How It Started

My journey into horology (the art and science of time measurement) started fairly recently in 2025 and has quickly become a passion and even obsession.

In 2023, my dad sadly passed away leaving a small inheritance of a few thousand pounds to his three kids. I am fortunate enough that I didn't need the money for day-to-day living so decided I'd use it buy a memento for my kids of their Grandpa, me of my dad. The challenge in these days of consumerism is that it's not easy to find something that you know will stick with you for the long haul as most of the 'stuff' I own will be replaced by more stuff over coming years.

Me and my Dad in the late 1970's

Why a watch though?

Dad did like a watch! Not expensive ones at all but ones that looked half decent on his wrist. He would make a joke of the fake Rolex he bought on holiday in Tenerife, with his brother, which he would call his 'Bolex' (not sure if that play on words translated outside the UK!). So, I decided a watch would be perfect. There is something oddly special about a watch as, if we are honest, these days its a redundant item as there is a plethora of devices out there to remind what the time is if i ask and most kids I see no longer wear a watch.

On my mum's side of the family there is a strong vein of arts and science. My mum paints and is generally fascinated by learning new techniques, my uncle was a successful wood carver in the US, I remember the stories of my Grandfather (a teacher) who would while away the time deconstructing a rabbit into a skeleton then rebuilding it as a model and his brother was one of the first to examine moon rock in the 1960s. So, I think the sciency side of how a mechanical watches work perhaps taps into all of my maternal family grey matter as they mix design with functionality and I find a working mechanical movement just mesmerising. Plus, whatever your taste, there is a watch to suit it out there somewhere - you just need to keep looking!

The watch that started it. An Omega from circa 1945

Decision made I decided to look for a working watch that was from his birth year, 1945. At this stage I had little to no knowledge of what was good or not. My searching was predominantly based on the manufacture year and then working outwards from there into a little bit of research into movements and brands as I wanted something as original as possible rather than, what I now know as the term, a Frankenstein watch, or a watch made of a collection of parts often innocently as bits break and original replacements can't be sourced.

"Stop scrolling and start buying"

I was limited, to a degree, by brands that kept decent records of serial numbers as, of course, this meant I could date the watch and research provenance more easily. I was drawn to an Omega. It's simplicity for me was appealing and I liked the slightly weathered (patina) look of it as a watch that I suspect 'had been places' overs the decades. The research showed it was from around 1945 from the serial number on the movement so I took the plunge and bought it from Fellows Auctioneers for £250

I love it!

It's fairly small in comparison to some modern day behemoths but that was the style at the time. I also don't have big wrists so something in the mid-30s in millimetres looks better on me. With no idea of the service history and as I want to wear the watch, I invested in a service from Omega in Manchester who jetted it off first class for long sabbatical in Switzerland.

At this point, I felt a stirring! I was starting to get the bug especially for vintage mechanical watches as I feel like they can tell a story. Though I have the utmost respect for them, I'm not a fan personally of an expensive, flashy watch as I think watches should be seen, worn and enjoyed by everyone. Of the 'big' brands I do still like an Omega as I find them understated, brilliant reliable movements and you can find a great second hand example for really affordable prices..... and a fair few for unaffordable prices too.

So, what next?

I'm someone who is passionate about watches particularly vintage mechanical but am by no means an expert but I though "what the heck" I'll see if it's viable business and, I'll write more in upcoming blogs about whatever is on my mind as I keep learning, buying and taking watches apart to see how they work....stay tuned!