Vintage Swiss Watches.

[Khandro]

I have a 50s or 60s 17 jewel, incabloc, Montine gold watch in good order (value about £175.) but the dial has a scratch due to someone in the past opening it clumsily.
I have seen a similar watch non-working for repair or spares on the internet with a good dial, for a tenner.
Does anyone know if changing dials is an expensive operation please?

[mikey4444]

Any good "old fashioned" jeweller should be able to put a new glass in this for you....ie, not a High Street one.

[Zacs-Master]

I remember having a Montine watch bought for me as a birthday present on a flight to Majorca in about 1977.
Hope you get it sorted Khandro.

[Khandro]

mikey; thanks, but it's not the glass that's scratched it is the dial face.
I've signed up to a website called Watch Forum and I hope to get some info from there.
Zacs, what happened to the watch?

[Zacs-Master]

Khandro, do you know, I've no idea. It had a metallic blue face and a SS strap. That's all i can remember.

[EDDIE51]

It would not be difficult to change to the dial from the nonworking watch. You could do it yourself if you feel confident to remove the hands and refit them.
But I would get a jeweler or watch repair shop to do it. Shop around and don't take the first price offered. It will only take a watch repair place a few minutes but they may try to charge a lot of cash trying to claim it is a difficult job when it's not.
I once had a vintage fountain pen with a Silver band that had come apart at the seem. The first place I asked wanted £200 and to take a week to 'silver solder' it back together, I went to a small independent jeweler who did it while I waited for £15 !

[ToraToraTora]

shouldn't be too difficult and you can practice on the donor watch, so you will know exactly how it works when you change it on your existing watch. worth a go, don't force anything and if you can't get it right take the lot to a watchmaker but I reckon you can do it. Also get a loupe they help enormously.