Albitro said, "What if I was always in a position to buy? I am thinking from the perspective of.
People who have already bought vintage watches many times know "what should I be careful about when buying" and "shops that ask for maintenance and repairs after buying". I think that there are many things that people who want to buy for the first time do not know.
I want both those who are new to us and those who have bought it many times to buy it with confidence. Also, please use the watch you bought once for a long time.
For that purpose, I think that repairing the watch will be a very important point.
Although it may not be well known, repairing vintage watches is repaired year by year because "parts are difficult to obtain", "repair skill level is required", and "repair takes a long time and is inefficient". The number of people who can do it is decreasing. (Especially old domestic watches)
When it comes to vintage chronographs, I think there are quite a few shops that don't want to be repaired.
Also, it is troublesome and difficult to obtain parts from overseas, so it is often said that even if you bring them for repair, they cannot be repaired.
Even if there is a place where repairs can be made, there are many shops where the repair cost is high.
It's easy to buy a vintage watch, but maintenance and repairs are difficult.
The size of the thing is different, but it is easy to understand if you think that it is the same as a used car.
Used cars are inspected once every two years, and the parts that are bad (oil, etc.) are replaced and repaired.
In the same way, each part of the watch, such as gears, needs to be disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated once every 2-3 years.
Mechanical watches such as manual and self-winding watches can be used for a very long time by regular overhaul.
The good thing about vintage watches is that they can be passed on to the next generation if they are properly maintained and repaired and used carefully.
If it's a good watch, many people will have a watch inherited from their parents.
Watches are not only for hobbies, but also for their fun as precision machines, their role as fashion accessories, and their asset value.
For this reason, Albitro basically overhauls and repairs all watches (those that are close to the current model, those that have no problem with accuracy, and some categories) before handing them to the customer.
We also accept all repairs and overhauls for watches that you have purchased and those that do not.
The idea is that you can purchase the opaque parts of vintage watches as easily as possible and with peace of mind.
Here are some points to understand before buying a vintage watch.
・ Because it is a precision machine that is decades old, let's give up on the precision, waterproofness, and impact resistance of modern watches.
・ Adjustments or OH are made so that the daily difference is within 5 to 30 seconds (for ladies, within 180 seconds), but it is important to have a margin of mind that it is okay if the daily difference is within a certain amount.
・ If overhauled and properly maintained, the hand-wound watch will run for about 40 hours with it fully wound. (This is called a power reserve)
・ In order to use it for a long time, overhaul is required in a span of about 2-3 years. It costs money each time, but in the long run it is much better to overhaul regularly.
・ If the overhaul fee is stingy, the damage will increase, the number of replacement parts will increase, and the repair cost will be higher than usual.
・ Therefore, it is very important to have a shop where repair craftsmen who can procure parts and have repair experience can repair.
・ Many vintage watches are laborious and expensive to manufacture. Nowadays, watches with unthinkable manufacturing costs are on the market. In the old days, only rich people could have it, so it's basically a luxury item.
From among the many watches, we select from the points of "design" and "quality of products".
Especially the design is good, as seen in the recent boom in reprints. There are many unique items that reflect the culture and trends of that era, and there are many fashionable items that cannot be seen in current products.
Also, as with the making of movements, each part is made by a craftsman, and many watches are made in a luxurious way that is unthinkable in modern times.
Vintage watches have a high threshold, but I hope that by eliminating what you don't understand, you will become a familiar presence that you can use in your daily life.
At Albitro, we handle not only vintage watches but also current models that we think are good.
Since each has its own advantages, I would like to propose such a style that you can choose and enjoy a watch that suits your TPO.