hello guys,

I have a 2010 model speed master auto model 3539.50.

In October 2016 I paid a reputable watchmaker specialising in Omega movements $750 Australian to servic the watch, which was gaining 15+ seconds per day at the time.

Upon return, the watch was running approximately 1 minute fast per day. So I returned the watch to be regulated.

After picking up the watch a 2nd time, the watch was running behind by several minutes over a 24 hour period.

After returning the watch a third time, the movement is still gaining 30 seconds every 24 hours.

Now at the point that of frustration, I've asked the watchmaker for a return of my payment, as he was unable to regulate the watch to the promised +-10 seconds per day.

The guy has flatly refused to return my original payment, and only offered to continue to tinker with it until its right. Needless to say, my confidence in his ability to get this watch running within acceptable standards, has eroded.

What would you guys recommend I don't next?

Thanks for you insights and appreciate your thoughts.

 

Hi James,
I've had a similar issue with a supposed vintage omega expert in outer melbourne..... any chance it's the same person?

Not much you can do. Let them try agin or go somewhere else and forget about the money.

Honestly, it's hard to find a decent and cheap watchmaker in Australia. I often send stuff overseas for service.
Daniel

 

That's a Speedmaster reduced, so a modular chronograph movement. Did he service the entire movement including the module, or just the base movement?

Getting the base movement running well should not be a problem, as it's based on the Cal. 1120, which is in turn based on the ETA 2892, so a very common movement to work on. It's usually the chronograph module stuck on top that is going to cause problems if anything is. I'm assuming these measurements on the timing are being done with the chronograph not running. If so then I would demand a refund and find another watchmaker - note that many won't work on this movement so you may need to send it to Omega, and they will likely swap the movement for a refurbished one as that is common with these watches.

Cheers, Al

 

My Speedmaster reduced went from totally unreliable, to one of my best performing watches, after a trip to Omega (Swatch) Canada, at which time the entire movement was replaced. Was the new one a refurbished one, or a NOS replacement, I don't know, and the only thing I regret was the expense. Although it cost me a LOT less than $750.00 (Australian).

 

Thanks Daniel

I'm getting very tired of weekly trips out to Bulleen.

he's promised to get the watch +/-10 seconds a day and has failed to deliver after completely disassembling and reassembling and regulating the movement. And he's had four opportunities, back and fourth, to do so.

He only accepts cash and I have no receipt of purchase. Surely it's within my time rights to demand a refund.

The prospect of spending in the area of $750 to service the watch again is unacceptable.

There is the threat of bad reviews/online warnings etc. Surely these guys rely on online recommendations for customer traffic.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

My second port of call would be Swatch in Melbourne, where I live - but hopefully not without a refund for the original service.

Which is like drawing blood from a stone. He proports to be a 'Master Watchmaker' of the British horological institute. He's said that Swatch could never perform the quality of work he does. The fact remains that his work has done absolutely zero to improve my predicament.

Cheers

 

Hi Al,

All measurement with Chrono off. Will testing with it on add more to the story?

I will have to ask about the extent to which he serviced the movement. As far as I know he dissembled it, chemically cleaned, oiled and reassembled the entire movement.

It's good to know it is within reason to ask for a refund. I hope I can leverage the prospect of poor reviews/online feedback to get my money back.

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

Same guy. I cracked it at him (I'm based in Canberra, obviously) asked for a refund, told him I didn't trust him with my watch anymore. He had a go at me and hung up. He called me back a few hour later to apologise. Eventually he got it to a point that I felt ok selling the watch, but that experience meant I just didn't want to keep the watch. Kept reminding me of all the frustrations with him.

 

Do they really swap out the movement and chrono module? I was under the impression that the base movement gets serviced, but the module gets swapped out.

 

The "they exchange the module" idea is commonly stated on forums, but many things on forums don't necessarily match the reality.

It somewhat depends on the service centre, but I have confirmed that in Canada for example, yes they exchange the entire movement. The one from the watch is sent back to Omega to be refurbished and then distributed to a service centre somewhere to be put in another watch.

Again more brands are doing full movement swaps at local service centres and sending the movements to a central location for servicing, such as Tudor, Cartier, Brietling, and Omega with these specific movements. If you think about it, it makes sense from a business point or view.

Cheers, Al

 

I suppose, thanks.

I'm not familiar with the reduced; is the serial number just on the case, or is it on the movement, too? I'm wondering if it's possible to get into a situation where the papers list one serial number, but the watch is (now) different, or the case/movement serials no longer agree.

 

Hi @jamesadelahunty

I think your watchmaker may be getting a bit past it as Daniel (@CanberraOmega) has also experienced, I used him some years ago but recent feedback has not been the same as it was in 2010.

I suggest you bite the bullet and drop your watch into the Ω boutique in Collins St. I recently used them to service my X-33 and was pleased with the service, if not the cost.

That way you get Ω service, done to specification and a two year warranty on the work.

Best of Luck.

Jim

 

These are not chronometer grade movements, and any I've seen dont have serial numbers on the movements.

Of course there are times when entire movements with serial numbers do need changing, for example with a rusted out movement that can't be saved, they simply update their records with the new number.

Cheers, Al