Retirement Watch

Casually, Retire means no need to work any longer. Time to enjoy. Locally, the official retirement age is at the average of 60. 

A watch's job is to tell time. When a watch is to retire depends on the owner? It may be depending on its condition rather. Look at those show dog, race horse, artist, beauty queen etc.

Often the owner put the watch aside (retire) not coz it isn't working any more but he found a newer or nicer piece. Patek's philosophy is to pass the watch on to the next generation. Hmmm!

I've an interesting issue now: in an earlier blog A Teacher's GP, I disclosed that I bought a almost 70 years old GP for dedication to my former teacher. certainly the online oversea seller conned & cheated me! Although the seller offered full refund provided I ship the watch back, I rejected it! What if the tricky he claims he didn't receive it. Just take it as a lesson learn for online purchase!

On his advt it said Working, 1940s, Gold-Filled, & Refurnished Dial. it took a long 5 weeks to reach me. At the first winding, there's kind of Emptiness. It worked for a day only. I put is aside for a few days coz I wore other watches. When I tried to wind it again, only the hour & minute hands moved but not the second hand! It's not functioning! Contacted the seller, he remarked that if it could work for a day, it should be easy to fix!

Checked with local GP's agent. She told me vintage watch will be sent to Swiss for overhaul. It'll take a few months & cost $2000! Can't afford! A young but reliable repairman refused to even just Service it. Claiming that it's In-House Movement. An old hand took on the job by servicing it but he gave no warranty & no accuracy assured!

Now the watch can be wound but when i wear it, there's a slowness of 15 mins or so! Interestingly if it's just put there, it works well! But when it reaches 6 or 6.30, it'll stop! Now I'm wearing it, & it's about 30 mins slow! Any advice?

The old hand said the watch has many very worn out parts & rust! He blamed it that those previous owners didn't maintain it! Hmmm. Just like humans, when you get old, very old, some illness come along.

All other vintage watches of mine are working well. 

My feeling for this GP is that, it 's work for a few decades already including survived WW II. Shouldn't it be retired? Should I still find some repairmen to get it fixed? Unlikely I'll sell it for parts. Uncertainty! Any advice? (A friend rushed his 90 something years old bed-ridden dad to A & E for he got breathing problem. The doctor said you want us to try our best or just leave it as it's)!



Happy Watching. 11/10/13, 6.15pm. (GP 5.25pm)!