How to stop 90s Omega boxes from disintegrating?

[SpeedyPhill]

ROMDS = Red Omega Mars Dust Syndrome

 

[efauser]

N Nicholas Stenov

On IWC boxes from that area of time it was black rubber that desinegrated. I thought it was kind of rubber too on the Omegaboxex, but I am not sure what is is. Feels like plastic, and then I though it was some sort of leater. Only the IWC boxex I now know is rubber.


Best regards


Nicholas Stenov

And they get sticky, too.

 

[nkhandekar]

efauser

And they get sticky, too.

That stickiness is the plasticizer oozing out of the polymer....a bit like the sauce separating from spaghetti. But unlike pasta sauce, plasticzers are often noxious compunds like phthalates and phenyl phosphates. Best to wear gloves and/or wash your hands carefully after handling.

 

[josiahg52]

I like this channel:

 

[nkhandekar]

The Nekid Watchmaker is very entertaining. What is interesting to me is that this treatment is all about restoration. If a watch were treated this way, I know exactly what would follow. I am interested to see if people think that the originality of the box matters.

 

[mac_omega]

nkhandekar

The Nekid Watchmaker is very entertaining. What is interesting to me is that this treatment is all about restoration. If a watch were treated this way, I know exactly what would follow. I am interested to see if people think that the originality of the box matters.

IMO its not worth the work and time spent on these nasty boxes to restore them. Better use the box to lock spare parts up than use it for a watch.
Or even better: throw it into the bin and buy a better condition box - they are out there galore...

 

[tikkathree]

SpeedyPhill

The first thing we've learned about old Omega boxes... a particular smell... It was called ROMDS = Red Omega Mars Dust Syndrome
Describing or related to the bad quality of the red 1980s & 1990s Omega boxes, which deteriorated very fast... with a distinctive smell !

Saints be praised! I thought it was just my box which has a slight odour

Honestly I believe the only way to rid yourself of this problem is to move them to a different address - the place where the guy who buys your watches "with the stinky old boxes" lives.
This is surely a challenge for those makers of pastiches, homages and knock-offs whose products we might find shipping from an address in China? Oh look.....

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...sea!UK!3858878428!&curPageLogUid=8tWkQMvofTXi

 

[tikkathree]

N Nicholas Stenov

Ok. It is red imitation leather I fould out. They should have used real leather

Global shortage of red cows I'm afraid. All that methane, all those cow patties, all those sanctimonious ozone layer panickers - something had to give!!

 

[mac_omega]

tikkathree

Global shortage of red cows I'm afraid.

got me a good chuckle

 

[JimInOz]

I have a couple of red boxes that are turning to red dust.
A ceremonial burning may be in order, then I can put the ashes in a glass capsule and they won't deteriorate any further.

 

[nkhandekar]

tikkathree

all those sanctimonious ozone layer panickers

I hope that this is a joke I am missing.

 

[TimtimeIntl]

I've learned the hard way not to place any of these boxes directly onto any shelves or next to other boxes. I bought a couple excellent ones many years ago and had to pry them off the varnished shelf they sat on. Although airconditioned, I live in a very hot and humid part of the country. I wonder how they last in very dry cool climates. Maybe the moon? Just collect Omegas from eras that don't use these boxes

 

[Pastorbottle]

It reminds me of something attributed to Enzo Ferrari, a customer was complaining about something on his car, Enzo said something to the effect of: “When you buy a Ferrari from me you buy the world’s best engine….. the rest of the car I give you for nothing”
As he didn’t speak English, that would probably be a rather loose interpretation if indeed it was ever said at all.
So it equates to when buying an Omega watch, what you are buying is a watch of high quality, they throw in the box for nothing