To Refurbish or not to refurbish…

So, this is a very sensitive and relevant topic for all watchcollectors and it is at thesame time very subjective as well. Like with a lot of things/questions in life…also this question can have a different answer. Depending on your personal preferences to start with and ofcourse also the condition of the watch in question. The actual condition of each individual part helps you with your definate decision. For example...what is the condition of hands and dial? Bezel? Pushers???

While you can be pro or contra…there are some things to take into account while considering a full case refurbish, a light and gentle case polish…or nothing at all. There is one important and logical thing you will always need to know…once a case has been refurbished…it will always remain a refurbished case. Ofcourse this does not mean at all that refurbishing a case would not be justified. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I could give you 10 or maybe 100 reasons why to keep a case original and untouched, leaving it alone with all it’s marks, scratches and dents…but at thesame time I also could give you as much reasons to in fact fully refurbish a case. Again, it is always important to take your time to think it over and it’s ofcourse very important when you’d go for a full case refurbish it’s done with respect and passion. Again please remember once it has been done…there’s no way back as a case refurbish means taking away material…very little in most cases but anyway you will always loose material, even with a gentle polish.

In the more then 10 past years I handled a lot of watches…and I mean a lot. As a goldsmith with a great passion for vintage Heuer watches I started to work on them quite early in my life. The movements were handled by my father in the beginning (who is Master watchmaker), the cases I could easily work on myself as I had already a lot of equipment available from my goldsmithing profession. I never have doubts/hesitations when working on a watch/case…this means taking some risks every now and then. Ofcourse in the first years I only worked on my own watches and it took me a lot of succeses but also a lot of disappointments in the beginning, I had to pay a lot of learning money but if you always stick with the things you’re used to do and don’t explore and educate yourself…nobody else will do for you…it has been a very steep learning curve for me in these past 10 years and I’m still learing much every day…improving step by step, always trying to achieve perfection. I am very humble from nature and am always open to listen to other like minded people, eagerly to learn and experience. This does not mean I always take things for granted ofcourse…but there’s always something to learn from somebody else…a lot of people do not have this attitude and want to position their thoughts as the only truth, this is wrong.

Like with all things in life…every upside has its downside…so the question will remain food for discussion…to refurbish or not to refurbish. There’s no definate answer in general…so each case will justify it’s own decision…taken by it’s owner and if the owner decides to have the case refurbished, he’s hopefully smart and patient enough to have it done by a passionate craftsman like there are few around. All good things come with time.

Now there will follow some pictures from before and after case refurbs…just to give an idea…

With my best regards from Belgium,
Abel.