Bought 18 months or so ago from a local jeweller who has retiring.

He'd taken it in for a service in 1988, after his client jumped in a swimming pool in Marbella wearing it - stripped it back, replaced a lot of parts in the movement, new service dial, new hands, new case back... and the client never came to collect it (the implication being that he either went to prison or was otherwise indisposed).

He felt pretty confident that after 28 years in his safe, and the cost of parts and labour all those years ago, it was his to sell.

So a watch that possibly led an interesting life ;-)

Anyway, I dropped into STS at the end of last year with a couple of other pieces, and was wearing this one.

Simon took it into the workshop to have a look, and declared that it was running correctly and not in need of service... but that they could restore the factory finish.

4 weeks later... voila.

 

Looks great

I'm surprised that the oils hadn't evaporated in those 28 years, but there you go!

 

Cheers chap.

I picked it up from the seller at his home, where he had both a full watch workshop, and a full model train workshop (he was building custom engines from scratch) - he said he'd had the back open and given it a once over before I collected - and if Simon's telling me it doesn't need a service (when he could be charging me for one!) then I'm happy to not do one.

 

Oils won't last 28 years...there's no debate on that. I do hope that the person you bought it from didn't just add some oil to the visible pivots...

Cheers, Al

 

Hey Al,

Confident that it's all good - Simon at STS had it in the workshop for an inspection before coming back to advise on work required - I did ask explicitly if it needed a service, and he advised against.

They've also had the movement out for the case refinish, and had it running/tested before sending it back out to me... so as far as STS are concerned all is well (as far as I understand it, I wouldn't speak on their behalf).

Reading back through the emails between myself and the seller, he does say that he serviced it before putting it up for sale.

Whilst I'm not 100% sold on what a seller says, if a watchmaker I trust has inspected it, and advised that it doesn't need a service then I'm inclined to go with his advice.

Cheers

Chris

 

On a side note, the 830 cal Deville that I picked up before Christmas was sold to me as "freshly serviced", off it went to STS, who advised that it was in dire need of a service/lubrication.

So they're not shy of doing work, but seemingly very much against doing work that isn't required.

 

If the seller says he serviced it, that's good information to know. It's pretty well established though that timing machine results won't tell you if it needs servicing with 100% certainty, and my concern was that the seller just added oil to the visible pivots that STS would have looked at, so it would appear to be well oiled, when more than 50% of the oils could be dry. To know for sure you would need to begin disassembling the movement, or at the VERY least take the hands and dial off since few of the pivots are actually visible just by looking at the back of a fully assembled watch like the chronostop.

It's not about being shy of doing the work...

 

So in this case, was the watch severely worn? I agree that the outcome is fantastic, but I'm curious to know whether the same treatment to a vintage Speedy would increase or decrease the value.

Maybe this is a personal preference, and I know that if it still retains factory finish in a "unpolished" condition, then a refinish, would be frowned upon.

But if the brushed sides are worn and only showing slight graininess, is it better to have it restored or leave it be?

 

That "ride a camel" outfit... Wonder how quick they can deliver?

 

Not severely worn, no, but the graining on top was barely visible, and there was some light scratching on the non pusher side - very little polish/refinish was done... Just enough that it's back to spec.

Value wise, this probably makes it more valuable to someone who wants a 1968 watch that looks nearly new (case wise)... and less to someone who wants it all original and time worn.

But Chronostops aren't really something that collectors seem to go for, these are a very popular entry level into vintage omega ownership... And sometimes that's where the madness stops!

I don't think there is a "better" option, but if this had been a highly valuable Speedmaster, where the market seems to value originality (in any state) above all else, I wouldn't have touched it.

 

If you show up at the GTG in that, I may have to buy an airplane ticket to England...

 

Where are you flying in from?

 

Are you a dealer?

 

Nope.

I buy what I like, and sell it when I want to fund something else, or if I decide that it just isn't something that I love.

I get the impression that's what most people do... although some of us just seem to buy and not sell... I just don't have the finances to buy without selling some of the stuff I have.

 

In some better light at home...