Modifying vintage movements

So been thinking about this for a while now, and wondered what the views were on this from several aspects.

First we have the repurposed pocket watch movements that are used in wrist watches. Some are done well, many are not (the Ukrainian conversions come to mind for the latter). Full disclosure that I made a number of watches using vintage Hamilton 10 size movements, which tend not to be collectible as pocket watches, and these were movements that had no cases (they had already been scrapped for gold content). So clearly I'm okay with this, as long as it's not trying to be something that it isn't, and it is well done.

But there's also another level to this - taking vintage movements and "upgrading them" and using them in new watches. One of my personal favourites for example is Kari Voutilainen's Observatoire watch that won the Grand Prix in 2007:



It used a vintage Peseux 260 that he decorated very well, and created the case, dial, and hands for it as well:



But I've been seeing a fellow on Facebook for a while now who is doing something a little more close to home for the Omega collectors...



Like Kari has done, these will be in a new case, with a dial of the maker, so nothing Omega on it except what is already on the movement. So what are people's thoughts on this generally, and specifically using Omega 30T2 Chronometer movements?

Cheers, Al

I think if it keeps a nice functional movement from the scrap heap- then it’s a good save.
I kind of see this like adaptive reuse with buildings- sure it was a 1920’s office building at one time, but it serves greater purpose as an apartment/retail space now than as offices- so why not repurpose the building rather than tear it down and lose the historic resource.

I’ve often thought about recasing some of the chrome plated skin divers from the 60’s into modern stainless diver cases (abundant for hobbiest on the web). They typically have decent Swiss movements (usually FHF, or Felsa) and often fantastic dials and hand sets.

As for the Omega movements, I agree that self branding is the key to keep it from being a falsehood, but I would love to see some of the beautiful enameled dials that were attached to those movements used as well. I would see it no differently that how movements/dials were shipped to the country of sale and recased there by the distributor…who cares who the case maker was.

https://www.atelierdechronometrie.com/

These fellows started out by using Omega 30t2/268 parts in their movements as well, and they do great work.

On the whole, I'm fine with people doing whatever they want with loose movements. However, it is offputting when someone takes a movement from a perfectly fine watch.

Keeping an old movement going doesn't hurt me at all. I've come across dozens of old pocket watch movements over the years that had had the cases scrapped. They are what I used to practice on when I was first learning how to tear down and service a watch, and several of them didn't survive my amateur attempts to fix them. If someone is taking these orphan movements and doing something worthwhile with them, then I think it is fantastic.

RGM 222RR……Movement Caliber: American Made Vintage Hamilton (921 or 923) - 10 Size - Manual wind, 21 or 23 jewels, 18,000 vph. Rhodium, Circular Damaskeening.…

I’m all for it. Many of the Omega movements have no future in very grungy, unattractive and fubar watches. Artisan watchmakers with imagination and…ethics, can breathe new life into a creative, beautiful and functional package. I really dig what RGM has done with the Hamilton movements. Would love to read Al’s @Archer on RGM’s work?

Any watch movement that can find new life in a new case with a new dial is fine with me. Some of the older cases and dials just didn't wear well, better to repurpose them in a format that a new owner will wear and enjoy.

Not that I am aware of, but his posts didn't give much detail, mostly photos.

I suppose style is quite personal, so I'm more interested in what people think about the practice in general, and if there are any who think this is a bad idea. He has done some other versions, so I'll post some photos of those as well - here is a more complete set of the first style above, but with a standard grade movement:



Here's one similar to that, but with graining added to the bridges:



And this one has perlage added to the bridges, and the screws are more purple than deep blue:



Cheers, Al

I’ll take the argument for recasing these movements a step further, 100 years ago it’s was common to recase a small pocket watch movement in a wristlet case for a new life- this is the same in my book, just with more modern, durable cases.
We have seen a flood of caseless movements/dials over the last few years as gold prices have sky rocketed, nothing we can do about that. Might as well make limoncello out of lemons.

Vortic has a whole business based on recasting orphan movements. I think it’s all good as long as it’s transparent. .

I always had a desire to one day do the opposite, take like an Omega CK2852 Constellation piepan with a flogged out Cal 501 and resto-mod it with a Cal 8900 to have the high power reserve, modern accuracy etc in a vintage package. It’s an interesting idea upgrading a vintage one though, one thing that jumps to mind is that Omega themselves were making movements in the 1990s and 2000s in the Louis Brand collection that were perpetual calendars based on the ancient Calibre 700 series ultra thin movement from the mid 1960s by adding a piggyback module and skeletonization.

Omega also released those Calibre 30T2 based tourbillon observatory chronometer watches in around 1987 (mainly to annoy AP and make them sad) by refinishing them to some degree and pulling them out of retirement after 40+ years.