The "Bubble" is back!

To be certain, there are a lot of watches out there, and be certain as well that each one has a story.  This is the story of an orphan, born in Switzerland, separated from it's owner, badly injured and prematurely consigned to waste the rest of its life moldering in a watchmaker's drawer - forgotten... until one day last winter when I was visiting my friend Ali.  We were talking about family heirlooms, and how some had fallen into other people's hands.  I told him of a Rolex that my father had inherited from an uncle, which he gave to a good friend, who did heaven's knows what with it.  I actually do know what he did with it, but as this is a "family publication" I will keep that frustrating memory to myself.

I made it clear that I didn't want to just get a "new/other" Rolex, I wanted something different.  Just as when my wife and I added two cats to "team Henki" we adopted them, I was looking for something special in any new Rolex.

To which Ali said "let me show you something -"

In fairness it did not look this "good" ; )  It was in several different little boxes inside of another.

Its little heart was intact - but we weren't sure if would still be "beating".

And age had visited her face just like it will to all of us -

But both Ali and I saw something unquestionably beautiful about her.

So days turned to weeks, then months.  Ali worked at restoring this grand dame to her former self.

I suppose that this restoration was not unlike trying to restore a vintage classic car.  Most of the parts are not exactly something you can pick up at your local NAPA store.  This was no exception.  More than a few trips were made south to Los Angeles to obtain the various original parts needed.  And even then there was real artisan-type work needed.  From the roller to the balance - nearly everything had to be lathed, polished, adjusted and fussed over.

Sadly, all that Ali and I know about this particular bubble back is that she was brought to a watch maker in San Francisco at "some point", and was never picked-up.  The watch maker in turn sold her along with several other items to Ali as part of a bulk lot of items in the 90s.  And so she remained - disembodied, and forgotten.  Until last June when this project started.

And now, I would like to introduce you -

She is still having a few hiccups and will need to have some further "physical therapy", but I am very pleased to say that she is well on the road to being ready to rejoin the working world.  I suspect just a few more adjustments here and there - which I know Ali will be more than ready to take care of.