[junebug17]

Oh Sara, it looks beautiful!!! I love the engraving, this is such an awesome looking watch! I''m excited for you, I can''t wait to see pics!

 

[Lula]

Thanks, Junebug!

 

[sparklize]

Looks gorgeous. I love buying bargains on ebay!

 

[Stone Hunter]

Very cool! I like the shape and love that it''s not a quartz watch. A good name brand too. Hope you love it when you get it!

 

[VRBeauty]

Nice take on a classic style!

The thing about vintage watches is that you can''t buy just one. I should know... my slide down that slippery slope also started with a Le Coultre!

Enjoy your new watch!

 

[jewelerman]

concrats!Anything by this manufactor is quality!Remember to have it cleaned and serviced before wearing.is the inner movement all original?

 

[Lula]

Hi, everybody -- thanks for your great comments/compliments!

I received the watch -- it runs flawlessly! And the engraving on the case is exquisite -- better than in the photos. And it''s a feminine size, but not too dainty.

Sparklize and Stone Hunter -- Thanks for your compliments.

VRBeauty -- I''m hooked. I''m already cruising the web for my next watch!

Jewelerman - Thanks -- I bought this from a reputable seller who says the entire thing is original except for the crystal. From my basic research, the movement seems to be authentic to the watch (I also posted some questions on Zaf Basha''s forum, classicwatches.com), although I understand that there is a lot of fakery in the high end watch world. However, these small vintage ladies LeCoultre''s may fly under the scam radar -- there''s not as much interest in them as the men''s models. Any advice you could share on verifying authenticity would be appreciated. I''m learning and, as I mentioned above, this won''t be my first watch purchase!!!

I have to tell you, at the risk of sounding like a big geek, I love mechanical watches. It''s amazing to me that something so tiny can be such a tight piece of machinery -- and beautiful with incredible craftsmanship, too. I was so happy to see it sitting on my dresser, next to my Raymond Weil quartz, keeping perfect time. To think that this 50-plus-year-old watch can keep up with a modern quartz timepiece was a real thrill -- geeky, I know!!

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 9/30/2009 8:15:38 AM
Author: sarap333
Hi, everybody -- thanks for your great comments/compliments!

I received the watch -- it runs flawlessly! And the engraving on the case is exquisite -- better than in the photos. And it''s a feminine size, but not too dainty.

Sparklize and Stone Hunter -- Thanks for your compliments.

VRBeauty -- I''m hooked. I''m already cruising the web for my next watch!

Jewelerman - Thanks -- I bought this from a reputable seller who says the entire thing is original except for the crystal. From my basic research, the movement seems to be authentic to the watch (I also posted some questions on Zaf Basha''s forum, classicwatches.com), although I understand that there is a lot of fakery in the high end watch world. However, these small vintage ladies LeCoultre''s may fly under the scam radar -- there''s not as much interest in them as the men''s models. Any advice you could share on verifying authenticity would be appreciated. I''m learning and, as I mentioned above, this won''t be my first watch purchase!!!

I have to tell you, at the risk of sounding like a big geek, I love mechanical watches. It''s amazing to me that something so tiny can be such a tight piece of machinery -- and beautiful with incredible craftsmanship, too. I was so happy to see it sitting on my dresser, next to my Raymond Weil quartz, keeping perfect time. To think that this 50-plus-year-old watch can keep up with a modern quartz timepiece was a real thrill -- geeky, I know!!

The watch is vintage and genuine.On todays market it would be to expensive and in low demand to try to re-create this watch.Have a jeweler re-move back and look at movement for you.Also Take several pictures for two seasons....post here for us to enjoy and also send them to www.watchuseek.com in the vintage watch area to get further unfo on the movement and what year it was manufactured.They are a wealth of knowlege to people interested in horology and watch brands like JLC.Second, you will attatch at least one picture to the appraisal or insurance papers to further document your watch''s history and value and what its movement looks like.(i think ive been the only appraiser in my area to do this,but its really is a good idea in my opinion!)did former owner have watch cleaned and oiled recently.You dont want to wind up an old model manual that hasnt been recently serviced or it will damage the moving parts of the movement.Enjoy!

 

[Lula]

Thank you so much for the great information, Jewelerman. I really appreciate it.

I asked the seller if he knew when it was last cleaned and oiled. He said he didn't, and he recommended not cleaning and oiling it if it was running well.

Zaf Basha recommended having it cleaned and oiled if I was going to wear it more than a couple days a month.

Other sites recommend, as you do, that a vintage watch needs to be cleaned and oiled before regular use to prevent stress on its parts. I think this makes sense, and I will have it cleaned and oiled.

But where should I take it? There are local watchmakers in the city I live -- can they do the job properly? Is LeCoultre a brand they should be familiar with, even in my small midwestern city?

Or is it worth sending it to a LeCoultre expert like Zaf Bashra for service -- he's expensive.

I've also read good things about Shane Ede (spelling?) in Canada.

This will be an ongoing issue for me if I buy more vintage LeCoultre watches!

ETA: I promise I will post more pictures!! I owe you all some good photos. "Wrist shots" too!

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 9/30/2009 9:36:55 PM
Author: sarap333
Thank you so much for the great information, Jewelerman. I really appreciate it.

I asked the seller if he knew when it was last cleaned and oiled. He said he didn''t, and he recommended not cleaning and oiling it if it was running well.

Zaf Basha recommended having it cleaned and oiled if I was going to wear it more than a couple days a month.

Other sites recommend, as you do, that a vintage watch needs to be cleaned and oiled before regular use to prevent stress on its parts. I think this makes sense, and I will have it cleaned and oiled.

But where should I take it? There are local watchmakers in the city I live -- can they do the job properly? Is LeCoultre a brand they should be familiar with, even in my small midwestern city?

Or is it worth sending it to a LeCoultre expert like Zaf Bashra for service -- he''s expensive.

I''ve also read good things about Shane Ede (spelling?) in Canada.

This will be an ongoing issue for me if I buy more vintage LeCoultre watches!

ETA: I promise I will post more pictures!! I owe you all some good photos. ''Wrist shots'' too!

Like any other business there are experianced and not so experinced shops.I would do your home work and get prices from as many places as possible.Any watch collector knows that building a relationship with the shops in your area are key to success in keeping your watches running and costs down.Go into the shops and interview the owners...do they do the work or send it out to another shop?What are they charging you for?Do they take the whole movement apart when they service or are they doing a quick fix ?What is the backround of the workers and what training and certifications do they have?What school or apprenticeship did they study at?BEFORE you start this process get books at the library ,go online even more then you have,go to several watch and jewelry stores and try on watches,ask qusetions about movements and brands.Look at Rolex to Timex.Get the history of the watch companies and the basics down before talking to people that will be repairing your collections.you have chosen a collection that needs time and money to create.Ask a ton of questions...you and your wallet will be glad that you waited abit before rushing into buying any and everything out there.And remember that just because a person works in a watch or jewelry store dosnt mean they know what they are talking about!Buyer and student beware!Half of what i learned early on had to be re-learned as i studied formally in the jewelry trade. basic knowledge like when the quartz movement was used commercially is important to watch collecting(1969 by Seiko company)...you get the picture!Your going to be a really great watch collector,but give it time and comittment!

JM

 

[PinkTower]

Just checking in, did the watch arrive and was it what you expected? Can we see a picture? I am a vintage watch fan, although my collection is small.

 

[Lula]

Hi, pinktower and jewelerman and the others who replied to my thread -- I haven't checked this thread in awhile, so sorry for the delay in the update.

I did my research on watchmakers, as jewelerman suggested, and found one locally who's been in business for 50+ years. He runs the retail end of his shop and his partner, with whom he went to watchmaking school, does the repair. I entrusted them with my LeCoultre only after asking them a lot of questions about the care and feeding of vintage watches, and only after feeling comfortable that they had worked on the LeCoultre movements before.

One thing he told me when I brought it in is that the watch originally had more engraving on the top of the case -- a light pattern of concentric circles that probably wore down from wear/previous polishing. I'd love to have it re-engraved, but he said the engraving would be difficult to reproduce and the wear is part of the patina of the watch.

The watch came with a shiny fake leather band. I asked the store for some suggestions for a new band and decided to do something a lot more "fun" for now -- a lavender satin ribbon band.

I will post pictures when I get it back! It will be a few more weeks.

Since I posted about this watch, I bought another watch on ebay (of course!) a slightly beat-up Hamilton ladies watch, also 14 kt gold (white gold) with amazing deco styling. The price was right, but it needs a little more servicing than the LeCoultre.

Also, this weekend I received a box from my husband's family with several watches in it:
A lovely early 20th century engraved watch on a ribbon that belonged to my husband's grandmother (FQUE Welta movement) which is gorgeous, but will no doubt need a lot of work to bring it back to life.

The box also contained several pocket watches -- men's and women's -- by Rockford, Elgin, and Waltham, which I need to research.

What a great hobby -- I love it.

So, yes, I will post lots of pictures of all these watches when I get the deco Hamilton and my LeCoultre back from the shop.