Current wait time for parts?

Jetguy87 · Jul 2, 2020

I currently have one of my pieces with an independent watchmaker for service. He has an Omega parts account, and has ordered a replacement part for it. Wondering if more in-the-know folks here might know how long Omega is currently taking to provide parts? He quoted me 2-3 weeks for the service when I dropped it off last month, but is now saying that it's taking more time because he's waiting on the specific part, and can't estimate when that might be.

Thanks all!

Archer · Jul 2, 2020

Not sure what country you are in (guessing US) but here in Canada the service center has been closed for a few months. This means the parts department has been as well, for the most part.

They have gone in a few times with a small crew to send out orders. However I have a number of parts I’ve ordered that have to come from Switzerland, and since they aren’t at work to receive shipments, they won’t order the parts from Switzerland.

I have been waiting for 2+ months for some things, and normally parts from Switzerland take 2-3 weeks....

You will have to wait it out.

Scarecrow Boat · Jul 2, 2020

My SMP300 went out for servicing and the bezel/insert was replaced for corrosion under the insert. It took 29 days for the replacement parts to arrive to my watch guy. They and I are based in the US and they have a parts account.

Icnbne · Jul 2, 2020

I ordered new parts for the clasp extension for my speedy, took 2 weeks to get to my local OB

think it depends whether it has to come from Switzerland or not

Jetguy87 · Jul 3, 2020

Thanks for these responses! I'm in the United States, and the part that I am/my (local) watchmaker is waiting for is a bezel for a 2504 Aqua Terra (2500 movement, 36mm). But given that he is also servicing the movement, there may be other parts he'll need to order. Looks like it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on where the part(s) may be located. Any idea if these are ubiquitous enough to be stateside?

STANDY · Jul 3, 2020

STANDY
Posted this in another thread not long ago.

I think a lot of airmail systems are paralysed with international flights at less then 10%. A good percentage of the air cans in every plane from one country to another are usually what carries mail from one country to another.
Basically there is not enough cargo planes in the world to make up the loss.
😗 Know planes are getting converted as I type by many airline companies as no money in having planes sitting or flying them with a top deck of empty seats

Most national post systems have a contract with their national carrier for post/parcel transport in aircans like in the picture below

so several of these in ever plane from one country to another are not being delivered daily like in normal times.

Archer · Jul 3, 2020

Jetguy87
Thanks for these responses! I'm in the United States, and the part that I am/my (local) watchmaker is waiting for is a bezel for a 2504 Aqua Terra (2500 movement, 36mm). But given that he is also servicing the movement, there may be other parts he'll need to order. Looks like it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on where the part(s) may be located. Any idea if these are ubiquitous enough to be stateside?

In conversations with watchmakers in the US, it seems the speed at which parts are distributed to them from Swatch is quite a bit slower than it is here in Canada. If the part is in stock here, under normal conditions (no pandemic) I can order them Monday morning and the parts will be at my door Tuesday morning. Coming from Switzerland usually adds 2-3 weeks, and in only one rare instance do I recall that Switzerland didn't have the parts readily available, so I had to wait until more were made.

I don't know if the differences between how the US and Canada handles parts is due to the US not keeping as many parts in stock in the US, but it is a frequent complaint that I see from watchmakers there. For any common watch like the one you have, I would expect the parts to be in country, rather than coming from Switzerland, but really who knows - your guy could have ordered it the day after the last one they had was ordered y someone else.

Jetguy87 · Jul 3, 2020

Understood -- thanks very much for this insightful and helpful reply!

Tekashi_145.022 · Jul 4, 2020

I’m in the US and dropped off my 145.022 for service the first week of June. My watchmaker ordered a new crown, tube, gaskets, seals, etc. Pretty standard stuff, and he finally received them yesterday. The shop told me that parts orders from OMEGA are usually delivered to them in a matter of days, not weeks, so there is definitely some slowdown due to COVID-19 as Archer indicated. I also heard that customers who had special parts needed from Switzerland were on back order.

As an aside, my shop told me Bulova isn’t planning to open back up or send new parts until September! So it could always be worse.

Jetguy87 · Jul 4, 2020

Tekashi_145.022
I’m in the US and dropped off my 145.022 for service the first week of June. My watchmaker ordered a new crown, tube, gaskets, seals, etc. Pretty standard stuff, and he finally received them yesterday. The shop told me that parts orders from OMEGA are usually delivered to them in a matter of days, not weeks, so there is definitely some slowdown due to COVID-19 as Archer indicated. I also heard that customers who had special parts needed from Switzerland were on back order.

Well, even with the delay, that's encouraging! Hope springs eternal...

Current wait time for parts?

Jetguy87

Archer

Scarecrow Boat

Icnbne

Jetguy87

STANDY

Archer

Jetguy87

Tekashi_145.022

Jetguy87

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