Collecting, researching and caring for wristwatches

Choose a scope you can document

Wristwatch collections are usually built around a maker, a movement family, a period, a function such as chronographs or divers' watches, a military or service issue, or a design idiom. A narrow scope makes like-for-like comparison possible and keeps the documentation manageable.

• Record the maker, retailer and any co-signature on the dial separately from the movement maker.
• Write down the case reference and case serial exactly as stamped, without correcting or completing them.
• Note the movement calibre, jewel count and serial where they are visible or recorded by a watchmaker.
• Keep a dated photograph set: dial, case sides, case back inside and out, crown, movement and bracelet clasp.

Originality comes before rarity

Dials, hands, crowns, crystals and bezels were routinely replaced during servicing, and cases were often polished. Those changes are part of a watch's history, but they must be described, because a watch assembled from parts of different watches cannot be compared with documented examples of its reference.

• Check that the dial printing, hands and luminous material appear consistent with one another.
• Look for sharp case edges, crisp hallmarks and clear case-back stamping as signs of limited polishing.
• Compare reference, serial and movement evidence with published or museum examples of the same model.
• Describe service replacement parts as such; replaced is not the same as fake, but it must be recorded.

Research value as a separate file

Market context belongs in a separate research file, never in the identification record. Asking prices are not evidence. Completed sales are only comparable when the reference, condition, originality, completeness and provenance match, and the sale's date, venue and condition statement are recorded with it.

• Compare the same reference and dial variant, in the same condition and completeness.
• Record whether box, papers, service records or a bracelet belong with the watch, and how that is evidenced.
• Treat unexplained serial ranges or mismatched parts as research questions, not selling points.
• Keep expert opinions with their author, date and the photographs they were based on.

Care is mostly restraint

Mechanical watches rely on fine oils that dry out over time, and on seals that age. The safest default is to document the watch, store it dry and away from magnets, and leave opening, oiling, regulation and water-resistance testing to a qualified watchmaker.

• Do not assume an older watch is water resistant; gaskets degrade even if the case is marked for it.
• Wind a manual watch gently and stop at resistance; never force a crown or pusher that will not move.
• Keep watches away from speakers, phone cases, bag clasps and other magnets, which can affect timekeeping.
• Remove the battery from a quartz watch that will be stored, because old batteries can leak and corrode the movement.

Common questions

Where do I find a wristwatch's reference and serial number?

Usually on the case: inside or outside the case back, or between the lugs, depending on the maker and period. Record exactly what is stamped and where; the movement has its own separate markings.

Is a replaced or refinished dial a problem?

It is a fact to record. Service dials and refinished dials change how the watch compares with documented examples, so the dial's history should be described rather than hidden.

Should I wear a vintage watch in water?

Not unless a watchmaker has recently replaced its seals and pressure-tested it. Markings on the dial or case back do not guarantee that an older watch is still water resistant.

Does Orbis value or authenticate watches?

No. Orbis records documented types with cited sources. It does not appraise, authenticate or publish prices for individual watches.