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  1. wilderbeast Jan 13, 2020

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    Definitely! It’s in good condition and a decent independent watchmaker will treat it with the respect it deserves. FWIW, my C-case also had some rotor rub, but it was disclosed at point of sale and thus a service was recommended.
     
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  2. Canuck Jan 13, 2020

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    Cosmetics contribute a lot to the pleasure of owning a collectable vintage watch. Your Omega has it in spades. If a watch is scuffed, banged up, and bruised, cosmetic improvement often shows only marginal improvement. But competent servicing of the mechanism including a replacement part or two, is a small price to pay. If you are going to buy vintage watches, get used to the idea.
     
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  3. mydeafcat Jan 13, 2020

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    Lucky sod! I have a dear friend in Bad Nauheim. Love that area.
     
  4. Vintageous Jan 14, 2020

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    Gentlemen, a tip of the hat to you all for your assistance...thank you.

    If anyone knows anyone who could recommend a competent a.k.a. trustworthy watchmaker here, I would be grateful.

    Barring that, I guess I will have to decide whether to return it after all, or just keep it on the assumption the problem is tolerable for a watch worn in rotation, or possibly offer it to someone else who might be interested in taking it from here.
     
    Edited Jan 14, 2020
  5. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jan 14, 2020

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    It may have had rotor rub 20 years ago and been serviced twice since the issue was fixed. Not a biggie

    A watchmaker will be able to tell. Once looked at and fixed it will be no issue.
     
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  6. JimJupiter Jan 14, 2020

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    Would love to help, but Frankfurt area is a bit far away from Berlin :) Watch looks good though!

    Nico
     
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  7. Vintageous Jan 14, 2020

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    Thanks for the reply.
    Do you do work yourself, or do you know of someone in Berlin? Sending the watch would be no problem, of course.
     
  8. JimJupiter Jan 14, 2020

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    No, i am just a collector with two left hands ;) I can recommend Robin Israel. He is situated in Oppenheim and Omega certified. The wait list is just long, you need patience.

    http://www.uhrenkunde.de/

    Nico
     
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  9. lindo Jan 14, 2020

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    In my city (far away Sydney) I found several good independent watchmakers by attending a local antiques/collectables fair and asking the watch dealers who they would recommend. I was given excellent advice and have used a couple of them for some time with great success. Omega ADs and high end city watch dealers had pretty much ruled themselves out with ridiculous quotes, and I was inclined to think they just outsourced the work to the same independents I already used.
    I don't know if this is an option where you are living, but at the very least it introduces you to locals with similar interests.
    By the way, I think you have bought a very nice example of a C Case.
     
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  10. Vintageous Jan 14, 2020

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    Thanks for the tip, Oppenheim is actually pretty close to here.
     
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  11. Vintageous Jan 14, 2020

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    I appreciate your input, thank you!
     
  12. bardamu Jan 14, 2020

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    Watch looks pretty handsome to me, my advice is to have it serviced and wear in good health!
     
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  13. pablosimon2000 Jan 14, 2020

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    congrats on the catch. If for any reason you travel to Madrid, I can recommend you a couple of good watchmakers. send private if anything. enjoy the piece!!
     
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  14. dx009 Jan 14, 2020

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    When the oscillating weight is rotating inside the movement do you hear any metallic rubbing noise ? (apart from the little springs/clicks charging the movement, of course, but that's a different sound)

    As others have said it's something that either has been fixed in the past or can be fixed. You could have the rotor replaced but, honestly, if the watch will be properly serviced you won't have any performance-related issues just because it's a little scratched.
     
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  15. Vintageous Jan 14, 2020

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    I have now asked the seller what he knows about this and for any info about service history.

    His initial answer was that all watches show this type of wear from knocks, etc., which cause contact with the caseback plate.
    He says there is no play with the rotor as is, otherwise there would be definite noises. This I have not checked.

    But I haved looked at a few pictures of other comparable vintage Omega movements, and it seems to me that the traces of wear with those are markedly less to my (untrained) eye.
    This I told him, am waiting for an answer.
     
  16. dx009 Jan 14, 2020

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    No, not ALL watches show this type of wear. Only those that have been improperly used/serviced such as a rotor becoming loose and instead of getting it fixed the owner would continue to use it until the wear occurs. He's probably saying this as he just wants the deal concluded and I don't blame him since it's not a big thing and also you haven't told us if the rubbing still happens or it was something that had happened in the past.

    This type of wear only happens with the watch in dial up position so only then should you hear rubbing. I've seen case backs with far worse rubbing marks, I can barely see it on yours...

    As has been said it's well posible that this was an issue in the past and it has since been resolved.

    Either way, since the watch was not bought as serviced there's nothing wrong with all this and it can be easily fixed...
     
  17. Canuck Jan 14, 2020

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    Some watch sellers have perfected the art of doing cosmetic improvements that lull newbies into thinking the watch appears to be perfect. These cosmetic “refurbishings” seldom seduce seasoned collectors into thinking the watch is perfect. In my opinion, this is an honest watch that has not been heavy handedly “refreshed”. You could end up with a tarted up POS with a movement which has FAR bigger problems than the movement in the subject watch has. I suggest that you keep it, have an experienced repair guy do what is necessary to the movement, and make it into the perfect watch you thought it was.
     
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  18. Dan S Jan 14, 2020

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    This is a very common issue with vintage Seiko as well, so I'm surprised you haven't run into it. Vintage watches come with unknown histories, and if you don't see photos before buying, you should always be prepared for anything. At least it has a rotor; I have seen auto-winding watches with rotors removed.
     
    Edited Jan 14, 2020
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  19. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Jan 14, 2020

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    If you hold the watch firmly in your hand, thumb on the crystal, so that the 6 o'clock dial marker is down towards the floor, and the dial of the watch is vertical - shake the watch away and towards you, so not side to side but front to back. Listen for any sound of a click of metal hitting metal. If the rotor pinion is worn and still rubbing, you can often here this clicking sound.
     
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  20. Vintageous Jan 14, 2020

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    I'm overwhelmed by all the responses to my questions, and the helpful comments. Thanks to everyone! You guys got a great forum here!
    I'll get back to you with updates ASAP. :thumbsup: