Hello folks, very proud today to unexpectedly inherit my Grandfather's Omega Seamaster 300! My father is retiring to Portugal and did a massive purge of things and in a small box was his fathers 'old watch'. I'm over the moon to have come across something from his side of the family as there really aren't any other mementos that exist to my knowledge.

I've attached a picture and would love ideas on year/movement. She is a bit fast accelerating a rather unsettling amount of time (+45 min day!). I plan to find a reputable service person (advise welcome) in the Boston (North Shore) area but wonder roughly what new crystal and typically overhaul/tune-up might be expected to run.

Very excited to join the Omega family,

Tom

 

That's a beautiful, desirable and relatively valuable watch - even better with the family connection.

There is a good watchmaker in Boston, but I forget the name. I'm sure someone will come along soon enough to let you know.

 

Welcome, you Lucky Man! Perhaps the timing is due to magnetism.. I am definitely no expert. Congrats and I hope it gets handed down to the next generation. As for prices, you could start here and hope to save more.. https://www.omegawatches.com/customer-service/interventions-and-prices..

 

Very nice, looks great, congratulations. Wait for the experts with local knowledge to advise you where to send it for a sympathetic clean and full service, then enjoy your fantastic heirloom.

 

Stay way from Omega for the Service, you will get someone good local.

Lovely watch. Is it on the bracelet?

 

This! Don't send it to Omega. They will probably change some parts and you will end up with a watch having lost most of its value.

 

Nice watch!

 

Thanks all, this was a truly magnificent occurrence. Grandpa left Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and never looked back. Ended up in in the insurance industry in Kansas City, MO and later Amherst, NY area for some time before moving towards Florida. A real 'old hippie' according to my pops who was supposed to come live with us back in 96-97 but passed rather unexpectedly weeks before arriving. I was always sad I didn't really get to know him aside from my fathers tales and one visit to us in 96.

Really interesting as soon as my dad pulled out the little velvet bag he kept the watch in I actually could remember the clasp icon and knew there was an Omega in there, but hadn't seen it in 20+ years!

 

Save your watch by not having an Omega service you mean

 

Great watch, huge congrats and best luck with the intended Service

 

Did some reading and general interneting and consensus is strong with The Watchmaker in Stoneham, MA. I visited the shop this afternoon and after a pleasent conversation with the owner have left it in their hands for assement and servicing.

Particularly cool is that his father, the original proprietor, does the vintage service work. It will no doubt be sometime before the fruits of his efforts come to bare but I will do my best to necro this thread with results and my experience.

Cheers all, and again, I'm honored to unexpectedly, but not un-asporationally join this club!

 

I think what @yande meant was start with Omega's pricing (usually the most expensive) and use that as a gauge as to what the OP gets quoted elsewhere.

 

Very nice ! Pls. Tell them, Not to change a thing cosmetically . Polish the existing crystal, don't change it. Crown should be fine with a new crown seal. The bezel seems damaged around 3 o clock. Keep the bezel on and ask them, to fill existing cracks with a clear compound and polish these areas with a Dremel and crystal polishing compound to blend in. Will be a fabulous watch !

 

Indeed. My experience with old-timers running watch servicing is that they absolutely need to be told to lay off the reluming etc. and preferably more than once.

 

lovely looks near identical to mine

 

No, get a new crystal. They are identical to vintage and you need it for water resistance. Sometimes you can change a crown seal, sometimes not. Change the crown, again, for water resistance.

Originality stops being important when you wear your watch. Don’t forget many worn movement parts will be replaced.

Tom

 

Love the input, I'll def not re-lume as I have a SKX-007 for night play. Great idea on the mild bezel restoration, this is helpful for my ability to articulate what the end result should be. Cheers.

 

Not to me it doesn't! Keep it as original as possible and just don't wear it anywhere near water, is that really so hard to do?

 

As an InfoSec professional I'm not often soaked at the desk, however as a father of a three year old and a six month old there is no telling what could happen. That plus Boston winters and summer humidity send me toward waterproofing.

 

The crystal is absolutely identical. The crown may not be, if not, save the old one.

Deliberately compromising a dive watch like that, you may as well keep it in a shrine or don’t buy it at all.

Tom