# Late Grandpa's Elco Auto



## Amphibimoose (Oct 30, 2007)

I posted this in the elderley gentlemans watch thread in general but nobody said anything, so I figured I owed my late Grandpa his own watch thread.









"I have this one that was passed down after my Grandpa died a few years ago, the case and Plexi are in poor condition, the movement is clean as a well kept whistle.

A little re-chroming, re-luming (of all the numbers and hands), a service and plexi will do it wonders. Tiny little thing though its easy to read, maybe if I do it up I will be able to use it in my later years.

It has what is apparently the first Automatic movement from ETA in it, the 1256 From around 1950ish."

I also love the red seconds hand, means that at a glance you know where everything is.





The pictures make it look in worse condition than it is, well....slightly.


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## Steve R (Sep 29, 2007)

There's a little charmer in there, behind the... very experienced glass! 










I've mentioned elsewhere that I recently found this old Helvetia watch which my late grandad stopped wearing in 1972 - he was not a chap to replace things for the sake of it, so the fact that the condition had deteriorated past the point where he (or more likely my nan!) was prepared to tolerate it says something about the state it was in!

When I wound it and to my surprise it ran well, though it had no strap and was pretty... well, skanky I suppose would be a word! I took it to my friendly watchmaker, and when he popped the back off we found a very nice 15 jewel Swiss movement which he stripped, cleaned and serviced and which now runs perfectly - it keeps almost bizarrely good time.

I had originally started out with similar intentions to your own, though had decided to keep the dial original just because I wanted it to be as my grandad knew it, not as someone with a paint brush thought it should look. However my watchmaker then put me off the re-chroming plan with some horror stories about cases coming back half-dissolved by the chemicals necessary to strip it back before plating. I'm not sure if there are clever ways to mitigate this risk, but given the sentimental value of the watch I decided not to take the chance. After establishing that the strip/clean/service would cost Â£75 and with Christmas lurking just around the corner I also decided to keep the original glass, my priority being to assure the watch's mechanical health. In hindsight that wasn't a good call - I've worn it several times since then and the aged case and dial I'm perfectly happy with, but the scratched glass bugs me. Next time I take a watch for service, we'll be swapping that I think!

All in all I think there's something particularly satisfying about returning old watches with family history into service, even if they're not worth a great deal in monetary terms. As long as they're mechanically healthy I'm happy with the lived-in look - its history is part of the charm after all







Good luck with your chosen course of action - I'll look out for the "after" pics in due course!

S.


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## Amphibimoose (Oct 30, 2007)

Steve R - I have noticed you love the Helvetia







You post about it alot and it reminds me of this little Elco. Classic timepiece.

I want to re-chrome the case to make sure the brass underneath ( I think its brass) doesnt get to the point that the lugs look like they have been used to open beer bottles. If you dont get it plated in some way it will wear away to nothing. One of the disadvantages of a base metal case.

I think re-luming the numbers on the dial would look brilliant so long as it was done well, the minute and hour hands need it. I would never get the dial re-painted.

The Plexi HAS to be replaced because it has a huge crack running from 3-9. Hard to see in the photo I posted.

But yes, I want to keep this going, it is a shame to have it looking sad and old. I always tell my customers that if they have received a watch through a will or it just being passed down it it worth taking care of. Time is of the essence and too precious to throw away.

Btw i bet you wear that little beauty alot


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## Steve R (Sep 29, 2007)

Amphibimoose said:


> Steve R - I have noticed you love the Helvetia
> 
> 
> 
> ...










I very nearly didn't post its picture because I've posted it so many times before, but then I thought "bah, why not!"











Amphibimoose said:


> Btw i bet you wear that little beauty alot


I do actually - more than is sensible I'm sure! It's only a baby, size-wise, but I've become very used to it - I usually wear a big ugly modern Tag and it's ever so slightly like having a Ford Fiesta strapped to my wrist in comparison!

By the way, if you do get yours plated I'd love to see a report and pictures - I would seriously consider getting mine done if I wasn't so concerned it would come back like a small silvery pebble!









S.


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

That's a nice piece with some serious wabi.

I like that it looks like it has been well used. Not hidden in a drawer. Gives the watch a bit of character.


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## rainbow2009 (Apr 27, 2009)

:rltb: Yeah.why didn't you post the pictures? I'd like to watch them 

pret auto


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## ChomPer (Jun 2, 2009)

What about a Orient Royal ... Elco


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