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My Omega Service Centre horror story…

Dsloan
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
This is commonly an issue with fibromyalgia (and having been a sufferer during my worst back pain period I know something about). Not sure if your wife’s condition has been life long or recent- but in my case it was related to a lack of sleep- body goes into fight or flight, adrenals exhaust- whole body goes into hyper sensitive mode where anything touching the skin or what may seem like a mild ache becomes intensified by 100- it’s agonizing.

Oh yikes, that sounds rough. And doubly so for someone with a really, really good watch collection.

In my wife's case, it's probably ADHD-related, which used to be mild but got really intense after her pregnancy with all the hormones changes. She's in a pretty good place now, but the hypersensitivity has remained an issue.

Oh, and if I didn't say it yet, OP, send that watch back and ask for them to compensate you for having to wait for another service. We tried to rib you a bit, but you're not wrong that they should fix this for you.
 
YVR785
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BlackTalon BlackTalon
It's not a mechanical problem, it's an installation issue.
While it is generally an installation oversight, this watch has a deeper mechanical issue.

The misalignment is not consistent across indices and sometimes disappears entirely. The hands are aligned when manipulating the crown, but misaligned when the gears are engaged. I’ll make sure to note that because a simple realignment won’t do the trick.

Has anyone experienced that with a watch before?
 
Pastorbottle
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
My wife collects from my collection. It starts as a subtle migration from my dresser to her vanity, then it eventually goes into her jewelry box. The ones that require a bracelet adjustment is when she has to be less subtle “is this one of the ones you were thinking of getting rid of?”
About as subtle as a a third ball on a greyhound!
 
Dan S
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YVR785 YVR785
The misalignment is not consistent across indices and sometimes disappears entirely.
So you are claiming that as the watch is running, sometimes the minute hand is at 12 when the hour hand points at the hour, and sometimes the minute hand is at 11 when the hour hand points at the hour?

Or does the variation occur only when you are setting the time, and it's different depending on whether you are setting it CW or CCW?

I could understand backlash, but inconsistency really doesn't make sense.
 
JwRosenthal
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YVR785 YVR785
While it is generally an installation oversight, this watch has a deeper mechanical issue.

The misalignment is not consistent across indices and sometimes disappears entirely. The hands are aligned when manipulating the crown, but misaligned when the gears are engaged. I’ll make sure to note that because a simple realignment won’t do the trick.

Has anyone experienced that with a watch before?
I had something similar on my 16750 GMT. I dropped it on a hard tile floor many years ago and it stopped (ugh). Took it my watchmaker and he replaced a few parts and was running well but I noticed a hand misalignment. Brought it back and he fixed it. A few weeks later I noticed it again- and it got progressively worse and also varied. Turns out there was a pressure plate or shim of some kind on the dial side of the movement (I’m sure a watchmaker would know the part I’m talking about) that was just out of spec and wasn’t tracking the minute hand properly. He replaced the part and all was good.
 
noless
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YVR785 YVR785
While it is generally an installation oversight, this watch has a deeper mechanical issue.

The misalignment is not consistent across indices and sometimes disappears entirely. The hands are aligned when manipulating the crown, but misaligned when the gears are engaged. I’ll make sure to note that because a simple realignment won’t do the trick.

Has anyone experienced that with a watch before?
if i am understanding the issue you are explaining it sounds like the dial isnt centred properly, and you are also seeing the backlash between the cannon pinion, minute wheel and hour wheels. the backlash is normal, the dial being off center should be corrected.

ofc, without looking at it in person its hard to diagnose... this is a fairly recent model so im assuming it didn't go back to switzerland. That said i would still think this task should be doable by the local service center.
 
YVR785
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Dan S Dan S
So you are claiming that as the watch is running, sometimes the minute hand is at 12 when the hour hand points at the hour, and sometimes the minute hand is at 11 when the hour hand points at the hour?
It’s almost always the latter, but there have been times where I look at the time and realize “oh, it’s aligned”. It is inconsistent, and I’ve never seen that on a watch before.

Dan S Dan S
Or does the variation occur only when you are setting the time, and it's different depending on whether you are setting it CW or CCW?
When I’m setting the time CW it’s perfectly aligned across all indices, as it should. It’s slightly misaligned when set CCW, which is normal to make up for backlash. However, when the gears are engaged it reverts to being 5 minutes misaligned in no time.

Is there a technical way of describing this problem?
Edited:
 
YVR785
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
A few weeks later I noticed it again- and it got progressively worse and also varied. Turns out there was a pressure plate or shim of some kind on the dial side of the movement (I’m sure a watchmaker would know the part I’m talking about) that was just out of spec and wasn’t tracking the minute hand properly. He replaced the part and all was good.
This sounds exactly like what I’m experiencing. Thanks for sharing.
 
JwRosenthal
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YVR785 YVR785
This sounds exactly like what I’m experiencing. Thanks for sharing.
Mine wandered off by up to 15 minutes, but it was keeping fine time- just the hour hand would be 15 minutes behind the minute hand.
 
YVR785
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noless noless
if i am understanding the issue you are explaining it sounds like the dial isnt centred properly, and you are also seeing the backlash between the cannon pinion, minute wheel and hour wheels. the backlash is normal, the dial being off center should be corrected.
Yes, however the misalignment, when present, is consistent across all indices, which leads me to believe it’s a gear issue.

In rare circumstances, there is no misalignment at all for a few hours, and that is also consistent across the indices.
 
D
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I hope you send it back and they make it right.

I know a few OB managers and they would not sell a piece with this problem.
 
YVR785
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D Drof14
I hope you send it back and they make it right.

I know a few OB managers and they would not sell a piece with this problem.
Unfortunately, so many of their watches have flaws. Rolex too. And don’t get me started with Tudor.

It’s part of the game with these mass produced watches, but it’s frustrating when service goes wrong too.
 
ErichPryde
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YVR785 YVR785
Unfortunately, so many of their watches have flaws. Rolex too. And don’t get me started with Tudor.

It’s part of the game with these mass produced watches, but it’s frustrating when service goes wrong too.

I'm not saying that Omega doesn't have the issues that mass produced watches have (sure it does), but can you define "so many" as a measurable value? Perhaps a percent vs. the total number of omega watches sold?
 
YVR785
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ErichPryde ErichPryde
I'm not saying that Omega doesn't have the issues that mass produced watches have (sure it does), but can you define "so many" as a measurable value? Perhaps a percent vs. the total number of omega watches sold?
Your question is a nonstarter; there’s no way I can assign a percentage. It’s a minority of watches, but it’s also not a tiny minority from my modest experience.
 
YY77
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YVR785 YVR785
Unfortunately, so many of their watches have flaws.

😗

YVR785 YVR785
Your question is a nonstarter; there’s no way I can assign a percentage. It’s a minority of watches,
 
YVR785
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YY77 YY77
😗
“So many watches” can be a subset of a “minority” of all Omega watches.

Your point?
 
Lug
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YVR785 YVR785
Also, and inconveniently for you, OCD is a real and recognized health disorder. While I’m lucky to not have OCD, your 25 years of retail experience doesn’t give you the authority to babble on about medical illnesses.
But also, it’s an informal way of saying that someone has ‘a tendency to think or worry too much about a particular thing’.
0-AB2-AA15-7126-4243-998-E-20-F2175-E40-D7.jpg
 
Canuck
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YVR785 YVR785
A 5-min hand alignment is sloppy workmanship, especially when it was part of the service intervention. It’s also a mechanical problem because technically the watch is reading a new hour 5 mins out.

Also, and inconveniently for you, OCD is a real and recognized health disorder. While I’m lucky to not have OCD, your 25 years of retail experience doesn’t give you the authority to babble on about medical illnesses.

Babble! Good use of the word! You’d sooner babble on about it rather than to do something about it!
 
pdxleaf
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Like when I say someone's a dick, I don't mean they are literally a walking penis.

EDIT: Perhaps this was too much. It's meant to be a joke, which is risky on the internet.

Being somewhat ADHD myself, and perhaps compulsive, I sympathize with anyone with their own issues. But it's just a watch forum for goodness sake. Plus, it's OF, which is comfortable with a bit of teasing.

I guess I should leave comedy to the professionals.
Edited:
 
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