Looking for advice on a 2998-62 and newbie mistakes…

Hi guys,

a few years back, I got myself a 2998-62. The (professional) seller had mistakenly listed it as a 103.005, the price of a fairly-priced 103.005 is what I paid for it, and extract from the Omega archives is consistent with a 2998, so it isn't too frankened.

The kind seller likely performed a “service” before sending it out, and what originally had somewhat correct hands arrived with those pictured, naturally with no way to make things right by the time newb me picked up on it. The subdial hands were always the straight type - my best-case scenario hunch, from the damage to the case, is that the watch took a bad hit relatively early in its life, had a service where at hands, and possibly the clasp (it came with what looks like a 7077, but with a 1233 clasp), were replaced.

I later sent it to Omega, with instructions not to mangle things, which resulted in a replaced chrono and subdial hands, crown, and pushers. The slightly offset bezel is the result of a later, non-Omega service.

I’ve been told by a local, competent watchmaker that getting a correct handset isn’t worth it given the other problems with the watch, especially given the damage to the case (new drilling…) done by the Omega service.

At the same time, this is my daily wearer, I both love it and couldn’t afford another example at the prices we’re seeing these days, and I’d like to get it as right as possible…

So, anybody got good suggestions on where to go from here ? Should I start begging for a kind soul to sell me a handset ?

[edit: re-checked, 'tis a -62 and not a -2, sorry 'bout that]

Thanks for the referral - will hit him up and see what he says - and well-spotted for the crystal, which I'd forgotten to mention was also changed by Omega (and was sent back along with the other parts).

You're right about the extract. It mentions a movement sent to the country the watch was bought from, a production date of April 1963, and what my understanding is usual-for-Speedmasters "This watch was produced under licence by Lemania Watch Orient who was a subsidiary of Omega at that time".

And yup, one of the nice things about having a battle-scarred example is that you're less worried about giving it an extra scar or two 😉

Another vote for Simon, who is currently working on my 105.003-64 Ed White. The hands on mine were both later replacements and even worse not even the correct hands. I spoke to Simon who confirmed that he doesn't have access to NOS hands, so I found a set on e-bay from a UK seller who seems to sell nothing but NOS Omega parts.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381592388669?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I bought a set of hands which are correct to the watch and sent them with the watch to Simon. I understand the process is to remove the modern day luminova, then paint the hands and sub dial hands with an aged white more in keeping with the originals. He then makes up his compound (a modern day tritium if you like) and colours it to match the markers on the dial then uses it to infill the hands for a perfect match.

I am looking forward to getting it back and will post some before and after images. This was the watch last weekend before going off and the hands.