Why would they do that? So they can't be used again?

 

I see no other reason.

 

Odd - not sure why they would do that...

 

The watchmaker who put it back together pointed it out when I asked why he couldn't use the original pushers. He had no idea why they would do that, either.

 

I think if there is a moral to this story it is.. Do NOT send your watch to Omega for servicing, unless you're ok with it possibly coming back not the same.

The crimping of pushers just amazes me..

 

Not sure how many of you are in Canada but I had my Geneve and Speedmaster send to @Archer and he did an amazing job. I'd highly recommend him.

needless to say I've got some used original pushers if anyone wants them

 

Has this thread been forwarded to Omega? Hodinkee? A story like this should be of interest to the industry and all collectors.

 

Knock yourself out.

 

Done. I don't expect anything to come of it, but you never know...

 

Maybe this is the result of the watchmaker trying to remove the pushers with some good old pliers

 

I had some flightmaster pushers returned from Omega. I tossed them but I remember seeing plier serrations indented in the pushers. Probably the easiest way to get them out. The three crowns were returned in usable condition. I doubt they crimp them so they can't be used again as the sole reason.

 

Dicks ...This looks like a deliberate damage to keep them off the market.

 

Not to be a conspiracy theorist but who has put themselves in the position to be the sole source for parts?

 

Yes, of course they want to sell you some new. The wizards of Omega .. (have not red the long threat)
If they was to replace them anyway (?) then maybe the watchmaker did not bother taking the extra time (and expenses) to remove them without damaging them

 

I could believe that if Omega wasn't keenly aware of the strong market for their vintage watches.

If Swatch was smart, rather than cutting off the supply of parts for older watches--what I have come to believe to be the ultimate goal of forcing them to be serviced through Omega, they embrace the vintage market by encouraging trade-ins for new Omegas, thereby becoming a potentially huge source of vintage watches and additional income. If they went in that direction, I think Omega would change its attitude on sympathetic restorations. Or, I could just be full of crap.

 

Knowing how pushers come apart, there was absolutely no reason for anyone to use pliers on them. The pusher tube or body has serrations on the OD, which match with serrations on the ID of the pusher caps. You don't need to grip the pusher cap at all when unscrewing the cap screw from the inside of the case, as the serrations keep the cap from spinning. Zero reason to use pliers on the caps as they have done here, and the tube or body (which by the looks of the caps shown by the OP may not have been changed - not sure) unscrew from the case with a specific tool for that purpose.

Sequence of changing a set of pushers - cap screws unscrew from inside the case:



No need to use pliers or anything to grip the caps - note serrations on the tubes still in the case:



Tubes are unscrewed using the red tool, which grips on those same serrations:



New pushers:





Pushers disassembled (again without damage to pusher caps) and tube has Loctite applied to threads:



Tubes screwed into case:



Pushers assembled:



No pusher caps were harmed in the making of this post.

Cheers, Al

 

Nice with some hands on. Still chances are that the watchmaker did not know what he was doing, or maybe he/she had some problems with the screws not coming out due to corrosion or such..
What Archer shows is how it should be done, yes

 

Since the service was done by Omega, I hope to God they know what they were doing.