NOTES FROM THE BENCH
When the Right Move Is to Stop: A Lesson From a 1920s Elgin Restoration
A broken mainspring became a lesson in restraint, proper tools, and why knowing when to stop is part of preserving a vintage watch.
Read the story →BALANCE OF TIME
The Journal
Notes on watches, their care, and the stories they carry.
THE COLLECTOR'S LIBRARY
Collector Guides
Our collector guides now have their own home, with sections for Pocket Watches and Wristwatches. The Hampden pocket watch guide is in preparation, and a vintage Omega wristwatch guide is planned.
Explore Collector Guides →The Journal remains your home for free articles, history, and practical watch advice.
Notes from the Workbench
MONDAY WATCHMAKING BUSINESS
A clear repair estimate starts with a clear scope
A practical checklist for explaining included work, open questions, timing, and customer approval.
Read the article →Vintage Watch Collecting
COLLECTOR EDUCATION
Before You Buy a Pocket Watch: Five Photographs to Request
Five views that help document a pocket watch’s identity, case material, condition, and running state before you make an offer.
Read the collector guide →
Photo: Joe Haupt · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized.
VINTAGE WATCH COLLECTING
Collecting Pocket Watches: Look Beyond the Name on the Dial
A practical guide to movement identification, case research, condition and value, illustrated with real pocket watch photographs and helpful collector resources.
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COLLECTOR EDUCATION
Before You Buy: Refinished Dials and Vintage Watch Value
Understand dial originality, recognize clues worth investigating, and compare vintage watch value with useful resources for collectors.
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HISTORY & HERITAGE
Two eras. One enduring fascination.
A closer look at vintage Hamilton design and Eric’s observations at the workbench.
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INHERITED WATCHES
An inherited watch: where to begin
A thoughtful starting point for understanding a watch’s condition, character, and history.
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WHY WATCHES MATTER
Why Wear Two Watches?
An Apple Watch on one wrist, history on the other. You can embrace modern technology without leaving a favorite mechanical watch in a drawer.
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WHY WATCHES MATTER
Why Wear a Vintage Watch in a Connected World?
Craftsmanship, personal history, and the pleasure of preservation.
Read the story →Watch Care
WATCH CARE · OCTOBER 26, 2026
A Place for the Watch and Its Story
Displaying heirloom pocket watches and preserving their family stories. Ideas for shadowboxes, cases, drawers, photographs, and careful materials.
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WEDNESDAY WATCH EDUCATION · No. 01
Water resistance isn’t permanent
Seals age. Condition matters. Learn what a water-resistance rating can, and cannot, tell you about your watch today.
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WATCH CARE
When a watch stops keeping time
What to observe when your watch stops, and what to share when requesting an assessment.
Read the article →Looking for a completed project?
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