A horologist is someone who appreciates and collects timepieces – wristwatches, clocks, all that. Trust me, I don’t have the time to start collecting wristwatches (yes, you saw what I did there), even though every December I go to the local jewelry shop and try on a Tag Heuer “Le Mans” chonograph for 30 seconds, just for the fun of it …
That being said, my YouTube algorithms brought me to this channel. And I have to say … it’s an addictive channel.
This guy Marshall takes apart pocket watches and wristwatches, cleans them, restores them, and gets them back to working order. You see him using specialized tools to remove the clock face and hands, to remove and clean the gears ,to re-wind the mainspring, and to replace faded crystals.
Example. This was the first video that came across my feed. Apparently Marshall acquired a vintage Rolex that had some sentimental value for its owner; but upon opening the watch up, he discovered that seawater had leaked into the mechanism.
What did Marshall do about this?
He repaired it.
Yeah, I’m sitting there for the next hour, watching him disassemble the watch – step by step – clean the mechanism – reassemble the watch – and then the finished reveal of the newly working timepiece.
And Marshall has no discretion with what type of watch he repairs. He can work on a classic Rolex that’s totally outside of the budget of the common man … or he can fiddle around with a World War II-era Elgin timepiece…
Heck, he even restored a Mickey Mouse wristwatch. Yes, he did.
Marshall’s channel, Wristwatch Revival, features several episodes of him taking apart the watches, cleaning them, commenting on everything from the satisfying sound of popping the mainspring back in its case to suggesting that certain springs should have “Born to Fly” tattooed on their frames …
And if you’re working on something at home and need some background video with a “start-and-finish” project playing … this would definitely satisfy that desire.
But yeah, I’m not ready to get into watch repair. You need to see all the tools Marshall has at his disposal. There’s specialized tools that exist only for repair on certain watch types. And the screws are so tiny, they can fall off your workbench and disappear forever … yeah, I just can’t do that. Not now.
But I tell you, if I ever get my mitts on that Tag Heuer “Le Mans” watch and I need it repaired … I know just the person to ask. 😀
Chuck The Writer 