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  1. oddboy Zero to Grail+2998 In Six Months Oct 13, 2014

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    Hi all,

    New speedy mark ii owner here. Decided to have it restored. I dropped a message to Omega support and they directed me to the local Swatch Group office in Toronto. Took it in, and it seems that they have a full service repair shop onsite. They said they could restore right there, no need to send it to Bienne. Prices were in line with the price guide from Omega's web site, and they order original parts in from Switzerland.

    Is this the new way to get restoration done? I've read a pile of threads here and elsewhere saying sending a watch home is the only way to get it properly serviced.

    Thanks all!

    J
     
  2. oddboy Zero to Grail+2998 In Six Months Oct 13, 2014

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    Title should be 'Omega..'. Oops!
     
  3. TNTwatch Oct 13, 2014

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    Allow me, a fellow Ontarian, to say welcome to the forum, oddboy! I have a question first: do you know what parts of the watch you want to restore and why? Some pictures would be nice.
     
  4. oddboy Zero to Grail+2998 In Six Months Oct 13, 2014

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    Hey there TNTWatch! There's a few things, it needs a good cleaning for one. The mark ii I found is of the racing persuasion, and the hands are not original. Rather than the chrono hands being orange and the timekeeping hands being white, they're all white. It's possible that this was a black dial variant with a racing dial put on. There's a few other things, a non-original Priek case back and after market bracelet, but I got it for a pretty good price.
     
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  5. TNTwatch Oct 13, 2014

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    Not sure where you've read those but I understand the common wisdom here is quite the opposite of sending it to Bienne. If all the correct parts are available or still obtainable for a vintage watch then a reputable independent watchmaker is preferable to Omega. In fact, one the the best in the world, a forum member, Archer, who hails from St. Catharines, is often recommended here. The very long waiting list pretty much a testament to this.

    I guess nothing wrong either with either the Swatch Group or others if you could obtain references for them.

    My only concern for your watch is there is no original case back. Not sure what to do about it, but probably other experts will jump in on this.

    Cheers,

    Tony
     
  6. oddboy Zero to Grail+2998 In Six Months Oct 13, 2014

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    Hey Tony, I actually have the original case back, though it's pretty beat up.

    How can I find out more about Archer?

    The watch was not in the greatest shape when I got it, so I decided to give it a once over through the swatch group repair shop. I'm hoping they do a good job. It's the full on restoration procedure, tear down, clean, replace work parts, etc.

    I thought, from threads on another watch seeking site, that Bienne was the ultimate in restoration and local shops were good for routine working, cleaning, adjustments, etc.
     
  7. TNTwatch Oct 13, 2014

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    He's here: http://omegaforums.net/members/archer.2441/. You can read his postings to get to know him and send him a PM to contact. He's really great, and that's not just about Omega or watches in general.

    Usually there should be a lot of responses already for a thread like this. Probably the obscured title. Hopefully others will join soon to give you more ideas.
     
  8. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Oct 14, 2014

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    If it was me I'd be reluctant to sent it to Omega (Toronto or Switzerland).

    The watch is obviously modified by use of the caseback and possibly the dial, so Omega would restore it to what it was when it left the factory based on the serial number of the movement.

    You may end up with a pristine MK2, with an "original" service dial and a new service caseback and other parts that "needed changing".

    If however you wish to retain the racing dial and the original caseback (even though it's worn), an independent watchmaker is recommended.

    If I lived in Canada within a few hundred miles of Archer, I'd even walk there buck ass naked and backwards (Yankee term) to give it to him.

    I'd then camp out in the local MacDonalds carpark for as long as it took him to work on it (he has a HUGE backlog, such is his reputation) so be prepared to gain weight as you wait.

    Go down this avenue and you'll have a fine MK2, properly serviced and with all of the parts that drew you to this watch in the first place.

    Sure, it might be a bit scratched up and look worn, but it will be an honest modded MK2 (I wouldn't call it a franken).

    Think about it, think about your wallet, and make a choice.

    Cheers

    Jim
     
    persco, Cortezthekiller and TNTwatch like this.
  9. TNTwatch Oct 14, 2014

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    Can Omega identify by the serial number which dial it came with from the factory? If yes, I would spend US$80 to get the extract of the archive to confirm. Otherwise, I'd just source a set of 5 racing hands, get the watch serviced and call it a day.

    This watch's case is not too scratched up to me, but if desired, Omega or the Swatch Group can do a quite decent job on case polishing. But this depends on taste and it is a lottery on how it would turn out afterwards.