So my brother got married at the weekend and I was his Best Man. As a gift, he and his wife bought me a birth year Omega Seamaster - which was a lovely gesture and I was proud to wear it on the day. Here is is next to its 1956 manual wind older brother: The watch is working, but when I tried to set the watch (OCD wasn’t happy with it being a minute out) by pulling out the crown, all I could move was the hour hand. I subsequently managed to get to the correct time by “nudging” the second hand along by pressing the crown in and I’m not sure if this is a known function or not! I know these late 1970s Quartz models were from a difficult time in Omega’s history and are naturally unfancied by collectors. I wouldn’t have given this a second look as a birth year contender, but the fact that it was gift makes me keen to hold onto it and look into the possibility of getting it serviced, even if that means potentially spending a little more than the watch is actually worth. The model seems very similar to the 196.0088 referenced in this post: https://omegaforums.net/threads/seamaster-quartz-1977-ref-196-0088.92922/ I haven’t taken the caseback off as I feel unqualified to do so. The dial, case and hands all seem in good condition for their age. What I would like to know: 1. Is it worth bothering my watchmaker with this? 2. If this is a stem/crown issue, is it possible to get parts for these? I know that problems with movements are usually solved by transplanting donor movements and that the watch may not have a very long life due to impossibility of replacing certain parts. Many thanks in advance, and apologies for such a long post.
I would have a watch smith look at it and at least see what the problem is and what it’s gonna cost. Personally if my brother would give me a watch for being his best man at his wedding I would get it running
Case back, if you have the tools, should be easy to remove and as long as you do not go poking your finger on the insides, would not cause any harm. I'd keep it too, it does not look half-bad for a quartz.
Not sure what the problem is - the watch is adjusted by pushing a button in the crown, so it seems it is working fine.
Thanks for the replies! Perhaps I wasn’t clear, but I’m definitely keeping the watch because of its sentimental associations. I’ll ask my watch guy and see if he can work out what’s going on.
Thank you, @Archer - I really appreciate your response. When I pushed the crown in, it did advance the second hand, but only through it jumping ahead a little. Does this mean there is no way to set the watch by pulling out the crown and setting it rather more quickly?
The hour hand is set via pulling the crown and turning it. The minutes are set by pushing the button that should be in the center of the crown.
Wow - I’ve learned so much! Thanks to you all, and especially @Archer. Seems like the watch is just fine and that makes me even happier because, as stated above, it looks to be in good nick and it was such a thoughtful gift.
On the outside of the caseback you should find a number that is the movement calibre. If it is 1342 which was used for time+date in the late 70s here are the instructions.
That’s brilliant, @MRC - thank you! I can confirm that the watch is indeed functioning perfectly! I have learned a lot about how it works from this post, so thank you all.
I should credit http://www.old-omegas.com/ which is where I'm pretty certain I originaly found these scans some years ago. If it is a 1342 (and probably earlier & later too) you will find that modern non-mercury batteries will last only 12-18 months, unlike the original 3 years or more. Mine was purchased new and has some emotional baggage to carry so that's why I keep it in rotation. Enjoy your Seamasters!
Also love the strap! I’ve bought my self few of these ostrich straps few weeks ago from watchgecko in different sizes as they are really nice on most watches in the summer