Guest Post: Restoring Pre Owned Longines Watches - Do You Opt For Dial Restoration?

Ive always believed that re-dialling a pre owned Longines watch is only an option when one has no option, but of course the older they get, and the fact that many manufacturers have run out of dials for pre owned Longines watches, means that it will, ultimately, be the only option for corroded or damaged dials.

There are numerous dial re-finishing houses around the world, but judging from the redials Ive seen there are some absolute corkers! (to use a local colloquilism) Many problems arise from redialling, such as badly painted minute markers; smudgy and poorly reproduced script; substandard coatings and paint edges; inappropriate and non-authentic colours and finishes and uneven symmetry of the lettering, to name a few.

Ive been searching around for examples of good rediallers and they are few and far between. A bad re-dial with inaccurate detailing can have the value of your watch dropping quicker than a souffle put in a refrigerator! It's fair to say that there are many more slap-dash, incompetent and inferior refinishing houses than there are high quality re-dialers. So, if you chance upon one, treat him like royalty.

When you are in contact with a dial refinishing house do your homwwork and establish the quality of the work before you commit.

Make sure you ask for examples or high resolution pictures of their work and match them with authentic dials to ascertain how professional their work is. I recommend you adhere to the following procedures when having a dial refinished:

· Have the dial removed or remove it yourself if you have the skill

· Take large close-ups of the dial, case and movement - this will become clear below. Make sure you identify your watch amongst the scans you send to a re-dialler as an estimate will only be as accurate as the information you provide.

· Write out exactly and expressly a set of instructions in respect to what you want done to the dial. Make sure you identify the areas in which you wish special care to be taken. For example, request an exact a replication of the script and the positioning of the script; state expressly that the colour of the dial must be as near to original as possibly. (If you have scans of reference dials or big scans of brochures of your watch include them as examples)

· Give instructions in respect to the logo and markers - if you want them repolished make sure you state that repolishing is required.

· Ask the re-dialler to check the dial posts, and if there any dents or damage to the dial.

· If the dial is corroded beyond recognition, you may have difficulty with some refinishing houses as they may be reluctant to provide you with a dial that indicates the watch is an officially certified Constellation chronometer if you cannot prove it is. This is where the pics of the movement and case, brochures, and pics of reference Constellations may come in handy.

You may have to provide a comparative anaysis of your watch against the specifications of a Constellation. For example, pointing to the rotor bridge and train bridge of the movement showing the correct stamping, and comparing the case style and backcase case numbers that show your watch is authentic. If a re-dialler still wont play ball - choose another who will. Ask for a quotation before giving authority to proceed. When you receive your dial back, examine it closely with a loupe to ensure that it resembles as accurately as possible a genuine Constellation dial. Compare it against reference pictures of authentic dials. You'll never get an 100 percent exact replication of an authentic dial, so the issue here is to get as close as possible - the closer the better and this is the essential difference between a professional re-finishing house and a bodgy operation.

Is YouTube the Right Channel for Your Business?

Studies show that videos are 53 times more likely to make the first page of Google rankings and have a 43 percent higher click-through rate than other types of content. However, the creation and management of video may be intimidating to small business owners (particularly if they have no in-house production people or equipment.) So before you take your first steps, here’s a few things to know about video and YouTube, the top video channel and popular social network, and how they can help increase your exposure and meet your company’s needs.

The power of video

Because videos require no reading, they are often the most engaging form of online content and thereby have the potential to proliferate, go viral, and gain you new followers in ways even the best blog posts or tweets simply can’t. Whenever the key search words relate to a video's title, that video will appear earlier in search rankings, often in the first or second position. This means small business owners gain more value and win the numbers game when posting video content, but again, the process begins with keyword searches relevant to your business.

YouTube in your industry

To understand your company's potential on video channels, go to YouTube and do a keyword search relevant to your business and industry. Now watch some of those videos to see if they are actually relevant and also read the description and look for links in the video content to confirm that they meet the promise of the keyword. If few or non-relevant results are showing up, it means there’s space for your company to make an impact.

In addition to the advantage videos have in search engines, business owners have an advantage in the way YouTube charges for advertising. You only pay the full cost of an ad if the viewer watches the entire 30 second ad, so your business receives free exposure if the viewer clicks through. Ideally, you’d prefer that they view your entire message, but if not, it’s good to know that you’ve at least made an initial impression and it didn’t cost you.

The right video strategy for you

While small business owners may not be able to compete with large brands that hire professional video production crews, with a little time and patience any company can create videos using the Google+ feature called Hangouts on Air. Using this function of Google's social network, business owners (or an individual employee) can interact with customers via live tutorials, product demos, explanations of your brand mission, and more. After recording the piece, you can add keywords and an appropriate title before uploading it to YouTube. Finding the right subject for your video and determining who can best deliver your message will be your biggest concerns, as these types of videos are free but still capable of attracting a great deal of attention to your company.

Finally, you don’t have to be a master of social media marketing to make an impact with your video once it’s ready. Companies like Constant Contact can develop and assist you with your social campaigns on YouTube, Facebook and other channels and help you market your video to gain the brand exposure you’re seeking.