What should I do with this Omega?

What should I do with this Omega?

Author
Discussion

rlg43p

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

248 months

Saturday 12th September 2020
quotequote all
I am a watch novice so please excuse some fairly basic questions.

This watch was my father's, given to him for 25 years of employment/service at Shell. It still keeps very good time and I like to wear it.

However the inside of the glass will mist up and I wonder if it should be serviced. It is from 1976 and I don't know if it has ever had any maintenance. I have had a look online and the suggestion is that a service will cost around £450 - I am not sure the watch is even worth that much...

Should I get it serviced?
Is it worth getting it serviced as it isn't one of the most valuable types of watch?
How much should I expect to pay?
How to I choose the best place to get a service performed? (I live near Stratford-on-Avon)

Any advice gratefully received.



Edited by rlg43p on Saturday 12th September 15:44

thebraketester

14,191 posts

137 months

Saturday 12th September 2020
quotequote all
rlg43p said:
Should I get it serviced?
Is it worth getting it serviced as it isn't one of the most valuable types of watch?
How much should I expect to pay?
How to I choose the best place to get a service performed? (I live near Stratford-on-Avon)
Yes.
Yes. Sentimental value > Actual value.
Don't know.
Don't know.

TR4man

5,207 posts

173 months

Saturday 12th September 2020
quotequote all
If it helps, I have a very similar watch which I bought six years ago. It cost me £295 and came with it’s original boxes so I guess it would not be cost effective to have yours serviced apart from the sentimental value. Perhaps Google a local watch repairer and see how much they would charge rather than an Omega specialist?



If your watch mists up, then I wonder if by putting it in the airing cupboard for a few days will help dry it out?

Edited by TR4man on Saturday 12th September 17:33

Dolf Stoppard

1,318 posts

121 months

Saturday 12th September 2020
quotequote all
I think you could do a lot worse than asking Christopher Poel in the centre of Stratford. One of those shops that can look a bit tatty but a fair selection of high end watches for sale including vintage Omegas.

GCH

3,984 posts

201 months

Sunday 13th September 2020
quotequote all
Service, strap and will be good for another fifty years.
Sentimental value is priceless. £450 service price is via omega - I had the same model serviced for under £200 a few years back (he is now retired before you ask where!)

AndrewCrown

2,280 posts

113 months

Sunday 13th September 2020
quotequote all
Dolf Stoppard said:
I think you could do a lot worse than asking Christopher Poel in the centre of Stratford. One of those shops that can look a bit tatty but a fair selection of high end watches for sale including vintage Omegas.
+1 for this suggestion...

I have a 60s Omega Constellation, serviced by a place like the above.. for around £100... i'd wager its just a seal to sort out the misting problem.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Sunday 13th September 2020
quotequote all
Id ask Joe at Anglesey Watch & Clock for a price. I have two similar and wouldnt entertain sending them to Omega or STS: it simply isnt worth it.

mikeveal

4,557 posts

249 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Stop wearing it.

Take it and get it serviced. As others have said, it is not worth a trip to a Omega. Find a local watchmaker, or use Joe or RiggaTheMighty if he's still here.
It's not a job for a shoe repairer with a side-line in changing watch batteries.

The water (sweat?) condensing on the inside of the crystal will also be condensing on the movement and the dial. Corrosion is underway and whilst the movement could be repaired, the dial will soon be ruined (in my opinion, others like to see them covered in age spots water marks, blemishes and rust) if you ignore the problem.

Ask the watchmaker to replace the seals on both the caseback and the stem (if it has one).

Lastly, this is a vintage watch. Don't expect it to be waterproof even after its been to watch hospital. Remove it when washing up and learn to wash your hands without getting it wet.

XJSJohn

15,959 posts

218 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
TR4man said:
If your watch mists up, then I wonder if by putting it in the airing cupboard for a few days will help dry it out?

Edited by TR4man on Saturday 12th September 17:33
Tupperware box full of rice for a day or 2 ..... works wonders at sucking moisture out.

Big_Dog

974 posts

184 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Have a look here: https://bhi.co.uk/repairer/
They may have a member near you that's a lot less expensive. Should be able to quote on the phone.

AJB88

12,263 posts

170 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
Watchguy.co.uk will do that for you no issue! he did my dads Rolex last year which has huge sentimental value to me. cost was circa £260.


JaseB

854 posts

260 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
Dolf Stoppard said:
I think you could do a lot worse than asking Christopher Poel in the centre of Stratford. One of those shops that can look a bit tatty but a fair selection of high end watches for sale including vintage Omegas.
Plus 2 for this, bought a Breitling from him years back

rlg43p

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

248 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
Thanks to all for your advice. I will call in to Christopher Poel in Stratford and see what they have to say.

rlg43p

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

248 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
Update: I went to Christopher Poel today. He tested the watch and said it didn't need servicing, He put it on some device to test the amplitude of its movement (?) and was amazed that it was still as good as some new watches. Said it was a mark of how good these old Omega watches were.

He gave me some advice as to how to take care of it and remove the moisture and supplied a nice new strap.

Thanks for the recommendation Dolf Stoppard

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
If it mists up it will be scrap sooner rather than later.

Terrible advice.

rlg43p

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

248 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
GC8 said:
If it mists up it will be scrap sooner rather than later.

Terrible advice.
He was concerned about the moisture I mentioned but advised on how I could get rid of it and prevent recurrence. I would stress it isn't permanently misted up.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
Do you only service your car when it breaks down or do you service it in order to prevent it from breaking down?

A misty watch needs thoroughly cleaning and re-sealing.

Terrible advice. Send it to a proper watchmaker and not a bodger who will fob you off.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
Cleaning refers to the stripping and removal of corrosion from the movement and the case.

GCH

3,984 posts

201 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
Great advice from that watchmaker rofl

You could have the movement removed from the case and loose on a bench and tested and it could give readings that it is running superbly. The oils could have dried up causing damage, but it may appear ok at that time.
The misting is not ok. Misting = moisture = corrosion. Not just the movement, but the hands, dial, the works.
I have issued and service worn watches from the 40s and not one of them mists up. If they did in any way, it would be serviced immediately.
I'm not one to buy into the excessive servicing schedule suggested by manufacturers nowadays, but this is a vintage piece, and clearly requires some attention.

For something so sentimental do you really think it is worth the risk?


Pro tip: when your windscreen falls out in the rain, use an umbrella to keep you dry. You will crash because you can't see, but at least you will be dry.


Edited by GCH on Thursday 22 October 20:25

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 22nd October 2020
quotequote all
I agree with the above. Awful advice.

Get it serviced properly. It’ll cost you a couple of hundred quid or so.

There’s no way I would try to skimp on that sort of cash when we are talking about a nice vintage watch with so much sentimental value.

If I was me I would send it off to a specialist for whatever it needed plus new strap etc. I wouldn’t be skimping on anything.