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

Posts
2,128
Likes
24,252
A wonderful story! And I'm happy to hear your appreciation and interest in these magical 321s has grown 馃槈 A word of caution though, vintage time pieces are a slippery slope! 馃檮 Anyhow, I hope you wear it like your father did. Every day!
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
Nice! Great heartwarming story with great photos.

But just one question though, did STS help procure the chrono hand (or is that a new one but aged to look vintage?) in place of the replaced one when you sent in?
Hello @Interstellar.
Thankyou for your interest. I'm pretty sure the, pre service, sub dial hands were original to the watch but the hour, minute & chrono hands were incorrect service replacements that my Dad had fitted many years ago.

They were possibly fitted along with the 36 tooth crown and 1171/633 bracelet between in the mid 1970's. When I collected the watch the minute, hour and chrono hands had been replaced with new hands and aged to match the plots. The 24 tooth Crown is a vintage original from STS's stock of original vintage parts.I found a little bag in the red Omega pouch. It contains the 3 removed hands, the old circular gasket plus the old 36 tooth crown that was removed.

Cheers! Jonathan.
Edited:
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
...So STS provided an original vintage set of hands and vintage 24 tooth crown??
They fitted 3 correct new hands and aged them to match the dial and plots. Sub dial hands are original to the watch but the replacement 24 tooth crown is a vintage original that they had in stock.
Original pushers were cleaned and the original crown was polished. Case and bracelet was ultrasonically cleaned but not polished.

Cheers Jonathan.
Edited:
 
Posts
381
Likes
398
Yes valid point @watchtinker... I will give them a call. Maybe they will provide one. I think regular users of STS will know more about this and be able to comment. I'm still very much a novice.

Thankyou.馃憤
You are most welcome. The watch deserves to be accompanied with a rate report with testifies the date and quality of the work done. Also, it will turn useful to assess in the future, by comparison, its current status and understand when the next service is due.
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
You are most welcome. The watch deserves to be accompanied with a rate report with testifies the date and quality of the work done. Also, it will turn useful to assess in the future, by comparison, its current status and understand when the next service is due.
Thankyou @watchtinker . I will make some enquiry.
When you say 'quality' of work done, what technical information would a watchmaker typically include in such a report?
Thanks.
Jonathan.
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
This is typically the kind of post that makes me love this forum.
Loaded with history, passion and memories.

I also love to see someone going from "a Speedmaster" to a "105.012-65 with DON insert and correct crown".

Thankyou @Mark5 .馃憤
I think as new members, such as myself, discover that 'Dad's old watch' is actually a vintage and collectable time piece, the appetite for knowledge develops quite quickly. Of course when you have access to this forum, and a resource such as Speedmaster101, that knowledge becomes readily available. I used to spend most of my reading time researching guitars and music. I now find my reading time is split roughly 70/30 in favour of watches.馃槦
 
Posts
381
Likes
398
Thankyou @watchtinker . I will make some enquiry.
When you say 'quality' of work done, what technical information would a watchmaker typically include in such a report?
Thanks.
Jonathan.
Hi Jonathan, a simple rate report in six position, which includes measurement of amplitudes and beat error, is quite indicative of the quality of the work done. Some time ago, in a sale post @Varnado provided a simple example of the slip which should accompany any service:


I hope this may help.
Regards,
Maurice
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
Hi Jonathan, a simple rate report in six position, which includes measurement of amplitudes and beat error, is quite indicative of the quality of the work done. Some time ago, in a sale post @Varnado provided a simple example of the slip which should accompany any service:


I hope this may help.
Regards,
Maurice
Ahhh... yes that looks very technical to a novice. I will make some enquiry. STS are very helpful, I'm sure they will oblige.
Thankyou Maurice.馃憤
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
Great story,I must get to STS at some point,can't believe I live 15 miles from there and have yet to make the pilgrimage!
Yes indeed... you will enjoy the visit. 馃憤 but give the Southend Toby Carvery a miss???馃檨 It ain't exactly fine dining mate!馃榿
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
Great story and a beautiful watch, thanks for sharing.

I gather STS UK has tritium handsets, is that right?
Hello @cagkut .
That's an interesting question, and probably one that could be answered by more regular customers of Swiss Time Services.

They returned all 3 of 1970's service hands (including square end chrono hand) that they took off the watch. They put them in a little plastic bag along with the incorrect (but now vintage) 36 tooth crown, and they now live in the Omega service pouch that the watch was returned in.

I suppose it's possible that not all customers want the old parts returned... In which case they would build a steady supply of vintage parts... Just thinking out loud with that question???

Cheers
Jonathan.
Edited:
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
A great write up

I was down at STS a couple of weeks ago, caught up with Tony myself, I'm having quite a special project of my own undertaken by him personally.

For a few years now I've owned a Dennisson case deluxe 18K Connie pie pan, Tony is making me a removable 18K Milanese bracelet using the original omega DS&S tooling from the 1960's (yes he owns all of DS&S and Shackmans equipment).

I'm an enormous fan of STS, their parts inventory will keep most of us in the collecting game until our children are selling it all off and putting us in retirement homes, their knowledge is beyond substantial and they have nailed the one thing the factory haven't..... customer service

Well done with your watch OP, a wonderful thing and glad you enjoyed your trip

Thankyou @Tom Dick . That 18K Milanese bracelet project sounds great. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy a thread on it here at some point.
Cheers.
Jonathan.
 
Posts
298
Likes
132
Hello @Interstellar.
Thankyou for your interest. I'm pretty sure the, pre service, sub dial hands were original to the watch but the hour, minute & chrono hands were incorrect service replacements that my Dad had fitted many years ago.

They were possibly fitted along with the 36 tooth crown and 1171/633 bracelet between in the mid 1970's. When I collected the watch all of the hands had been replaced with new hands and aged to match the plots. The 24 tooth Crown is a vintage original from STS's stock of original vintage parts.I found a little bag in the red Omega pouch. It contains all 6 hands plus the old crown that was removed.

Cheers! Jonathan.


Ah, thanks for the info and sharing Jonathan. Much appreciated. [emoji3]
 
Posts
119
Likes
147
@nonuffinkbloke:
Could you post a night shot of the lume to see the difference between dial and hands?
Probably I have to get the same thing done on my speedy (of course at STS) and would love to see the outcome 馃槈
Cheers

Alex
 
Posts
880
Likes
5,665
Great story and thanks for putting in the time to get the post together and making it such a good read, lovely watch, mine must have been at STS around the same time as yours and I had the same great service from Simon.
Well done!
 
Posts
880
Likes
5,665
A great write up

I was down at STS a couple of weeks ago, caught up with Tony myself, I'm having quite a special project of my own undertaken by him personally.

For a few years now I've owned a Dennisson case deluxe 18K Connie pie pan, Tony is making me a removable 18K Milanese bracelet using the original omega DS&S tooling from the 1960's (yes he owns all of DS&S and Shackmans equipment).

I'm an enormous fan of STS, their parts inventory will keep most of us in the collecting game until our children are selling it all off and putting us in retirement homes, their knowledge is beyond substantial and they have nailed the one thing the factory haven't..... customer service

Well done with your watch OP, a wonderful thing and glad you enjoyed your trip
When I took my Speedmaster to STS in March we also took my wife's gold Beuche Girod which had a badly damaged bracelet. Simon brought out a brochure of Milanese bracelets for my wife to choose from. The end result is really excellent and the watch now looks amazing. I'm sure you will be very pleased with yours.
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
@nonuffinkbloke:
Could you post a night shot of the lume to see the difference between dial and hands?
Probably I have to get the same thing done on my speedy (of course at STS) and would love to see the outcome 馃槈
Cheers

Alex
Hello Alex. Yes... I'll give it a go mate. Hopefully I wont go arse over head trying to find the light switch in the dark.馃槦
I'm expecting to see the lume on the hands glow a bit longer than the plots. I wonder if I can post a video of the light decaying? All I need is a decent chronograph to time the decay馃槙
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
When I took my Speedmaster to STS in March we also took my wife's gold Beuche Girod which had a badly damaged bracelet. Simon brought out a brochure of Milanese bracelets for my wife to choose from. The end result is really excellent and the watch now looks amazing. I'm sure you will be very pleased with yours.

Nice one @SouthernScot! Be nice to see some photos of your wife's watch. Those Bueche Girod bracelets are beautifully decorative.
 
Posts
2,153
Likes
5,683
Great story and thanks for putting in the time to get the post together and making it such a good read, lovely watch, mine must have been at STS around the same time as yours and I had the same great service from Simon.
Well done!
Yeah I think you may be right @SouthernScot . I think Simon left STS a week or so after assessing my Speedmaster. I wish him well in his new venture. He seemed to be a nice bloke, but professional and really knew his stuff.