My Mother's Watch

A few months before I applied to watchmaking school, my mother died. There was no warning. As I left for Switzerland, I brought her watch with me. It was her daily wear, a simple quartz watch worn down by time and use. The crystal was scratched, dirt was caked into the crevices, the plating had been worn through, and the electrical consumption of the movement was nearly five times greater than the manufacturer specifications. At first, I just planned to have it as a non-running keepsake, but as I found myself with new tools and skills, I realized I could restore it.

And so I did.

I completely disassembled the case and bracelet and cleaned everything thoroughly. I ran a full diagnostic and cleaning of the movement, restoring it to better than specifications. Every piece of the case and bracelet had the old plating sanded away before I buffed them and applied a final mirror polish by hand. I experimented with plating techniques until I was able to get a consistent, bright gold finish. And finally I reassembled everything with a new crystal.

Objectively, one could ask if a quartz watch like this was worth all the effort. I could find cheap replacements online without difficulty. But it was HER watch. Of course it was worth it.