Just bought a speedy few months ago from new. Its a special occasion purchase. Getting the bracelet off is fine, but the first time putting on a leather is pain because of how strong the sprint bar is, gave me 1 or 2 deep scratches on the lug. Lug hole still fine After a couple of strap changing, there are tons of scratches around the lug hole. The hole itself is not mint anymore (pic below). I get better now, but i don't know anymore if i still damage the lug since the scratch is uncountable And then, the nightmare. Bought a tweezer so i can easily install and uninstall my bracelet. Easy. But when i tried to use it to install a rubber strap, things get hard and the tweezer don't bite it nicely, the springbar itself at times doesn't want to be squeezed. I get impatient and now the springbar looked damaged. (Springbar for bracelet). At some area the spring bar that touch the lug looks uneven My question is 1. Is my lug area done for? . I mean, can it still be polished and maintain its integrity? Or if not polished, and i just use my bracelet the entire time, will it still maintain its integrity in the long run? 2. Should i change my spring bar with its current condition? Will using it put more damage to the lug hole in the long run (when using bracelet) 3. Does anybody know how much does it cost for a new case?
Case and springbar look fine to me. A little scratched up, but no real damage. They'll last for years.
Don't panic.You do not need a new case. The spring bar appears ok to me. The scratches can be polished out, if you are really concerned about scratches you can't see they can be laser welded and polished back. Far cheaper than a new case and still original. When fixed , tape the lugs up before changing straps. Best of luck.
More practice is required on an inexpensive watch ... with a good tool and perhaps a magnifying visor if your eyesight is not very sharp. There is no reason to create this much damage. The good news is that the damage is only cosmetic.
^ This... Take small pieces of tape and place it around the lugs. Always change from the back. If you slip and scratch then hopefully it’s just the piece of tape and there will be no further damage
This. Get a better tool. It should all be done in one motion. No raking needed. Until you feel more comfortable, maybe have the straps changed by a watchmaker.
Thanks for all the feedback. Its a huge relief knowing its only cosmetic. Under the loupe, the scratch is horrifying to me. i'm afraid the scratched - rough spring bar will only damage the lug hole area further to unusable. Maybe i should just order new one from omega. Regarding my tools, i use bergeon from the start. But my skills are a bit lacking, the spring are stiff so when the tool slipped, it hurt the lower lugs. Its okay for me. But to see the inner lug (the side that touch the strap), scratched like that, i just afraid the lug hole will be widen and widen and maybe not round anymore. Now i do things much smoother. But have no idea what made the scratch at that area, maybe from the spring bar.. starting to just stick with one strap at a time for long period / many natos