WHO TO FOLLOW: @wristwatch-revival is keeping the past alive
Ricardo SimeThe vintage watch. A bogeyman to many a modern collector, it represents a mountain that seems too high to climb. Hard to find parts. Decades worth of damage. Frankenstein internals. Yet, even with all these potential pitfalls, vintage watches are still physical memories of our past. As such, whenever possible, they should be restored and preserved. One man doing this work, and who has absolutely mesmerised watch collectors with his before and after prowess is @wristwatch-revival.
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That account is run by Marshall Sutcliffe. He started posting these captivating restoration videos on his YouTube channel two years ago. Yet the first time his channel came to my attention was a restoration video he did of an Omega Seamaster 120. Between his delivery and the way he explains the process, time just flies by. That’s why I had to get him on Who To Follow.
Time+ Tide: Marshall, how did you get interested in restoration and watches?
Marshall Sutcliffe: “I was collecting vintage watches for a few years, and I found a YouTube channel call the Watch Repair Channel. I was fascinated by what I saw, and I realised that my job and hobbies had almost all become computer and online based and I missed working with my hands.”
T+T: What work did you use to do with your hands?
MS: “I used to work on cars with my dad, but he passed away a few years back and I live in a city now so I don’t have the space for tools and a garage.”
T+T: So watch restoration?
MS: “Yeah. I asked myself if maybe restoring vintage watches might be a good substitute since I could do it at my desk. After taking the courses offered by Mark Lovick who runs the Watch Repair Channel, I found my answer! I’ve been down the rabbit hole ever since.”
T+T: That is a very deep rabbit hole. One question I have to ask before I let you go. Your passion for this really comes through the screen. Especially in that moment in every video when you pop the mainspring back in the barrel. What is it about that process that you like so much?
MS: “There’s just something really satisfying about the sound and feel it makes when it pops back in. It’s like you know it’s got all this energy stored up in it, but for now, that energy is safely harnessed. It’s really the best sound!”
As a watch collector, I’m starting to believe there is an intrinsic love for watch restoration videos if you love watches. Seeing someone bring a watch back to life so another generation can enjoy it, ensuring the stories of our past continue, highlights the romantic side of collecting. With Marshall walking us through the process, we also get a dose of the technical side of things. When you add to that the passion he has for what he does, I feel like I’ve learned more about the inner workings of a watch from him than from any course I’ve taken. And that’s precisely why @wristwatch-revival is worth your time and worth your follow.