Hello folks
I am an avid diver, and was given a beautiful Omega Divemaster on my b-day from my wife. Although I know literally nothing about watches, I certainly appreciate what a beautiful (and functional) piece the Divemaster is.
Recently my dad passed away. I was helping my mom clear out his stuff, and came across an old Speedmaster Professional in the bottom of his watch drawer. When I tried to wind it, I realized it hadnt been working for a long time. The winding knob simply came out of the case. (see photos). Is this something that is repairable? If it is, would it be prohibitively expensive to repair? By that, I mean, would it cost far more than a replacement, or what the watch would be worth after repair? Again, since I'm not knowledgeable about quality watches, I have no idea about this, but based on some of what I've read in the forums here about the Speedmaster Professional, it certainly seems like it could be a worthwhile effort.

 

Reparable, yes, it's also quite valuable.

If you decide to get it fixed, DON'T send it to Omega and DON'T let anyone polish it or replace cosmetic parts, hands, dial, etc.

 

Lord have mercy.

 

Never heard of an Omega Divemaster. Can you post a photo?

Re-inserting the crown and stem in the Speedmaster is not a big deal. However, it's also missing a pusher cap and probably needs a full service. You are probably looking at $500-$1000 for repair and full service, but the watch is worth it if you're keeping it. It's worth much more than that.

 

With all the (name)masters Omega has, you can't blame the guy when he likely means Seamaster Professional.

 

Stop. Put the watch in a very safe space. Read up on these forums. Then decide what you want to do. It may be "expensive" to service, but it will not be nearly as expensive as making a rushed, mistaken decision on this watch. You have a piece many, many people would be interested in. I am sure you will have plenty of folks chime in shortly. These forums have a wealth of information, you have come to the right place to figure out what to do, just be patient.

 

Folks
Thanks much for the input. SkunkPrince is correct...I am a proud owner of a Seamaster Professional...scratch that "Divemaster". Just goes to show you the extent of my watch knowlege. I took the advice here and began researching some of the forum notes. Wow! I had no idea there was a market for dials, bezels, faces, etc, etc. I also followed links to some dealers in antique watches, and was quite astounded to see the prices that some of these vintage watches were fetching in the marketplace. I recognize I have no appreciation for all the finer details of what condition-state my watch is in, or even it's year of manufacture, but it was pretty fascinating to search through the forums and see the level of detailed knowlege that resides here. Thanks to all for the info!

 

Don't forget the bracelet you have too

 

Thanks to all for the input. So to summarize so far:
1. It is reparable, and with a full service would probably be upwards of $1000.00. Since this was my dad’s watch, I would definitely keep it, if I could get it operational for something in this ballpark.
2. I should not send to Omega for said repairs. I don’t know why, but am assuming that would involve factory repair &/or replace of components, which (based on my forum reads & advice here) should be avoided unless absolutely needed.
3. Finally, is there a source of info on reputable, repair facilities on this forum, or on the web in general? Since I am new to this world, I would be easy prey for a disreputable shop, nor would I have the faintest idea what to look for in a qualified shop.
Thanks again for any info/suggestions.
Brian

 

Upwards of $6000 in value including the bracelet, IMO.

 

It's a nice watch and worth fixing, especially since it was your fathers and would make a great daily wear watch once serviced. Your Seamaster is a far more "rugged" watch and is depth rated beyond the capabilities of the Speedmaster (one was for diving, one was for racing), but they are very robust watches and can take a beating.
As you suspected, the reason people shy away from sending them to Omega is that Omega May replace dial/hands/ and refinish the case to make it as new. They do excellent work but their goal is to make the watch like new, and a collectors agenda is to keep it as original as possible but mechanically healthy.
Let us know where you are in the world and someone can suggest an independent service provider near you.

 

When you send a watch like that to Omega they give you a 2 years warranty on the watch once the service is completed, in order to get it to warranty standards they will replace any part that does not meet it, so the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" goes out the window.
As mentioned before, the value of a vintage watch like this one is higher when kept original (original means the actual part the watch came with, even replacing a part with a correct part from the same time period still reduced the value, so a new Omega part reduces it even more).
If you are not going to sell it and don't really care about the value you need to ask yourself a few questions-
1. Does keeping it original as opposed to giving it a full service will make it less valuable to YOU?
2. Do you plan on wearing it daily and wanting it to be as reliable as possible? Some could argue that a properly serviced watch will be as reliable as a new one but having that peace of mind knowing you have a 2 year warranty plays a part in it as well, in my opinion at least.

Sending a vintage watch to be serviced by Omega is not frowned upon, it just depends on what you're hoping to get out of your watch.

Full disclosure-
I have a vintage Omega I received from my dad that is also quite valuable, I decided to restore it by sending it to a reputable watchmaker who specializes in vintage watches. I had to bring it back to him a few times for some small ongoing issues but overall it works well now and was kept 99.9% original.

In the future, I might do a full Omega service cause like you I don't ever plan on parting ways with it so don't care too much about it's market value.
There will also be something special about having it as close as I can to how my dad received it when it was brand new!

 

Just don't get lost in it all and start buying them... Now that is a slippery slope..
It seems your father, like your wife had very good taste when it came to buying watches. My respects to you and your recently departed father. His Speedmaster is a wonderful item to remember him by. Perhaps even for your next generation. Get some advice, get it serviced, bearing in mind, less is best, and then decide what to do with it..

 

Folks
Once again, thankyou to all for both the information and the advice/suggestions. It is very much appreciated. Now that I have a better understanding about this model, and it's value, I am definitely going to send it out for repair/refurb. "Ritzwatch" kindly suggested a place like Nesbit's in Seattle. After visiting thier website, and reading up on thier service process, it certainly sounds like the kind of place I'd want for a quality repair job. Like many have suggested, I will request that only those pieces neccesary for solid operation, be replaced. This is not so much about potential resale value, but about having it as close to what it was when my dad wore it. He was a "vintage" treasure, so I'd like to to try and keep the Speedmaster that way also! I've followed the suggestions of some, and have done a lot more browsing, both on the forum and across the web. I now consider myself pretty lucky to have found this piece buried beneath a bunch of other "old stuff" in one of my dad's drawers. I'm looking forward to bringing it back to life and putting it back in action.

 

Hey, who knows... Might be a limited edition!

 

It is a great looking watch. Post updates on what it looks like after service.

 

I shall indeed!!

 

I inherited the same watch from my dad not too long ago, although mine no longer has the original dial or bracelet. It is a treasure to me none the less. Two great watches from (I am sure) two great men!

 

I kinda like the name. Divemaster. Has a nice ring to it. The OP actually didn't do a bad job trying to remember the name of the model as it could have come out much worse. Back a couple years ago when we were still in the Philippines I had an unusual LeCoultre model that I used to wear often and our 10 year old daughter would tell people I was wearing an "EL Castro".

 

Agreed... Name is catchy! Maybe a product manager from Omega is ready this