June 12, 2013
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In the Old Days, You Fixed Things!
In the old days, you fixed things!
Take pocket watches for example!
This one was made in 1928 and still runs perfectly!
See where it says 20 years on the case?
This is a gold plated watch case, and the case was warranted to not wear through to the base metal for 20 years! When the case wore through or became damaged, you went into the watchmaker (they had them in almost every town) and you bought a new watch case and fixed the watch!Also, every two or 3 years you took the watch back to the watch maker and had the watch cleaned, oiled, and adjusted so it kept good time and lasted for 100 years! This one still keeps good time!
I have about 6 family pocket watches dating back to 1867 - and they most all work - except for the cheap dollar watch my granddad got when he was a kid around 1910. He probably paid a dollar for it.
It used to be things were built and designed to last a life time - or 2 or 3!
Now days, you can expect a quartz watch to have a lifetime of 10-15 years before the batteries become obsolete and parts are no longer available. They truly do not make things like they used to!
Comments (7)
Do you know of a watch maker that still makes "wind-up" pocket watches that are worth a hoot? I purchased a very cool looking one from wal-mart and it lasted six hours then stopped...forever!
Sail on... sail on!!!
Sad that they don't make things that last very long!
Old days, shmold days... I still try to fix things. Why just yesterday afternoon I tried to fix my stare at the back of my eyelids. It took a good couple of hours to get it right....
@dreadpirate - Oh! There are individual watchmakers that have to ability to make their own watches - but seldom do because there is not a decent living to be made on it. I have a mechanical watch my mom got me about 10 years ago - it still works. But other that the old Hamilton pocket watches, I don't know much about current pocket watches.
Wish someone could fix my puter!
My grandpa used to have a pocket watch. I just loved it. I found one with a train on it that I wanted, but it looked cheaply made so I decided against it. You're right, they don't make them like they used to.
I have the watch that my great grandfather gave my great grandmother for their wedding... it is from 1901! Not a pocket watch, but a pendant watch!