Great comparison between the plastic surgery and the work on the watches.

It made me realize something that we see with the watches, all the time. There are dealers (and collectors, as well) who will make the cosmetic changes, to make the watch look brighter, newer . . . more appealing from the distance of the curb. There are other collectors who value originality more than this flashy, bright over-restored look. Once again, we see different "markets" and preferences, among different groups of collectors.

I believe that there are some dials (and cases and hands) that should never be touched . . . when I find an important, historical watch, I hesitate to even change out a part in the movement, and would never touch the dial. I would like to be able to say that the watch was exactly as it was, when it left the factory. I might take more liberties with the hands, as the relume / refilling there seems more like acceptable maintenance (and is also easier to achieve cosmetically, than the dots, dahses or numerals on the dial).

Thanks for your message (and the plastic surgery analogy).

Jeff

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

: .. if you really have to do it, do it gently and properly.

: There are many plastic surgeons but only a handful of them do a
: proper job: you can tell that something has been done but when
: the final result is not worse than the starting point, it is
: nearly a success (and in this case does not decrease or decrease
: too much the value of the watch).

: Ciao,

: Paolo
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