"Don't get it serviced by Omega."

I can't count the number of times I've seen this posted regarding vintage timepieces. I'm sure you've either noticed this as well, or dispensed the same advice.

I doubt the company is oblivious to this sentiment. So why continue like this? Take your finger off that key, I know what you're going to say: they can't make money on those repairs, collectors are too small a segment of their revenue stream, etc., etc.

With all due respect to the business school whizzes who advise these companies: is the issue really this black and white? How do we measure good will and its correlation to later sales?

So what say you: if Omega started to restore their vintage pieces with care and expertise, would it change your perception of the company on the whole? Would you be more apt to make a future purchase, or tell a friend about what a great company Omega is to deal with?

M'Bob

Omega has primarily seen itself as a maker of tool watches, so to them they do indeed restore their vintage watches with care and expertise - just to a different standard. In their estimation, they haven't done their job unless any parts showing wear or degradation have been replaced, and the watch can function / perform like new - water resistance, shock, etc.

Look at the vintage departments of Patek or Vacheron - they go to painstaking lengths to preserve a watch or at least restore it with newly-fabricated parts. But they were always selling heirloom works of art in their own eyes.

Whether Omega updates their own self-reflexive worldview to consider their vintage / current sports watches as art to be restored, not tools to be fixed, is really up to them. In the meantime, there are plenty of vintage specialists that can help!

I have no perception to change. Omega sells modern watches not vintage watches. The main reason that they restore watches the way that they do is that only by using modern parts, can they offer a 2-year warranty on the restoration work. At least Omega returns the old parts to you so they can remain as part of the history of the piece. Ask Rolex to do that and see how hard they laugh at you.

Most of the negative complaints I see regarding Omega service have more to do with modern watches repaired under warranty.

To me, the issue is more about the cost than anything else. Given the high market value of any Patek or Vacheron, the factory service coupled with the care given usually justifies the high cost. Omega's costs don't make sense unless the particular watch has a very high tangible or sentimental value.

Hope this helps,
gatorcpa