So this was the first watchmaking project I ever undertook. My curiosity, fascination with watches, and penchant for probably-harder-than-you-think projects all worked together to convince me that with a little practice and research I could endeavor to service my own timepieces. I shared this story a while back elsewhere on the internet but thought you folks might like a look as well. It's a bit of a read, my apologies.

The watch is a 1966 Seamaster DeVille reference B6671 cal 670 (Ross case) in solid 14k. I won it at auction for a decent price, taking a gamble that under the cracked, dirty crystal was a dial still in good shape. Luckily, this turned out to be the case.

Knowing full well I would likely destroy the first thing I touched, I purchased a spare Omega cal 671 movement for some practice. I stocked up on the basic tools I would need, plus replacement parts including a new crystal, mainspring, and strap.

I started by disassembling the spare movement, making sure to take detailed notes and keep the assorted parts organized. I did my best to clean all the components and "peg" the jewels before beginning reassembly. There were definitely some scary moments. I almost lost the barrel arbor (twice), and I broke two mainsprings and put the pallet fork in upside down. Luckily, things went much smoother the second time around while working on the watch itself.

After my rudimentary movement service, I relumed the hands using a “vintage patina” kit I found on eBay, then cleaned the case before reinstalling the movement and pressing in the new crystal. Overall, it was a rewarding (but also a little nerve-racking) experience. Next I plan to replace the crown before finding my next project!

Thanks for reading! And now for (an excessive number of) pics.

 

Give it for my watchmaker to make it his problem

 

Don't eat when servicing watches. You left some drops from your Turkish Delight in the barrel!




Well done and congrats on the final product. Rather beautiful.

 

I thought I would leave something sweet in there for next time haha

Thank you! It's on the wrist today and has a certain satisfaction to it. Some combination of DIY-pride with an undertone of "I hope I didn't mess this up."

 

Holy sh*t! You nailed it big time. Good job!

 

What a great result for your first project.

 

Hi cimo. As I was born in 1966 and am named Gordon after the England World Cup goalkeeper, I'm on the lookout for a 1966 Omega watch and have identified the Seamaster DeVille as a possibility, hence reading your post now. Your watch looks fabulous, congratulations on your excellent work. If you are thinking of selling it, perhaps to fund another project, please PM me.

 

Reviving an old thread, I was born too on 1966 and would love to buy a vintage piece from that year. Many choices available, many styles! A Seamaster 300 would be awesome, but crazy expensive for what I want, so probably will look for a Seamaster or Deville like the one highlighted here, but on steel (or perhaps white gold Constellation )

 

I came across a seamaster 300 that had the exact date of my birth in 1966 (had extract) . Unfortunately the dial was not very attractive so I passed.

Good luck with your search.

 

Impressive, well done.

 

That's a long winded way of saying "dibs".

 

Hi @OMEGAFOREVER, just an idea but for a 1966 birth year watch I think the Seamaster 165.003 - or date version - is perfect. It's classic mid 60s style, on the cusp of the old, elegant cases that carried over from the 50s and the chunky 70s ones. Here is mine from 1965. This seems to have been one of Omega's luxury models, with lots of faceting to the case (not evident here) and onyx inlays in the dial furniture. This isn't a birth year watch for me, but if it were I doubt I could improve on it. Not everyone likes the recessed crown which makes hand winding a bit awkward, but I just shake it gently a few times, put it on and go.