REVOLUTION_International_Vol 54

HOW LASER WELDING WORKS
1.
A series of
process images
by Michael Hui of
@mikerolliworks
shows his work
process from start
to end. The team
first examines
the watch to see
which parts need
filling in with
new material.
2.
New material is
added on and laser
welded to the areas
that need filling in.
3.
Afterthata
lappist grinds
down the material
to the correct
shape and form
using a lapping
machine, before
polishing it to the
right texture.
4.
An example of a
case after the above
processes have been
completed. (This
case is different from
previous photos.
Now the next phase
of finalising the watch
restoration begins.
Special thanks to
@mikerolliworks for
useoftheirimages.
anniversary of my magazine, The Rake. However, in the decade plus that
passed since I bought the watch, things have changed. I’ve learnt a lot
more about vintage watches and had confidence in my own findings.
Also, information has become absolutely proliferate, making dealers
with reputations for treading in the grey area relics of the past. To be
fair to J he immediately replied that he would do what was necessary to
make it right. When I met him, he looked tired. He explained that he
had been involved in a legal imbroglio which had taken “the wind out
of his sails”. When I passed him back the watch and asked him to make
things right he acquiesced immediately.
Accordingly and again to his credit, he scoured his sources and
found a GMT complete with box and papers and even the original bill
of sale with the correct serial number and 1.60 caseback. His idea was
to put my OCC dial in the new case so we would have a 1960 Rolex
PCG OCC with not only the correct date stamp on the caseback and
the right serial number, but also the box and papers, which commands
a premium in the aftermarket. J started to get excited thinking that if I
was not inclined to keep the watch, we could sell it for a large premium.
At this point our objectives diverged somewhat, as I thought of an idea
that would make for a great story. I had heard about all the varying
technologies that allowed restorers to bring watches back to life. What
if we were to have the case restored through laser welding? There is an
Instagram page belonging to a Japanese restorer named @_hiiih_ who
performs apparent works of magic on both steel and gold cases. You
could see watches where the bevels had been completely ground off
through constant repolishing that suddenly evinced razor-sharp lines
again. Yet another restorer on Instagram, @mikerolliworks, shows great
exacting details of how laser welding is done. A damaged or rounded
section of the case has tiny microscopic welds made on it to sinter fresh
metal to the case. In some instances thousands of tiny welds can be used
to build up a badly damaged section of the watch. Once this is done the
case is recut and refinished with exacting precision. It really is a magical
transformative act.
The Japanese owner of the first page was contacted and he readily
agreed to apply his magic to this now-dissembled watch. Once
the components were finished by him they were sent back and the
watch was reassembled. Now throughout this process, J was meant
to document the stages and write a story about how a NOS watch is
effectively made. He was at first hesitant. Then I pointed out to him that
if he felt his reputation as a dealer had become affected in recent times,
the best way to change that perception would be to become a voice for
transparency and to inform the public about how watches can be made
to look like new using these technologies. The idea was a step-by-step
demonstration of how the GMT was refreshed in this way. However, in
the end, the story he wrote is just a generic story on refinishing and not a
narrative about us personally undertaking this objective together.
Once he received the watch, J being J got more and more excited to
sell this watch at an auction using precisely the following narrative: it
was a rare OCC pointed crown guard, gilt dial, one-owner, box-andpapers
watch that was left sitting in a drawer or “found in a barn” or
something similar to this. And he began to contact auction houses to
gauge their level of interest. What was strange, however, was that he
didn’t want to be the person to submit the watch for auction and wanted
me to do it.
To be honest, the idea of making back the initial investment in the
watch with a tidy profit (even if it was to be split two ways, as the dealer
VINTAGE 145