I love the look of the watch, especially the aged dial; wish something could be done about the case tho... btw these pics were taken "pre-servicing"
Or just wear it the way it is! It might be beat to hell, but from more than 3 feet away nobody will care/notice. Or maybe I'm just an idiot
The case doesn't look to need that much work to my eye. I'd suggest getting in touch with RePlateIt and ask them for an estimate to tidy it up and replate it. I've used them quite a lot and always found their work to be sensitive (not grinding off profiles, corners) and consistently high quality. And his prices are nothing like citizenrich has suggested.
bottom line is he should be able to find a good case with a bad re-dial for 250 - 300 bucks. I've read good reviews for "replateit" including yours and you seem to really know your stuff but do they charge by the micron or is it a flat price? I'm only just learning about Omega but my understanding is Omega capping is a pretty unique color compared to say hamilton or gruen. Since he'd have to pay a watchmaker to break down and then put his watch back together I don't really see how he'd be saving much money but maybe a little?
He does have a price list online, and yes, he does charge by the micron. I find his plating a bit red, in truth. The colour of the plating (balance of metals in the mix, etc) should be able to be adjusted, but…
He actually offers several color tones as far as I have been told. One of my projects was repaired and replated. I am very pleased with their work.
Hi shevino, It does not look to bad. Clean up the case and have it replated, you can buy special stuff to touch-up the dial (fluid enamel?...boley) or you might even find a new dial at ofrei.com plus the matching hands and crown. Buy a new strap for $30 and after that the watch is like new with original parts. Good luck!
If he wanted a new watch I guess he would have bought one? Attempting DIY dial restoration is a guaranteed disaster.
I think that is the charm. If one want a new looking watch I suggest to look at just that. Part of the charm of vintage is the patina and aging that comes with it. As for the watch in question here I would do as follows: - Replate and repair the case (ReplateIt in Canada is a good and relatively cheap alternative). - Get the movement serviced by a good independent watchmaker (depending where you are located). - The watchmaker can also replace the crystal and crown (and strap) at the same time. I would not under any circumstance touch the dial. The hands may be carefully cleaned and polished during the service as well if needed. The watchmaker will be able to suggest actions as needed... Bottom line is to send it of to a watchmaker. He will then dismantle the watch, and have the case sent for replating while the other routine tasks are executed. The end result should be a fantastic looking vintage watch that can be worn with pride!
I think he said he loves the aged dial....which in my view goes well with the aged case....As citizenrich said, with a new crystal and new crown the watch will look great!
Agreed on the dial, however I would personally have some work done to the case. IMO it is a bit too shabby like it is now.
I agree with Northernman. In my experience, RePlateIt should be able to tidy this case up without making it look 'too new.' But in any event, I suggest to shevino7 that he forwards the pictures to RePlateIt for comment. I think I'd leave the dial as it is, myself.
If you had the case gold-plated, I don't see how you could call that a restoration of a gold-capped case. For a start, the back of the lugs would end up plated, when they should be steel.
Point taken, but I believe they could be masked off to avoid this. Believe me, I'm not a salesman for RPI, but it would be interesting to see what they said, it costs nothing and asking a question wouldn't affect the authenticity of the case.
Agree, but I am sure there is some way to rebuild the areas where the gold has worn down to the steel in a proper way. It will be a refinished case, but done with care and respect I think it can come out quite nicely!?