Contact Me

My grandfather's and grandmother's Rolex wristwatches
Click image to enlarge

Contents
Asking Questions
Make a Donation
Watch Servicing
Copyright

Hi, I'm David. I am always happy to hear if you have comments on this web site, or questions about a watch, or about British or Swiss hallmarks.

I live in Cheshire, England. I am a Chartered Engineer with a background in Nuclear Power Station design and construction, nuclear safety, systems analysis and Information Technology. I am interested in history, engineering and technology generally. I got interested in early wristwatches when I inherited my grandfather's and grandmother's vintage 1917/1918 Rolex wristwatches, shown in the picture here.

I needed a strap so that I could wear my grandfather's watch, but I couldn't find one so I had some made. In the process of researching what a strap should look like for an early fixed wire lug wristwatch. I got so interested in old watches that I now have a significant collection of early wristwatches, I have learnt to service and restore my own watches, and I write about the history and technology of watches and about the watch industry.

In January 2019, my research led to me being made a Fellow of the British Horological Institute (BHI). I am also a member of the British Watch and Clock Makers' Guild (BWCMG), the Antiquarian Horological Society (AHS) and the American National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC). In addition to the research published on this web site, I have also had a number of articles published in the BWCMG's journal, the British Horological Institute's journal and the NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin .

Asking Questions

If you want to ask a question about a watch or a hallmark, I am happy to try to answer. Before emailing, please read the points below.

I don't give appraisals or valuations. If that is what you want, ask an auctioneer.
I can't help with modern (post-WW2) watches, electrical, battery or quartz watches.
If the watch case has marks that you think might be hallmarks, start at this page: Case Marks
If there is no obvious maker's name or brand, start at this page: Who Made My Watch?
To find out what you can learn from serial numbers or other numbers and letters, including hand made marks, click on this link Numbers and Letters.
The meaning of the letters F.S.A.R, or A.F.R.S, on a movement is explained at Regulators
If you have an English watch and don't know how to access the movement, see Bolt and Joint Cases.
Before asking about an anonymous movement, read Movement Identification.

If these points don't answer your question and you want to send me an email, please click on this link: Email Me a Question.

Donations

If you enjoy this website,
why not buy me a coffee?

I am happy to answer questions for free, but if I have answered a question or you find the information on this web site useful and would like to express your appreciation, then of course I am happy to receive a donation towards the cost of running the website. You can use the PayPal button below to make a donation, or for a quick “thanks” you could use the “Buy me a coffee” button.

Watch Care and Servicing

A watch is a complicated and delicate machine and it needs cleaning and oiling every so often to reduce wear and prolong life, even if it appears to be working perfectly well. Read more about this on my page Looking after a mechanical watch. There is also advice on that page about how to find a reliable watch repairer to service and repair your watch. Don't rely on qualifications alone, a certificate only shows that someone put in enough effort at one time to pass a test, it doesn't tell you about their approach to looking after a customer and their treasured watch. Do some background research.

Copyright

Some people seem to feel that anything published on the internet can be copied freely; this is not true. Everything belongs to its author or creator and, except where noted otherwise, all the text and images on this website are my copyright.

This extends to images that I have obtained from original sources such as adverts, patents etc that are out of copyright, where I have found or scanned the original image, edited it to remove defects and make it clearer, rearranged elements to make it more suitable for a web page, coloured parts for easier understanding, etc, etc. My copyright is the resulting unique image.

The research published on this web site is free for all to read, but I have put a lot of time and effort into creating the content and I would prefer my hard work to be acknowledged; I think that is only fair, don't you?

You may use short quotes or an image from my web site for non-commercial use (including blogs and private eBay listings) so long as you include a statement that you got the image or information from my website and credit David Boettcher, VintageWatchstraps.com. If you use an image this must be in a caption of the picture. I leave the exact words to you, but e.g. “Image credit; David Boettcher, VintageWatchstraps.com”.

Ebay doesn't allow links, so please credit my name David Boettcher and my website as VintageWatchstraps.

Please note that use of large sections of text or multiple images is not allowed without prior permission, which usually will be granted if you ask.

For any commercial use please contact me first. I use low resolution images on the web site because they are appropriate for computer screens and reduce loading time. These are not suitable for print medium; higher resolution versions may be available on request.

For any requests to use copyright material, please contact me at

If you have any comments or questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch via my Contact Me page.

Back to the top of the page.