Thinking about putting a bezel from a Great White GMT onto a 2534.50 50th Anniversary GMT. If anyone has done this and can post a pic that would be great. I remember this being discussed before on the forum but my searches have come up empty. Thanks for your help.

 

Not my picture, but:

 

Not sure if you're thinking of doing it with an OEM bezel or just the insert, but from what I've read on another thread (probably the one you mention) the OEM insert isn't available by itself and aftermarket versions can be ill fitting.

 

Just to add, I actually have this watch and so, if you do the "mod", please do post your results! Not sure I'd be brave enough to do it myself but I'd be interested to hear how it went!

 

Nice, but it looks sleeker if it were a Great White with the 50th Anniv GMT dial. You get the Speedy-style bracelet

 

You get this bracelet also on the later 50th Anniversary models. Again, not my pic:

 

That is exactly the look I am going for. Thank you for the pic. Now I just have to find a great white bezel and a 50th Anniversary watch to replace the one I sold a years or so ago. Foolishly I might add.

I'll post a pic when I have it all together.

 

Well, this is happening! I sourced a New in Package Original Omega Great White bezel, from Denmark via eBay.

Now to decide which 50th Anniversary GMT to acquire. Several are available. Depends on which bracelet and clasp I want. Will keep you posted. Perhaps one will become available here on the forum.

 

And now a 50th Anniversary GMT Seamaster is inbound. I should have it this week. Next will be a visit to a OB to have the bezels swapped. Then pics will be posted.

 

Great! Which bracelet option did you go for in the end?

 

The Speedy style bracelet!

The watch arrived yesterday. Very pleased with it. Next is to have the new bezel fitted to the watch. I will traveling to Florida next week and will stop in to the OB in either Boca Raton or Aventura to have their technician do the swap. Then, I will post some pics.

 

So I took the watch and new bezel in to the Omega Boutique today and met with my favorite technician. But unfortunately the new bezel would not snap on to the case. It seems that the machining of the Great White bezel is slightly different than the 50th Anniversary bezel. I had just assumed that the watch cases and bezels are the same for the two GMT watches. I do notice that folks who have done this swap are using an earlier 50th Anniversary model with the Bond bracelet. Perhaps those earlier models are machined the same as the Great White?? I really like the look of the Great White bezel on the 50th Anniversary watch. Unfortunately it doesn't look like this will happen for me. Disappointing!

 

can you swap just the inserts? i know they come out (carefully).

 

That’s disappointing! I have the 50th on the Seamaster bracelet, although I like the day/night insert as it is, but I was looking forward to seeing the result of this experiment. Not sure why they would be machines differently.

 

As I've said before, you never really know if these modifications will work until you try them. People often assume that because the bezels looks the same, they will fit, but that's just not true in my experience and as you have found out.

There are two common versions of the black dial, one with the Bond bracelet and one with the Speedmaster style bracelet. The watch heads for those two references (25345000 and 22345000 respectively) are exactly the same, so the case, bezel, dial, hands, and movement are all exactly the same - only the bracelet is different. You were wondering if there was a difference in the cases that allowed this swap to work on just one of the cases, but the answer to that is no - there is only one case between them and there have not been different version of that case over time.

The Great White case (25382000) is a very different case. Not only is the finish different but the dimensions of the case are quite different. If people are swapping anything from the bezel between these 2 different case families, it's just the bezel insert I suspect. I'm actually a bit surprised the technician at the OB was willing to do this modification - this is not in line with Omega policies - I hope he knows that he is possibly getting himself in some trouble with this. But I'm also a bit surprised that the first thing he didn't suggest was swapping the bezel insert - takes maybe 3 minutes to do so but I would take some detailed measurements before making that swap...

Cheers, Al

 

I don't believe it is, is it? They are fundamentally the same case, both designed to house the cal.1128 GMT movement. The only difference is aesthetic - the different surface finishes that you've already mentioned.

 

Well, I just said it was...there are important dimension that are very different between the 2 cases. This all relates to the hand heights of the different 1128 movements that are used in these watches, and the variation in the thickness of the dials. This requires the dimensions inside the case to be different so the stem lines up in the center of the case tube.

There are things at play here that most people are simply not aware of...

 

I do dimly recall reading previously that against what you would assume, the GW has got a slightly different case (not just finish) than the black dial for some reason, though it may of course have been Al who posted this info last time I saw it.

 

Likely was - as I said the dials on the black and white versions of the GMT are different thicknesses - I don't know why this is, but I can assure you it is. This means that several parts in the movement have to be taller so that the hands clear the dial - these are the seconds wheel, the cannon pinion, the hour wheel, and the 24 hour wheel.

Since the movement locates inside the case by the front surface of the dial, the thicker dial means that the stem is located further towards the back of the case than it is on the black dial version. This is a photo of a Great White movement placed in the 50th anniversary black dial case:



You can see that the stem is not located in the middle of the case tube. This doesn't look like a big deal, but small dimensional differences are critical in watchmaking. Since the crown will screw down and center on the case tube, this will create a bend in the stem. As the watch is wound or set with the stem, it will flex the stem back and forth, it will work harden, and snap off. In the Great White case, the dimension from the surface inside the case where the dial locates to the centerline of the case tube is greater than it is on the black dial versions.

These are not just cosmetic changes. This is why you can't simply look at a case and determine if it is the same as another or that parts from one case to another will exchange - it's far more complicated than people generally understand it to be.

Cheers, Al

 

Thanks Al, always happy to be educated! I appreciate the detailed explanation.

Cheers, C