I have this watch from my grandfather and as you can see from the photos below, it's in pretty rough shape. It's working but I want to get it back to a good condition. What would the price range be for a full refurbishment(no face painting), plus a nice strap? The only reference I have in regards to price is 550 chf from omegawatches.com but I think that's a bit much.

Thank you,

 

It depends where you reside but in the UK an independent watchmaker would probably charge around £200/£250 to clean and re-lubricate the movement and replace the crystal. Most collectors here tend to prefer vintage watch cases to be cleaned rather than polished. The back of the case appears to be missing the gasket which doesn't help with preserving the watch.

 

Be aware that the service may end costing more than it is actually worth unfortunately. Not a problem if sentimental concerns are foremost but worth bearing in mind.

 

Thank you for your responses. I am from Romania but a repair at an official center will cost the same as anywhere in Europe with maybe a bit of difference at independent watchmakers. The gasket is present on the back of the case but judging by how the inside of the watch looks it's not doing a good job. I don't mind paying whatever it takes to get in good shape but I don't want to overpay .

The case is a bit banged up but I guess I can live with it, so I'll go with just cleaning and lubrication for now. I am thinking about sourcing my own crystal to maybe avoid paying extra for the convenience of having them order it, and as I won't be selling this watch, I would like to know if there are any true differences between the $20 generic crystals and the $50 original crystals?

 

There are no apparent cracks in the crystal. Try buying a tube of polywatch on ebay for a few euro and polishing out the blemishes. It might be all you need....

 

I'd always go for an original crystal to ensure it fits properly. Many crystals are still available for around £30 + shipping from independent suppliers even though Omega significantly increased prices recently.

Try to find a reputable watchmaker in Romania. I would have thought the labour involved in a service there wouldn't be much more than €100.

 

550 CHF is far too much - I had a 1946 Omega sub second totally refurbished with new crystal, redial (absolutely necessary, old dial rusted away) and strap for 400 €, so cleaning, oiling and crystal should be less than that.