Every once in a while, I receive a message from someone who is very excited to have recently purchased a “New Old Stock” chronograph, but is — at the same time — disappointed that the beautiful watch of thier dreams either (a) is not running properly (or is not running at all), or (b) has just been diagnosed as needing an expensive servicing. The questions vary: Why does a New Old Stock watch need servicing? Isn’t a New Old Stock watch supposed to be perfect? Why didn’t the seller tell me that the watch needed an overhaul? The final gasp is to the effect that the purchaser paid top dollar for a NOS watch, and they never contemplated that they would need to invest an extra $500 to $700, just to get the watch to run. How can this have happened?
My Answer
My answer usually begins with the following question: If you had just purchased a New Old Stock sports car from the 1960s or 1970s, that had been stored in a garage for the last 40 to 50 years, but hadn’t been driven or serviced serviced during this interval, would you possibly think that you could jump in the car, fire up the engine, and drive the car around the block (or even on a racetrack)? Surely you would realize that significant service (and probably some new parts) would be needed, before even turning the key in the ignition.
From there, we go to the point that a vintage watch and a vintage car are similar machines, and that the same type of things that will need attention in the old car will need attention in the old watch — oil, seals, round parts that are no longer round, etc. etc. So a New Old Stock watch that has been put away for 40 years will need a complete overhaul (meaning having the watch disassembled and oiled, and the seals replaced), regardless of how well it was stored. It’s that simple. If you want to keep it as a New Old Stock watch, perhaps in your vault, then there is no need to service the watch. But if you want to wind it up and wear it, you will need to start with the overhaul.
Should the Seller Have Warned the Buyer?
The purchaser may ask why the seller didn’t warn him that the watch wold need to be serviced in order to be worn. I have been collecting watches for around ten years, and have seen hundreds of watches offered as New Old Stock samples. I cannot recall ever seeing a listing that advised prospective purchasers that (an expensive) servicing would be required, before the watch could be used. So too, if I saw a “time capsule” car listed for sale, I would not expect to see an advisory that the car would need expensive mechanical work, prior to use. Those who deal in vintage watches understand the realities of buying NOS watches. It’s a shame that the novice who jumps into the market to buy a NOS watch will often face the disappointment of an expensive service ticket.
So What Do I Tell the Buyer?
And so the buyer asks, “What should I do?” My usual answer is that, even though he has just experienced the shock of needing to invest additional money to have what he thought he was buying, from the start, if the buyer can see his way clear to invest in the overhaul, then he will have the “best of the best” — a watch that is in perfect cosmetic condition and that can also be used and enjoyed. If the buyer prefers not to make an additional investment in this watch, then he will have exactly what he thought he was buying — a New Old Stock that can sit in his safe and that may prove to be a worthy investment.
The Bottom Line
This situation with the need for a New Old Stock watch to be serviced before being used, can be unfortunate. It is a simple case of the seller and buyer missing something in their communications, though neither of them may be at fault. We can only hope that if the buyer will have the watch serviced, then he will be able to enjoy a watch that will be in perfect condition, both cosmetically and mechanically.
