REVOLUTION_International_Vol 54

But it is exactly that dream of a grail watch, the equivalent of the
automotive “barn find” that brings us to the focus of this article, which
is that in order to meet the desire for these all-original watches, people
began to create them and in vast quantities. How? Well, first they put
together a good Frankenwatch, then they use modern technology to
bring these watches back to like-new condition. Thanks to technology
we now have the greatest proliferation of supposedly NOS watches —
apparently almost everyone who bought a sports Rolex put it away in a
drawer, only to forget about it for half a century until it was discovered
by some second- or third-generation descendant.
Which is not to say that laser welding and other highly skilled
restoration techniques are not also being used in the right way. What
is laser welding, you ask? It is a technology that was born in the ’70s
that allowed for welding to be automated and computer controlled,
and has a relative low heat output. It is used in everything from medical
technology to jewelry, and, in the case of watches, allows you to sinter
fresh steel or gold onto a used and old case with a worn or distorted
profile. Once this is done, the shape, factory finish and details of the
case can be recut using special machines that were once exclusively
owned by watch companies but are now in the hands of restorers.
For dealers and well-respected authorities in vintage watches like
Eric Ku and Alessandro Ciani, such is their admiration for the art of
vintage watch restoration that they’ve actually invested in companies
that now operate at the very highest level of the art form and, with total
transparency, they want to show what their restoration firms are able
to achieve, which is nothing short of miraculous. Says Ku, “Personally
I don’t like how people vilify restored watches, and it was precisely the
desire to restore them to better-than-original condition, as you see
in the high-end vintage car Concours world that motivated me to get
involved in this. I think there is nothing at all wrong with a beautifully
restored vintage watch, as long as the seller is open about this.”
Says Ciani, “I have always been enchanted by the ability of the few
incredibly talented artisans who have brought watch restoration to the
next level. I have devoted years to this discipline myself, with a focus
on case work after two decades of research and practice, and I think I
can claim that our work is at the highest level of the industry.” Thinking
about it I am inclined to agree with Ku and Ciani, as long as dealers,
auction houses and anyone selling a restored watch are all open about
142 VINTAGE