Coating of Apollo-soyuz Speedyorite case back drop off

michael22 · Sep 17, 2020

They may view paint falling off as wear & tear, rather than a problem. But then it would make sense to say "we can't fix it," rather than puting an incorrect caseback on it.

Strange response.

SurvivingJoe · Sep 17, 2020

michael22
They may view paint falling off as wear & tear, rather than a problem. But then it would make sense to say "we can't fix it," rather than puting an incorrect caseback on it.

Strange response.

Well, they did say they could not fix it. And then I asked if it could be done by replace a new caseback.

EricCsN · Sep 17, 2020

SurvivingJoe
Well, they did say they could not fix it. And then I asked if it could be done by replace a new caseback.

Even if they can fix it now, it won’t stay forever. The black paints on my bezel hour markers (old watch 2297.8000) came off (after 20 years)

Japanred · Sep 18, 2020

SurvivingJoe
Well, they did say they could not fix it. And then I asked if it could be done by replace a new caseback.

That’s a shame. It’s clearly an error with the production process rather than wear and tear.

Archer · Sep 18, 2020

Japanred
That’s a shame. It’s clearly an error with the production process rather than wear and tear.

Really? Paint on case backs comes off all the time, so this isn’t anything new...

SurvivingJoe · Sep 18, 2020

Archer
Really? Paint on case backs comes off all the time, so this isn’t anything new...

When Omega decide to design this LE w/ paint they should expected that happen sooner or later. Basically that's a design issue.

Archer · Sep 18, 2020

SurvivingJoe
When Omega decide to design this LE w/ paint they should expected that happen sooner or later. Basically that's a design issue.

Well, sooner or later the movement is going to wear out, the crystal is going to get scratched, the gaskets are going to fail, and the case is going to get scratched up. Those are all clearly "design issues" too I suppose?

SurvivingJoe · Sep 18, 2020

Archer
Well, sooner or later the movement is going to wear out, the crystal is going to get scratched, the gaskets are going to fail, and the case is going to get scratched up. Those are all clearly "design issues" too I suppose?

But when you put all the thing together w/ one of component has much lower endurance than others which is also non-fixible, that's a design issue.

Archer · Sep 18, 2020

SurvivingJoe
But when you put all the thing together w/ one of component has much lower endurance than others which is also non-fixible, that's a design issue.

This is a 10 year old watch if I understand the first post...it's not like this is a brand new watch that had the paint fall off.

I have no idea why Omega refused to fix it, but it is most certainly fixable, just like missing paint from the case back of a regular Speedmaster is...

Omega has specific procedures for blackening of things like case backs and bezels. This one would be a little more tricky that a typical case back, but it's certainly doable.

queriver · Sep 18, 2020

SurvivingJoe
But when you put all the thing together w/ one of component has much lower endurance than others which is also non-fixible, that's a design issue.

I've got paint on heavily trafficked floors that is much more durable than the paint on the back of an AS, and I'm not talking about a 2-pack epoxy coating. Clearly the AS paint binds to itself okay but it doesn't seem to bond to the caseback very well and IMHO it should perform better.

Evitzee · Sep 18, 2020

queriver
I've got paint on heavily trafficked floors that is much more durable than the paint on the back of an AS, and I'm not talking about a 2-pack epoxy coating. Clearly the AS paint binds to itself okay but it doesn't seem to bond to the caseback very well and IMHO it should perform better.

It's sweat and skin oils that work on the finish, that can be more powerful than friction wear on a floor. I think an applied finish on a case back should not be expected to be permanent, it is going to wear which is why you generally don't see finishes like this as a normal course.

SurvivingJoe · Sep 18, 2020

Archer
This is a 10 year old watch if I understand the first post...it's not like this is a brand new watch that had the paint fall off.

I have no idea why Omega refused to fix it, but it is most certainly fixable, just like missing paint from the case back of a regular Speedmaster is...

Omega has specific procedures for blackening of things like case backs and bezels. This one would be a little more tricky that a typical case back, but it's certainly doable.

Actually My watch is sold at end of 2017, so technically it was less than three year service time, not brand new but pretty much almost new.
You made a good point, I don't understand why Omega could not re-paint it. :whipped:

queriver · Sep 18, 2020

Evitzee
It's sweat and skin oils that work on the finish, that can be more powerful than friction wear on a floor. I think an applied finish on a case back should not be expected to be permanent, it is going to wear which is why you generally don't see finishes like this as a normal course.

The thing is a lot of these watches don't get worn much and yet it still happens. I agree fair wear and tear applies for a "normal" watch but the caseback is a special feature of this LE, second only to the meteorite dial, and it should be made to a higher standard of durability. As others have said, the black is integral to the caseback because it represents space and provides important contrast against the silver spacecraft.

Evitzee · Sep 18, 2020

queriver
The thing is a lot of these watches don't get worn much and yet it still happens. I agree fair wear and tear applies for a "normal" watch but the caseback is a special feature of this LE, second only to the meteorite dial, and it should be made to a higher standard of durability. As others have said, the black is integral to the caseback because it represents space and provides important contrast against the silver spacecraft.

The only way to make it impervious to chemical wear is to put it under a crystal like they often do. Omega didn't do that for this watch. You can make it black again but it is just going to wear again.

BlackTalon · Sep 18, 2020

Sell it. it others you so best to move it on and be done with it.

EricCsN · Sep 18, 2020

BlackTalon
Sell it. it others you so best to move it on and be done with it.

yes - you should consider selling it. how much you want for it?

Jones in LA · Sep 19, 2020

This is a confirmed problem for some number of these watches. I purchased one from an Omega Botique in 2015 as NOS, and within a few months pieces of the black paint began flaking off (after wearing it 2-3 days per week). The watch was sent back to Switzerland and remained there for 3 months, before being returned with new, much more durable paint. I don’t wear it quite as frequently now (‘cause my collection has grown) but not a single speck of paint is gone after four years. Sorry to hear about the OP’s experience, that just sucks. It’s still a beautiful watch, though.

SurvivingJoe · Sep 20, 2020

BlackTalon
Sell it. it others you so best to move it on and be done with it.

I will keep and still wear it since it's a gift from my wife.

repoman · Sep 20, 2020

My Speedyorite also had the enamel flaking issue, and was serviced by Omega, they replaced the caseback, engraving the identical LE numbers and all. The replacement apparently has a much tougher enamel that should resist wear. I've seen a lot of these Speedy's in person, rarely did I see one without some amount of enamel loss.

perks713 · Sep 20, 2020

Jones in LA
The watch was sent back to Switzerland and remained there for 3 months, before being returned with new, much more durable paint.

Out of curiosity did you end up with a new case-back without the serial number or did they repaint the original?