Its in my blood...

[PWR]

I recently lost my Dad who was a life long horologist [2nd generation.  He ran a family watch repair business which grew to the largest in Phila. and served as the Authorized Service Agencies for many of the top brands like Omega, Ebel and Movado.  Our family all worked at the shop at some time on our lives -- me every summer from age 8 to 18.

Losing Dad has somehow lit a spark and I find myself going through his wide collection, changing batteries, doing small job repairs and discovering some unique time pieces he had collected but never really shared.  I feel his loss but also his warmth as I fiddle with these watches.

I know the basics but look forward to finding answers to some of my questions and attempt to repair some of the partial jobs he put away many years ago.

 

Here is an example of a gem I found in running condition......how cool is this piece from the mod 1800's?   

 

Thanks all in advance.   If only he had found this site in his last years .... he would have been an incredible wealth of information.

 

Steve

 

 

[Vich]

That is one hell of a pedigree Steve and I feel sure you are doing the right thing by taking a step forward into your fathers and ancestors area of expertise.  Hopefully you have a selection of tools and oils to use so why not.  Lovely watch by the way.

I look forward to hearing about how you are getting on.

Cheers,

Vic

[oldhippy]

Great to hear from you and welcome. It would be nice to share stories you and your dad have when it comes to watches and clocks.

[Cad101]

Firstly welcome to this excellent forum. I agree finding something mechanical be it watches clocks engines interesting is in the blood but it can miss a generation or two as it did with me and my grandfather my father wasn't interested but I was fascinated from a very early age I just loved sitting at the side of him at his workbench watching him bring life to something. This stopped for me when he died and my family arrived and had work and a mortgage to see to but I always had this fascination for watches and would even find myself just staring in jewellers windows. So a few years ago I unwrapped what id saved of my granddads tools and set about repairing again I was surprised at just how much he'd actually taught me without really trying. I now have 3 sons one is a computer geek one is in training to become a royal marine commando and only my youngest who is 16 and just left school is interested in watches and has taken apart a few old pocket watch movements and put them back together with varying degrees of success, but he never gets fazed he just breaks it down and starts again. So I agree it is in the blood.

[Vich]

 

There were Clockmakers / Watchmakers / Brassfounders in my line as well, from about 1720 to 1860 it started with Joseph Harlow in Ashbourne, Derbyshire,there were whole families that were in the trade with the fathers apprenticing the sons. The icon I use on my account is a watch made by my ancestor Benjamin Harlow of Lane End, Staffordshire and I have been after a Georgian pocket watch made by him for years now.  They sell quite cheaply and I have missed a couple at auctions.

If it was not for my other hobby, genealogy, I would probably not have known this and I wonder if I would have got into tinkering with watches - maybe 

Cheers,

Vic

[dadistic]

Hello and Welcome!

[bobm12]

Welcome Steve and sorry for your loss...and for not having met your Dad here, as you said. Rest assured he is happy watching you from wherever paradise he is, taking pride in his legacy (not just watchmaking but YOU). I'm sure deep down he knew he was leaving something of him to comfort you after he was gone: his trade and watches.

So, you have come to the right place and we will try and answer any question you come up with. Also, you can be certain we will be listening to your first hand and second hand experiences, acquired by ether doing or watching your family do during all the years in the business. That, Steve, would be amazing and truly a gift for this site...and I assure you we will reciprocate whenever we can.

Cheers,

Bob