Can someone check something on Moonwatch Only for me?

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

Can someone check Moonwatch Only book to see if there is any mention of variances in the bezel housing itself?

I have what seem to be a DNN bezel with a thicker flange. See this thread.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/thicker-145-022-speedmaster-bezel.71396/#post-899198

But I also find pics of a what seems to be thicker bezel. Like this one from the archives of Lunaroyster.com.

So....is there a variant on the bezel as there is on the bezel insert (DNN/DON)?

Larry S · Feb 21, 2018

got my book right here... there are 6 different DNN with variations on dot position near 70

Larry S · Feb 21, 2018

Send us a pic of your insert.

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

I am talking about the bezel housing itself. The insert looks correct for late 69ST to 71ST.

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

Here is the bezel front and back.

Larry S · Feb 21, 2018

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

Thanks. The bezel insert looks correct, but the bezel housing itself is different than what I got on my watch.

oddboy · Feb 21, 2018

any chance you could take some nice, clear pics of both bezels off the watch?

what's bugging me is that there appears to be a small gap around the outter edge of the insert and the bezel itself, and there doesn't appear to be an inner aluminum edge as there is on the one from MWO.

zooming in on the pics in your other thread, the pics are not very focused, and one bezel (the one on the watch) is partially hidden.

Larry S · Feb 21, 2018

as if the insert is smaller OD than Housing ID.

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

Here are the front and back of the bezel. He left one is the thicker one in question. The right is what is currently on my -69.

BTW, there is no gap on between the bezel insert and the bezel. What you see is a shadow of the edge/lip of the bezel higher than the insert.

Larry S · Feb 21, 2018

Getting eye strain here but they look like the same bezel.

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

Let me insert pics to show the differences which are on the sides and back of the bezel housing.

axl911 · Feb 21, 2018

Let me know if you can see my illustrations.

The thicker bezel question is on the left in both pics below.

Archer · Feb 22, 2018

I've posted this before, but not all the bezels are the same, and they are not all interchangeable.

Same with some case backs.

Cheers, Al

Larry S · Feb 22, 2018

Archer
I've posted this before, but not all the bezels are the same, and they are not all interchangeable.

Same with some case backs.

Cheers, Al

Any guess as to why? Different parts manufacturerers? Bezel caseback and case made at same time and hand fitted?

robocaspar · Feb 22, 2018

Archer
I've posted this before, but not all the bezels are the same, and they are not all interchangeable.

Same with some case backs.

Cheers, Al

Cheers Al,

If there are indeed different bezel variations, how does one determine which bezel fits which case if the inserts are identical?

My watchmaker told me he did encounter bezels that didn't fit and his solution was to turn the bezel on the lathe to remove some metal if too tight, or make 4 notches and glue it if it was loose.

Archer · Feb 22, 2018

Larry S
Any guess as to why? Different parts manufacturerers? Bezel caseback and case made at same time and hand fitted?

Different case makers.

axl911 · Feb 22, 2018

I spent some time looking through LunarOyster archives of Speedmasters they have sold over the years. (It's a great source of research BTW with the clear pictures.)

https://www.lunaroyster.com/archive-speedmaster/

So far, I can see that the thicker flanged bezel housing lasted up until about 2002 or so onto the 3570.50 series and their DNN with dot-below-70 bezels

Caliber561 · Feb 22, 2018

This is kind of unrelated, but how were the aluminium inserts made? I had always assumed that it was done by some sort of anodization process, but I remember reading somewhere that Omega used paint for the tachymeters?

mr_yossarian · Feb 22, 2018

axl911
I spent some time looking through LunarOyster archives of Speedmasters they have sold over the years. (It's a great source of research BTW with the clear pictures.)

except when you want to research unpolished cases 😀