I have a 1967 Speedmaster Professional with a Cal 321 movement. It was my Dad's and he was the second owner. It has an orange chronograph hand on it and I am trying to determine if this was a fluke or did some Speedmasters have the orange hand.

I want to restore the watch to like new condition and have located numerous crystals, and hand sets but the Tachymetre dial is just soooo pricey. Would I be foolish to use an aftermarket that I see all over Ebay?

It is running well and is going to be lubed and oiled as part of the rebuild.

I also have a 1972 Omega Seamaster Chronograph which I am told is known as a Soccer Watch. It has a white and red face and it is mint condition.

I do not have the watch in my possession at this time so I cannot send pics or answer more questions. It is at the Watchmaker. He is good but not a historian on Omega.

 

If you really "restore" this 321 to "as new" then you will surely destroy its appeal to almost everyone who reads this forum.
At the very least you will turn a highly desirable, and possibly quite valuable example, into an undesirable one. Certainly you will break many hearts!

I also think I will have full agreement when I say that no one would fit an after market bezel on a 321.

Orange seconds have found their way onto more than one speedmaster. I am not sure if they came out of the factory, but the hands when fitted to watches I have seen are omega parts. Possibly fitted by special order. I think they look good. It will be interesting to see the hand in situ, and make a judgement based on patina how long it had been fitted.

Just to spell it out. Many of us here spend our lives trying to find heirloom watches like yours. When we find them, we service the movement with a competent experienced watchmaker with access to 321 parts. These people are not cheap, and worth every penny. We do not change anything cosmetic, the dial, the hands, the bezel. If something is so damaged that it needs changing then we hunt for days/months/years for a vintage replacement part.

I find it highly unlikely that your watchmaker is able to do as good a job bearing in mind his lack of experience in omega, particulary 321's, and his inability to get parts.

If you were to change the parts to make the watch like new, the parts you remove will be worth more than the watch you are left with.

A 321 speedmaster can be one of several references, and two kinds of case.

I suggest you find your reference and search this wonderful forum, to give you a good idea of what you have. Best of all post a photo. It may be something quite special. Certainly something that will make you wonder why you wanted to save a little money on the bezel.

I am sorry if any of this seems harsh, it isn't meant to be. Just a plea to find out more what you have before you ruin it!

 

Ok -- So now where to go...? The dial has lost its luster and the hands are no longer luminescent. The bezel is faded and worn and it needs a new crystal. I had hoped to bring it back to pristine condition with vintage parts. Is that not recommended?

If I replace with NOS (new old stock) am I increasing or decreasing the value? I just want it to look showroom new and start wearing it proudly. I am here on this forum to listen and learn and will not do anything to damage this old beauty -- I assure you!

Who should I send it to. I can afford to do it properly.........

 

If you want a pristine moonwatch, buy a modern one - either brand new or a LNIB pre-owned one. The allure of the vintage Speedmasters is the originality.

 

Without pictures and from what you've described "The dial has lost its luster and the hands are no longer luminescent. The bezel is faded and worn and it needs a new crystal." all that I would recommend is replacing the crystal with a genuine Omega part and having the movement serviced by a competent watchmaker that has access to Omega parts and is familiar with the cal 321. As stated by another member earlier, if you try to make it look like new you will destroy the value/desirability of the watch. Polishing/buffing the case should be avoided also.

Is the original flat link 1039 bracelet with 516 marked end pieces (where bracelet attaches to watch) included with this heirloom? If so, unless completely worn out, you have a very desirable added bonus. I know you said he was the second owner, but box and papers are a plus too!

How did you determine it is from 1967...by the reference # on inside of case back or by the serial number on the movement?

 

if you replace any hands dial bezel with NOS parts you will decrease the value from a collectors perspective, generally it is considered ok
to replace the crystal though it might be possible to polish the scratches out of the original. Where do you live? some one may be able to recommend a quality watchmaker depending on your location

 

If your Speedie is from 1967, the only thing you should do at the moment is put it in a safe place and don't let anyone touch it.

Do a bit of research and find out what the difference is between a completely original 321 Speedie and a "restored" one, take a deep breath first though.

And as the watch belonged to your Dad, it has a lot of marks and scratches that he made, it doesn't detract from the value of the watch in any way (as it's not a NOS cherry example) and in my eyes, would add huge sentimental value to the piece.

If it was mine, I'd get it cleaned, oiled and adjusted by a qualified/competent/trusted watchmaker and maybe fit a new crystal.
Nothing else, especially no polishing.

As stated by another forum elder "If you want a pristine moonwatch, buy a modern one - either brand new or a LNIB pre-owned one. The allure of the vintage Speedmasters is the originality."

And this thread is worthless without some pics of your watches.

Cheers

Jim

 

Going against the grain somewhat here. . .go ahead and make your watch "as new" if you want, BUT save all the original bits. The only step I would not take is to fully refinish the case. A light polish on the shoulders of the lugs will make the watch look much better, without adversely affecting the value.

 

yes. We need pics, and OP's location to help.

 

I am in florida for the summer and the watch is at my Watchmaker in Massachusetts where I live. I will provide pictures and pick up the thread in late August when I return to Mass..

Special thanks to all who answered me....

 

There are 2 approaches to take.

One is the leave it original approach. It is expoused by many. They don't polish the case, change the dial or hands and leave the original bezel alone. Some like to keep the crown, pushers and crystal original also. Each vintage watch I acquire gets a full service from my watchmaker. His shop used to perform authorized Omega service until they eliminated independents recently. I have him leave the case, dial, hands and bezel alone. If possible I have him reuse the crown and pushers, but this rarely happens. He takes the watch completely apart, cleans and lubricates the parts, then reassembles the watch. He like to replace the the crown, pushers, and crystal. These parts all contain seals and help maintain the watches integrity. The modern crowns are different, as is the modern crystal, so I always save the old parts. When looking at a vintage watch, it doesn't bother me one iota that the crown, crystal and pushers have been chnaged, as that is a sign of good maintainence.

A second approace I'll name the Fr. John approach. He has a 145.012. I think the only original parts on the watch are the movement. It has a new case, dial, bezel, hands. He has all of the original parts.

Since it is your watch, the right approach is the one that makes you happy. The work needs to be done by a good Omega technician and can be an independent or at their service center. 321 service however is quite expensive when done by Omega and only done in Bienne. My most recent 321 overhaul cost $594 done by my watchmaker. Archer is a forum member and has a great reputation working with speedmasters. Another place for you to learn about speedmasters is watchuseek's omega forum. You'll find most of the same faces as this forum over there.

 

Hi,

Just make sure to keep every original part so you can turn it back the way it was. However, if a watch of 1967 still has the original 1967 crown for example, that can't be right. These things need replacement once in a while (due to the seal inside). A new plastic crystal (Hesalite) isn't also a shame.. Things that should be kept original (as possible): case, movement, dial, hands. Some people choose to replace a damaged, discolored or dinged bezel as well. I'd say it depends on how it looks. If it just went 'grey' than I would keep it, if it has dings and scratches all over, I would replace it.

Here is my restoration story (old and bad English) of my own 145.012 1967 Speedy: http://www.omega-addict.com/reviews/speedmaster/

 

We like pictures.

 

Pretty random thread resurrection here, could have made a new post?

 

where is the new thread?

 

Just posted updated thread..... I am a bit slow but posted with pics. Seems it might be an original Ultraman........ Praying