Restoration or Alteration of History.

[John Cote]

Tom McIntyre has posted on another forum, on the subject of preserving old American pocket watches that watches are "...machine produced artifacts that have full specifications and production information available. In such a case, what are we preserving? The object can be re-created at will identical in form to the original."

This is out of context and you should know that Tom was not advocating anything of the kind. However, to me, this brings up an interesting point. That is, what constitutes legitimate restoration of an old American Factory made watch, and what steps over the line into altering history?

Can you replace a damaged part, like a dial or hands or a regulator spring with a part from a same grade watch...from a different but similar grade?

Can you change cases for one with the same screw marks...diferent screw marks?

How far can you go before you make a watch a good looking phoney?

What do you think?

John Cote


[This message has been edited by John Cote (edited 09-17-2000).]

[John Cote]

Tom McIntyre has posted on another forum, on the subject of preserving old American pocket watches that watches are "...machine produced artifacts that have full specifications and production information available. In such a case, what are we preserving? The object can be re-created at will identical in form to the original."

This is out of context and you should know that Tom was not advocating anything of the kind. However, to me, this brings up an interesting point. That is, what constitutes legitimate restoration of an old American Factory made watch, and what steps over the line into altering history?

Can you replace a damaged part, like a dial or hands or a regulator spring with a part from a same grade watch...from a different but similar grade?

Can you change cases for one with the same screw marks...diferent screw marks?

How far can you go before you make a watch a good looking phoney?

What do you think?

John Cote


[This message has been edited by John Cote (edited 09-17-2000).]

[Julian Smith]

The late Henry Fried told me that if he had two movemens to fit the same case, the highest grade movement went in the case.You could not do this with hand made watches ,of course but with most American watches,why not?
JS

[jagkar]

As a practical matter, no one would question replacing any part with an 'identical' part unless the watch was an important historical artifact. For instance if Abraham Lincoln was carrying the watch that night at Ford's Theater, no parts should be replaced whatsoever. But otherwise, who would know or care? The question of ethics (and law) arise when folks 'improve' watches. That has to be a definite taboo. Making improvements which tend to make the watch seem rarer or more valuable is wrong but no crime; later misrepresenting the watch is fraud.