At W.E. Clark Watch Repairs, we love being able to see and work on some wonderful, quality timepieces. We provide expert care supported by generations of experience, a commitment to excellence, and national recognition. If you’re looking for antique watch repair, pocket watch restoration, or luxury watch repairs, our team led by our expert Master Watchmaker, is here to help.
Patek Philippe Chronometro Gondolo Pocket Watch
We specialise in all areas of watch repair, from servicing modern luxury watches to restoring treasured vintage pieces. Led by a master watchmaker and supported by a British Horological Institute (BHI) Accredited Watchmaker, our in-house team has worked on tens of thousands of timepieces. If you’re searching for a vintage watch specialist or an expert in watch repair, you’re in experienced hands.
In this instance we’re working on a rather special Patek Philippe Pocket Watch, with us for what we refer to as a “part job”. These jobs are anything other than full servicing, and may include glass replacement and watch battery replacement.
The Patek Philippe Chronometro Gondolo Pocket Watches have an interesting history. Between 1872 and 1927 approximately one-third of Patek’s entire production was sold through the Brazilian retailer Gondolo & Labouriau. We know these as the Gondolo watches and they’re some of the most sought-after Patek Philippe watches ever made.
These watches were originally sold to an exclusive watch collecting club, the “Gondolo Gang”. Joining the Gondolo’s collecting club was a symbol of status in Brazilian society.
Gondolo & Labouriau made requests to Patek, in order to differentiate their Gondolo watches from the rest of those the company produced. Features included an S-shaped train wheel bridge, gilded brass plated, a “moustache” Swiss Lever escapement and some of the train wheels crafted in 9ct gold.
Making a new Bow
Alongside our on-site workshop in Lewes we have a jewellers workshop, with an experienced jeweller who regularly works on pocket watches. It’s very important to find a jeweller with such experience, as pocket watch case restoration work is highly specialised. The majority of jewellers will not often see vintage pocket watches for repair, and likely will not understand the foibles of working on such pieces.
On arrival with us the bow was non-original and made of plated base metal. This is of course wholly inappropriate for such a quality watch, so our jeweller set about making a replacement out of 18ct gold. Having an incorrect bow is problematic both for aesthetic reasons, and because the difference in hardness of the metals will cause increased wear to the gold, leading to more damage to the case in the long term.
With the replacement bow made and fitted, we can test this stunning Patek Philippe Chronometro Gondolo Pocket Watch before it is collected by our client. Be it a full service of a TAG Heuer, full restoration of an Antique Pocket Watch or a smaller job as in this instance; If you’re looking for a watch service that combines experience, trust, and convenience, we are here to help. Our watch repair experts are ready to restore your timepiece to its best. Get in touch today or use our fully insured FREEPOST service to begin your watch repair.
