Seasons greetings Everyone!,
Interesting read ape. IMHO I believe refurbished cases is not a bad thing, but of course the reasons behind it are what should be judged. For example I have seen many Heuers that have been salvaged and restored to their former glory rather than them being dismantled and being sold as parts. However selling a watch, and mind you I mean selling a watch to another collector and stating that its mint when its actually been refurbished is wrong. Honesty in collecting is what I beleive one of the vital elements of our glorious hobby. There will always be collectors of different levels and and backgrounds. For examles, Purists that always only buy untouched watches and keep them that way, some who dont mind a beat up watch and still love and enjoy them in that condition. Then there are those like myself, who cannot afford a minty or an NOS watch, but still wish for one..or many. I buy watches that many of you wouldnt touch, get them restored,I even consider that I might have saved them from being sold as parts and then enjoy wearing them. But does that mean that people like me cannot be a part of this community of ours? I believe a heuer saved and restored is far better than it being sold as parts. Dont you agree?

But to sell dis-honestly like you stated about the 'V' being wiped off the 1163 V watches is just wrong.

: As you all have observed in the lst 2-3 years the refurbishment of
: cases has been started. Today at least on this board there are
: many cases of watches with refurbished cases outside. It is
: almost impossible to offer a watch with a non-refurbished case.
: So the qustion is, whre does this end.

: Had an intense visit last night at my watch maker and he told me,
: that some people vene ask him, to not only get the case
: refurbished, but also the V on Vic cases getting wipped out in
: the the refurbishe service.

: For my thisgoes to far and yes from a serial number viewpoint its
: obvisous for example what a 1163 case is and a 1163 V case was
: when someone made a 1163 from a 1163 V watch.

: Anyhow: how was it in the past without case refurbishment ? At
: least we had many watches in may used conditions. Only very rare
: where watches with little use and thus being described as
: "MINT". I was thinking when I look to my collection I
: had mnay realtivelly MINT watches: however when I than was put
: this nexto a refrubished watch: which is more NOS looking from a
: case point of view, I would rate the other wacth like very good
: or near MINT but not MINT anymore, bcasue the refurbished caese
: set a kind of standard.

: ape