105.012-65 UK Service Time!... But where? And who's gonna have the loupe in his expert mince pie?

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 8:26am

Merry Xmas everybody! Nonuffink Bloke here.

I've called Simon Freese's number a couple of times, over the last few days, but couldn't get an answer. I also called Swiss Time Services, to find out if they are still sorting out 321 movements.

A very nice young lady tried to get an answer from the STS workshop, but said it would need to be inspected to see if any parts would be required. She suggested that "parts" would be the deciding factor.

I've noticed that the power reserve, on my Dad's old Speedmaster, isn't quite what it was, of late. I took it into Simon Freese, a few years ago, and when I picked it up it was running very nicely.

I would prefer that it went back to Simon, for a service, but as a plan B, I would be fairly confident with another service by STS.

Anyone know what the score is, regarding UK Omega 321 servicing in 2026?

If I call Omega, it's "No, it has to go to the Swiss workshop". where as, with STS, it seems to be a maybe. Any ideas on what the state of play is chaps?

As some of you know, I only own one watch, so I have to get it right.

(Anyway... I'll attach a few blatantly shameless photo's, just to refresh your memories. Please excuse the dodgy blue strap. I'm wearing it a lot these days and It feels a bit safer on that, rather than the old 1970's 1171/633)

Kind regards, Jonathan.

YY77 · Tues. 8:31am

Read this first before you go with plan A

https://omegaforums.net/threads/simon-freese.149243/

Thread 'Simon Freese' ·

Hi OF
Looking for some help is Simon Freese still in Business the reason for asking I have been trying to get in touch with him for a week now by phone and email without much success .

thanks

Steve1haggart · Aug 12, 2022

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 8:42am

YY77
Read this first before you go with plan A

https://omegaforums.net/threads/simon-freese.149243/

Thread 'Simon Freese' ·
Hi OF
Looking for some help is Simon Freese still in Business the reason for asking I have been trying to get in touch with him for a week now by phone and email without much success .

thanks

Steve1haggart · Aug 12, 2022

Thankyou @YY77 I suppose my two, recent, unanswered calls are not much of a worry really.

Dan S · Tues. 8:53am

Many of us have had good experiences with @Mitka . https://mitka.co.uk/

reggie_v · Tues. 11:36am

As others have mentioned I'd be cautious of going to Simon Freese. I know he has quite the backlog of watches.

I would highly recommend taking the watch to Wheelers in Worthing, West Sussex. Not quite the same reputation as some others - but I only mean that in the sense they're very much a local shop, and they're not particularly active on social media. That being said I lived in Worthing for 27 years and Wheelers have an outstanding reputation along the south coat - especially for Vintage Rolex and Omega in particular. I still work in Worthing and see them regularly. They're an old school shop, but have a modern approach. It's a family business and the two sons Ben and Chris are now doing the majority of the repairs. He's serviced a number of my Dads vintage clocks along with all of my 300 bumper series movements and 500 series movements. In addition to that he has serviced my friends pre moon 321 speedy.

He can sometimes run into parts issues due to restrictions from Omega much like all the other independents. That being said he does have a parts account. He's also been building a stock of vintage omega parts for the last 5 years since supply became more restricted. I need a new crystal, case clamp and a few other movement parts which replaced of which he had in stock just from spares.

I may be a bit biased here but I've been meaning to give Wheelers a shout out on the forum for some time as I know how hard it can be to find a good watchmaker.

I wholeheartedly recommend him. https://wheelersclocks.com/

This also tells you a bit about Chris and the family, and what accreditations they have: https://wheelersclocks.com/meet-the-team-wheelers-horologists/

Their google reviews say it all really.

He's serviced all of these for me (see below picture). Albeit yours is a more complex movement than what are in my Connie's.

Just for balance, only thing he's not great at by his own admission is polishing cases (of which most of us wouldn't have done anyway) He's just not setup for it.

Please do consider them. I'd be happy to put you in touch.

Cheers
Reggie

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 11:51am

Dan S
Many of us have had good experiences with @Mitka . https://mitka.co.uk/

Thankyou Dan. Where is Mitka based? South or up North?

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 11:57am

reggie_v
As others have mentioned I'd be cautious of going to Simon Freese. I know he has quite the backlog of watches.

I would highly recommend taking the watch to Wheelers in Worthing, West Sussex. Not quite the same reputation as some others - but I only mean that in the sense they're very much a local shop, and they're not particularly active on social media. That being said I lived in Worthing for 27 years and Wheelers have an outstanding reputation along the south coat - especially for Vintage Rolex and Omega in particular. I still work in Worthing and see them regularly. They're an old school shop, but have a modern approach. It's a family business and the two sons Ben and Chris are now doing the majority of the repairs. He's serviced a number of my Dads vintage clocks along with all of my 300 bumper series movements and 500 series movements. In addition to that he has serviced my friends pre moon 321 speedy.

He can sometimes run into parts issues due to restrictions from Omega much like all the other independents. That being said he does have a parts account. He's also been building a stock of vintage omega parts for the last 5 years since supply became more restricted. I need a new crystal, case clamp and a few other movement parts which replaced of which he had in stock just from spares.

I may be a bit biased here but I've been meaning to give Wheelers a shout out on the forum for some time as I know how hard it can be to find a good watchmaker.

I wholeheartedly recommend him. https://wheelersclocks.com/

This also tells you a bit about Chris and the family, and what accreditations they have: https://wheelersclocks.com/meet-the-team-wheelers-horologists/

Their google reviews say it all really.

He's serviced all of these for me (see below picture). Albeit yours is a more complex movement than what are in my Connie's.

Just for balance, only thing he's not great at by his own admission is polishing cases (of which most of us wouldn't have done anyway) He's just not setup for it.

Please do consider them. I'd be happy to put you in touch.

Cheers
Reggie

Thankyou Reggie. I live on the Dorset coast, but often nip along the M27 & A27 to visit family in Littlehampton. Maybe I will combine my next trip with a visit to Wheelers.
Cheers, Jonathan.

P.S. lovely selection of watches, in your photograph. I love those dials.

reggie_v · Tues. 12:11pm

nonuffinkbloke
Thankyou Reggie. I live on the Dorset coast, but often nip along the M27 & A27 to visit family in Littlehampton. Maybe I will combine my next trip with a visit to Wheelers.
Cheers, Jonathan.

P.S. lovely selection of watches, in your photograph. I love those dials.

That’s handy. Definitely stop in if you get time. Worthings not a bad day out either really.

Thank you for the kind words! Likewise, beautiful speedy. Stunning dial.

skand · Tues. 12:14pm

My Speedy is from January 19, 1967. So 13 days younger than yours.

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 12:20pm

reggie_v
That’s handy. Definitely stop in if you get time. Worthings not a bad day out either really.

Thank you for the kind words! Likewise, beautiful speedy. Stunning dial.

Thankyou @reggie_v . That photo of my dear old Dad, in Cornwall, was taken in the 1970's. You can see that the dial was still black then. I've had it since 2003 and have no idea if it changed before or since then???

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 12:46pm

skand
My Speedy is from January 19, 1967. So 13 days younger than yours.

Wow! @skand. What a beautiful watch and I love that flat link bracelet. (I accidently broke my Dad's original, flat link bracelet, back in the early 1970's.)

The slightly darker contrast of the main dial, with the sub dials, looks amazing.

And yes, very close together, in January 1967. My serial is 24.531***. Interesting how the surface texture of your dial looks very similar to my dial... and that they both turned brown, in Northern European climates. Is your case reference also a 105.012-65?

reggie_v · Tues. 1:14pm

nonuffinkbloke
Thankyou @reggie_v . That photo of my dear old Dad, in Cornwall, was taken in the 1970's. You can see that the dial was still black then. I've had it since 2003 and have no idea if it changed before or since then???

It’s funny with Speedmaster dials, I wouldn’t opt for patina on any watch but a speedy. It just seems to work and they go the right colour! Love it.

Best of luck with your search for a service. Keep us updated on who you take it to. Hopefully they’ll do a good job.

Merry Christmas!

nonuffinkbloke · Tues. 1:17pm

reggie_v
It’s funny with Speedmaster dials, I wouldn’t opt for patina on any watch but a speedy. It just seems to work and they go the right colour! Love it.

Best of luck with your search for a service. Keep us updated on who you take it to. Hopefully they’ll do a good job.

Merry Christmas!

Cheers Reggie. 👍

skand · Tues. 1:22pm

nonuffinkbloke
Wow! @skand. What a beautiful watch and I love that flat link bracelet. (I accidently broke my Dad's original, flat link bracelet, back in the early 1970's.)

The slightly darker contrast of the main dial, with the sub dials, looks amazing.

And yes, very close together, in January 1967. My serial is 24.531***. Interesting how the surface texture of your dial looks very similar to my dial... and that they both turned brown, in Northern European climates. Is your case reference also a 105.012-65?

Yes, it is also 105.012-65. That's why when I saw the Extract attached to your Speedy, I reacted spontaneously by posting a picture of my

Evitzee · Tues. 5:42pm

This is a situation that needs to be thought about. As time goes on and the original 321s need overhauls and replacement parts it will get harder and harder to maintain them. Both from a parts availability and from the dwindling qualified watch guys who can properly attend to them. My Ed White 321 was sold out of an Omega Boutique in Jan 2021, still working perfectly but will soon be out of warranty. But at least I know there will be no problems with getting it serviced in Bienne. It might be gone for awhile, but repairability is assured.

Some collectors love the vintage vibe and look of a nicely lived in 321, and that's fine, but just remember there can be issues involved when, not if, it needs service. If you have access to a well qualified repair guy, excellent, otherwise you are kinda on your own.

UncleBuck · Tues. 6:22pm

Evitzee
If you have access to a well qualified repair guy, excellent, otherwise you are kinda on your own.

True words in the middle US.!
Sending to Bienne is sacrilegious but it is a floor underneath us.
I am exhausted searching for local smith's and "makers" and starting to look at the old pieces as headstones, commemerating a bygone
era.
We don't need the time function, only the history, science and art functions!
Alexander Bell's telephones, Tesla's wireless or coil, Wozniak and Jobs Apple II, do we obsess with flawless current operation or accept the impact on our lives?
I am afraid that one day, my watch (es) will no longer work or be repairable, will not tell time but will only be beautiful examples of history and art and will be imited to passing on the feelings and the life of those days gone by,

They do carry their past in my heart, won't they continue for the future?

Good to see you, Jonathan!

ErichKeane · Tues. 6:31pm

Evitzee
This is a situation that needs to be thought about. As time goes on and the original 321s need overhauls and replacement parts it will get harder and harder to maintain them. Both from a parts availability and from the dwindling qualified watch guys who can properly attend to them. My Ed White 321 was sold out of an Omega Boutique in Jan 2021, still working perfectly but will soon be out of warranty. But at least I know there will be no problems with getting it serviced in Bienne. It might be gone for awhile, but repairability is assured.

Some collectors love the vintage vibe and look of a nicely lived in 321, and that's fine, but just remember there can be issues involved when, not if, it needs service. If you have access to a well qualified repair guy, excellent, otherwise you are kinda on your own.

My understanding is that the modern 321 parts are all effectively identical/compatible with the originals. So parts availability are equal, right?

Or am I mistaken about the movement parts compatibility?

UncleBuck · Tues. 6:43pm

ErichKeane
My understanding is that the modern 321 parts are all effectively identical/compatible with the originals. So parts availability are equal, right?

Or am I mistaken about the movement parts compatibility?

Science and technology are going to solve our parts problems, it's the technician/craftsman/historian that I fear will be of short supply.

SOG53 · Tues. 7:18pm

nonuffinkbloke
Wow! @skand. What a beautiful watch and I love that flat link bracelet. (I accidently broke my Dad's original, flat link bracelet, back in the early 1970's.)

The slightly darker contrast of the main dial, with the sub dials, looks amazing.

And yes, very close together, in January 1967. My serial is 24.531***. Interesting how the surface texture of your dial looks very similar to my dial... and that they both turned brown, in Northern European climates. Is your case reference also a 105.012-65?

Here’s another 24531.xxx 105.012-65 to send holiday greetings!

sheepdoll · Tues. 7:50pm

UncleBuck
Science and technology are going to solve our parts problems,

If only.

The issue remains that 3d printed or laser cut parts are not "factory." So like repainted dials, watches with such items will remain of lesser value. Parts made outside Switzerland will remain suspect.

AI generated answers tend to be 'good enough.' So history in the future will be more fantasy of what people want to believe rather than vetted scholarship. Especially when the story does not match the current narrative. The simplest answers will prevail, so like the pyramids, only space aliens had the knowledge to manufacture mechanical watches 😉

105.012-65 UK Service Time!... But where? And who's gonna have the loupe in his expert mince pie?

nonuffinkbloke

YY77

nonuffinkbloke

Dan S

reggie_v

nonuffinkbloke

nonuffinkbloke

reggie_v

skand

nonuffinkbloke

nonuffinkbloke

reggie_v

nonuffinkbloke

skand

Evitzee

UncleBuck

ErichKeane

UncleBuck

SOG53

sheepdoll

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(7th August 2019 Simon Freese Test and Regulate update) My Dad's 105.012-65.