Hello Everybody, I'm the happy onwer of a seamaster 300, 166.024 and I'm considering to execute a complete maintenance service to the watch, the watch had no maintenance since 20 years, is working fine, but at the same time I can see that it needs to be polish, cleened and mantained, so i can keep it for 40 more years, working. I went to visit the local omega representant to check the service, but i was not convinced to let the watch there to do it, I'm a kitesurfer instructor and diver occasionaly, they don´t warranty the watch if I put on the water after the service done (strange???), I would like to have your opinion about keeping the watch as ligit as possible, is this service really trustable in terms of changing used pieces by new ones who will not compromise the value of the watch?, by the video on omega web page it looks like exactly what the watch needs http://www.omegawatches.com/customer-service/watch-intervention/complete-maintenance-service . Please could you be so kind to share your experience with me. Thanks Richard
Where are you located at Richard? You don't want to change one single thing if you can help it because it can really kill the value.
My first post here, but I have collected many Omega’s over many years. Congratulations on an awesome watch! I second Ulackfocus. If sent to Omega Switzerland, they often tend to polish it like new. They will replace hands with new hands. They may try to convince you to have the dial refurbished. The value of the watch to collectors can be strongly effected if the integrity of the originality is compromised. I have this exact watch, and besides a good cleaning by a local excellent watchmaker, I left it alone.
I treat vintage watch collectability the same way as I appreciate antique firearms. Properly restored firearms are treated almost reverentially, with the maximum amount of care to maintain or keep every aspect of the original. No re-bluing, no replacing worn handgrips with nice new ones, and so on. Your watch needs, in my opinion, a clean, lubricate and adjust, and maybe a puff across the dial to remove any dust. The case should be left untouched as even sympathetic polishing removes material. Good luck with it.
Many of us here are vintage purists, in that we believe vintage watches should retain as many of their original parts as possible. The problem with Omega Service Centres is that many (not every single one but most) want to return your watch to you looking as new as possible. Therefore they may well add new hands, dial, and then polish it to a showroom finish. To us it is a little like dropping off the Mona Lisa for a new glass in the frame and getting a paint by numbers version returned! However, vintage watches and water are not always a good mix. If the watch were mine I would get the movement cleaned and olied by a very competent independant watchmaker (someone here may be able to recommend one if you let us know the region you live) and buy a Seiko (or other modern watch) to dive with. There is an interesting comment on pressure testing at the end of this thread http://omegaforums.net/threads/what...-servicing-mechanical-watch.8717/#post-102469 and here is another thread on vintage watches and water resisitance http://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-seamasters-water-resistance.5655/#post-66099
Thanks Everybody I think I get the message, I´m going to put a decent photo of the watch asap I'm at this moment located in Portugal, just in case you know somebody, not to far who could do the job with a respectefull vision for a beautifull antique. Sorry for my English.