Hello all, classic first time poster and long time lurker here. I've been learning a lot from reading posts here and finally decided to get my first Omega back in early 2018. Nothing fancy, a Geneve 131.019, cal 601 from the latter half of the 1960s. Fancy or not, I've been very happy with it. However, a couple of weeks ago disaster struck: I was wearing the watch at a pub and the crown got stuck in somebody's net-like woolen pull-over. To make a long story short: by trying to disentangle the situation, the crown pulled out together with the whole (I think) stem and I lost them altogether. I am still so upset at myself about this! Since then I've order a substitute stem and crown. However, while I can put the stem in by pressing down the lock and can then wind the watch without problems, when I try to pull it out in order to set the watch, it regularly comes out compeltely. Being a complete noob to the watch world, I am a little bit at a loss and would really appreciate if you could help me with a couple of questions that I keep wondering about: 1) It's the locking mechanism that is broken, right? - Is there anything else I can try before bringing it to the shop? 2) While I found a substitute crown, it isn't the original one. By using resources I found here on the forums, I was able to find the reference number of the original crown, but I was wondering if there is any go-to place somebody from Europe would order such things from? 3) I'd really appreciate some comments on the watch itself. I am very happy with it, as said. But it would be nice getting an opinion of people who know what they're talking about! As, unfortunately, I don't have any decent camera, I am attaching mostly photos from the original seller and a couple of lower quality ones for the current situation of the watch! Sorry for the longer text and thanks so much to everybody in any case, without this forum I wouldn't know even the basics that I do!!
It's an easy solution but a watchmaker must do it, not you. First you need crown and stem reference (someone will help you with that here), then source them from the web (or here if lucky) and then take all that to watchmaker. That's what I've done in similar cases.
Thanks! That is indeed what I inteded to do at this point, I was just wondering if that really points towards the locking mechanism being broken or if there might be other causes...
It's most likely the setting lever that is worn out so will need replacing. It has a "peg" on it that engages with your stem and if that is rounded then it doesn't grip the stem well. It could also be the pressure spring for the setting lever which may have lost its springiness (as it were). Or it could be that the mainplate is worn but you'll be very unlucky if that's the case. Of course, your new stem may not be correct so it won't grip correctly but bearing in mind that the old stem came out, I'd say the problem is elsewhere. I wouldn't be too annoyed with yourself for losing the original in that way as there was clearly a fault anyway. Don't buy the parts unless you know your watchmaker and they are happy with that. He/She should be able to source the necessary parts and then can guarantee they are correct and offer a warranty on the work. I don't accept parts from my customers as they might be wrong/faulty. Good luck, Chris
Thanks a lot! That is very helpful and clear. I was just wondering what goes on behind the dial so to speak. Will bring it without parts then. Cheers!
I suggest you restrain yourself from going any further than you have thus far. You are unlikely going to succeed at getting the dial and hands off without damaging them. But if you were to succeed, this is what you would see. Not much sense wrecking a watch you have said that you really like. From the Ranfft archive. http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&2&2uswk&Omega_601