Heuer and Tag Heuer 1000 Restoration Parts and Service

J
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They really are nice now-vintage (to most people anyway) pieces which had a long production run of over 10 years with little in the way of major styling changes.

Most for sale have either had a rough utilitarian life or just plain neglected which makes restoring them so satisfying. Some like patina but at the price points these are at one can have one restored without too much worry about value if done correctly. Hell, most can be made to look like new with the right parts and TLC.

They do represent a very good value for a classically styled dive watch. Most versions (full-size and jumbo) can be had for under $1k with some being far far below that. Sure there are the rarer birds out there commanding more but you can always get close to the same look as the more expensive versions for much less that just need some work.

I'm happy to have stoked the 1000's fire in some of the members out there!
 
automobilia42
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J Jkbenn02
Some like patina but at the price points these are at one can have one restored without too much worry about value if done correctly. Hell, most can be made to look like new with the right parts and TLC.
Amen to that!
J Jkbenn02
I'm happy to have stoked the 1000's fire in some of the members out there!
👍
 
J
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Full-size two-tone (980.020) in for a complete overhaul. Stay tuned for the after pics...
 
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automobilia42
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Very interested to see the afterpics, here is some of my customer work I did recently, one 980.020 and one 984.013 (orig. Wolf of Wallstreet watch)

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J
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Finished this one today. In for service and some custom work for one of our good customers.


980.007 Jumbo Heuer project
 
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Hubert
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J Jkbenn02
Finished this one today. In for service and some custom work for one of our good customers.


980.007 Jumbo Heuer project
Interesting print "Made in France".
 
J
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Got to do something I've been putting off for a while....hand restoration...lots of them. It takes a long time to strip, clean, polish, and lume.
Edited:
 
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J
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Yes, this project needed a dial and the one was sourced by the owner.

The first of the Heuer jumbos were made my G. Monnin in France. This occurred for a few years until production moved to Switzerland. After the move the Swiss Made replaced the Made in France.
Edited:
 
Hubert
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J Jkbenn02
Yes, this project needed a dial and the one was sourced in collaboration with the owner.

The first of the Heuer jumbos were made my G. Monnin in France. This occurred for a few years until production moved to Switzerland. After the move the Swiss Made replaced the Made in France.
Interesting; keep up the good work!
 
J
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Oh that was a nice one compared to the next one. Check this one out, fresh in today for a full restoration (well.. resto-mod shall we say). It is a 980.029 that has seen better days for sure. It needs a laundry list full of parts and service but it will be overhauled in the style of a two-tone 980.020 (gold and stainless). The pvd will be removed and the case will be polished and brushed after that.

It has a badly stained dial, incorrect seconds hand, worn minute hand, bad movement, crispy hardened gaskets, worn case & crystal, etc. This should be quite the transformation. I will attribute most of the damage to the crown on this. It is smaller than it should've been (not the problem though). It was the crown gasket that failed and led to destruction of the internals.
 
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Hubert
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Looking forward to the "after" pictures.
 
dtf
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There's some really impressive work there. Are you able to repair pvd coatings and gold plating? I'm trying to decide which 1000 I should buy 😀 how reliable are the movements after all this time?
 
automobilia42
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dtf dtf
There's some really impressive work there. Are you able to repair pvd coatings and gold plating? I'm trying to decide which 1000 I should buy 😀 how reliable are the movements after all this time?
Movements are good, unless they have had water-damage. Parts are still available, although for the older movements it is getting harder to get them and you have to search for new old stock. As for the gold plating: no problem, but the pvd coating is a pain in the butt. It can be done but stripping off the old pvd, polishing it up to a new one and then put on a new pvd coating is very time consuming.
If you want to go for a nice original pvd-coated one, just get the best watch you can find available.

J Jkbenn02
It was the crown gasket that failed and led to destruction of the internals.
90% of the 1000's are killed by that as I have found out over the years, as the rubber o-gasket turns into some goo, like chewing gum.
 
J
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I agree to all that was said above. I stock all movements for all executions of the 1000s so that is generally not an issue. If NOS or serviced they are pretty reliable, especially the last execution of which movements are still available new at very reasonable prices.

I will not be coating this again, like he said, too expensive (+$800 per watch). It will be stainless and gold like the two-tone 980.020 models.
 
automobilia42
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Most of the time I went like this:
P1210983.JPG

Just to keep the model intact with the number on the caseback, but your option is a good one too.
Looking forward seeing the after pictures, keep the pictures coming in!
 
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