In-Depth: Smoke And Mirrors In The American Watchmaking Industry
Recently there has been a resurgence of new American watch brands, selling "handmade watches,” “manufactured” and “built” in America. Bringing watch manufacturing back to the USA is a huge and exciting undertaking that a wide audience of watch customers are eagerly waiting for. The problem is, a lot of the watch brands advertising using those slogans are not telling the truth. If your watch is Made in USA, the movement inside it also needs to be made in the USA. Some background helps for clarity. A mechanical watch consists of a case, strap or bracelet, dial, hands and movement. The movement is the engine of a watch, containing all of the parts that make a watch tick. A very simple mechanical watch movement will contain around 50 individual parts. The movement is not one part, like the case is. The movement consists of the majority of parts in a mechanical watch, and is very expensive and time consuming to manufacture.

Sizing an AP Bracelet
Easy to do?Does an AP RO simply have screws in the last link / attached to the clasp?Wondering if you can simply use a screwdriver Vs. pushing out the pins ala Omega. If so, which screwdriver do folks recommend?If I get an AP in the not too distant future from TRF for example...the one AD in town says a sizing would take a few hours as I would have to leave the watch. He also asked several irrelevant questions which did not provide me with much confidence. Wondering if folks work on their own bracelets for the most part.Thanks

I'm going through withdraw...
Today marked the 7th day I've been without my AP. I have to send the watch in to APSC in Clearwater for 3rd year warranty, smudges under the crystal, and change to the short rubber strap. AP told me it would take 4 weeks! this has been one of the longest 7 days so I don't know how I could wait another 3 weeks In the mean time, please post your RGRC pictures Here's mine:

So I get my new (to me) watch back...
I acquired a Seamaster 120 automatic about a month or so ago. I found it on the timezone forums for a terrific price and couldn't pass it up for a full box and papers watch. The watch was gently worn for about a year and then put in a drawer for the last ten or so years. I had it about three weeks and knew it needed a service (i knew when i bought it it needed servicing). I took it to my local watchmaker who did a full internal servicing for $125. I go and pick it up today and I was less than thrilled. When he serviced my DJ last year, I found dust under he crystal. He took care of it at the point I brought it back to him. I get handed my new beauty today and it looks good inside. I pay and leave. As soon as i walk outside, I immediately notice TWO specks of dust on the dial and hands. Maybe I am super critical... maybe I was just hoping for a different outcome than last time... I decided not to bring it back to him to fix. I feel that a servicing for $125 is still a good price even if

Omega Seamaster Pro Chrono (incoming)
I used to have the 2594.50 Omega AC Chrono and sold it. Like all us watch afficionados, we have seller's remorse later on or right after it.I had that remorse and started to look for it again. Found one, w hich was the non AC model 2594.52, pulled the trigger from a reputable TZer.This watch is no longer in production and it was hard to find it, and I got lucky when the seller posted the watch at the time that I was looking for one.Going to be shipped out tomorrow, now for the hard part... the waiting game