Hi All,

I have just made my second Speedy purchase. First one was a '68 145.022 transitional for myself and I have just found a very nice example of a 3572.50 that, according to the 77xxx serial number, appears to have been manufactured in 2002 (the last year before this Hesalite/Sapphire sandwich was discontinued if I am correct). 2002 was my son's birth year and he'll turn 13 this year. After acquiring my own Speedy and adding a few higher end pieces to my collection, I decided to give him two of my watches, a Corum Admiral's Cup Trophy 41 and a Tag Heuer Chronograph. Since then he has been really excited about watches, looking at his closely and has even put them on the weekend rotation, haha. But he has been especially taken with my Speedy.

So, I decided to pull the trigger and buy this Speedy from his birth year as the opportunity presented itself. My plan is to store it away somewhere out of site for the next 8 years and surprise him with it to him on his 20th birthday. I figure it would be much cheaper than giving him my Rolex GMT Master II from his birth year, haha. I heard someone on this forum make a comment that it would be nice if all of our parents had the forethought to buy one of these for us in our birth year and then just tuck it away. I thought that was a brilliant idea and began the hunt for the right Speedy.

Anyway, my question for all of the experts on this forum is this, what is the best way to preserve the watch for the next 8 years? I will certainly have it overhauled before giving it to him but what would be the best way to keep until then? Would it be better to just keep it in a cool, dry dark place and let it sit idle or would it actually be better for the watch to take it out and wind it up and let it run occasionally?

Is there anything that I should be careful about doing or not doing? Appreciate everyone's advice. Will send some pics once I receive the watch.

 

The most important thing is

Don't loose it

 

If you keep it in a dark place, a safe for example, for 8 years, the lume might turn very dark, which is seen by many (me included), as very desirable.

 

I just recently found out from another member that "dark" not "sun-light" provides the "patina" that most of us desire. Go figure, after over 50 years of fooling around with these damn things, I learn more about them on a regular basis. Many thanx to this wonderful Forum as I need all the help I can get Miki

 

I guess it depends on what patina you are after, my understanding is that sunlight and heat creates so called "tropical" dials but dark gives us the orange lume.

Both can apparently also be faked by sunlamps heat, chemicals.

 

Why not buy it put it away and 3-4 months before you give it to him then service it.

 

Thanks guys, sounds like in the safe it goes.

 

A 2002 model would have superluminova, so the lume won't change colour like it does with tritium. Good idea to buy it now, that way you can keep it in mint condition, also the prices are only going up.

 

Put a desiccant packet in with the watch wherever you store it just in case. You don't want mold.

 

Send it to me, I'll treat it like my first born child and at the end of the tenure, I'll pay to get it serviced by a professional and send it back to you.

No?


Well I guess the advice from previous members is sound enough.
Then just pack it in an airtight container with a food grade silica gel pack and put it in a safe.
Remove for service prior to presentation.

 

I agree with the idea of sending it in for full service just before handing it down. Until then, enjoy the shit out of it.

 

I have a similar situation for my boys. I plan on wearing their watches often and not telling them that it is theirs. The goal is that they will know the watch is meaningful, not just because it came from their father but because their father wore it and cherished it while they were growing up! Sorry, this doesn't answer your question but just my two cents (and certainly not trying to say my plan is better than yours -- there's something to be said about having a minty watch too!).

 

I asked the Omega tech at the boutique if I should wind my watch every so often if I store it in a bank vault over an extended period of time. His response was that, even though Omegas' movements are built like tanks and don't necessarily need it, I should wind the watch once every one-two months so that the oils can circulate. He also said that he did the same with his Omega watches. Does anyone else on the forum do this?

 

Circulate where?

It's not a V8 engine, if applied correctly the oil at each wear point is retained by the design of the sinks and the jewels.
It'll sit there for eternity if left undisturbed, may dry out a wee bit though.

 

I guess I stand corrected:

"Because there is no sliding action in the coaxial escapement there is no need for lubrication. Because there is no lubrication to break down the timekeeping will be more consistent over the service interval – which Omega claims is longer due to the use of synthetic oils, and their absence in the escapement.

Now, the practical information: Please take note, what I am about to tell you is not sufficient information to get you started servicing coaxial movements. This information is intended to help you see that there are in fact some real reasons why hands-on training would be a wise investment before tackling these watches.

First, The “oil-free” coaxial escapement has a little oil on it. Yes, I know, what about what I said above. The impulse jewels are left dry, there is no need for the oil there. The locking jewels have a very, very, very small amount of oil on them to help cushion the locking action. (To gauge the proper quantity of oil, it is applied under 50 power magnification.) This oil acts, not as a lubricant, but as a cushion to absorb part of the shock from the locking action. Leaving this oil off does not affect the timekeeping of the watch, but it will likely result in damage to the upper coaxial wheel teeth over time. . . . But Geo. Daniels didn’t put any oil on his movements? The coaxial wheels in his watches are made from a Gold alloy which is softer (and springier?) than the steel used by Omega. This material choice serves to absorb the extra shock without the need of a “hydraulic cushion.”"
Source: http://watchmakingblog.com/2010/05/03/omega-co-axial-training/

The quoted text is in regards to co-axial movements, however. I agree that the other omega movements may not need to be wound to have the lubrication circulate since there are no shocks experienced by the watch in a safe, but do consider fine watch movements to be like as little engines haha

Also, like I said, the certified technician at the boutique told me that. I guess he was wrong and I should have done more of my own research. My apologies.

 

Not correcting you (I'm hardly qualified to do that).

But from my understanding, a watch left at rest in a benign environment will not need "circulating".

I know he's probably answered this conoundrum a hundred times, but I'd be interested in the opinion of @Archer if he has time to educate me.

 

I've often wondered this so actually asked my semi retired watchmaker (he's 76 years old!) only the other day what the best course of action is with my vintage watches that don't get much wear.

He said that I should give them a couple of winds every couple of months "just to keep everything moving"...................

Of course I'm not saying that's correct, it's just the opinion of a very old watchmaker!

 

These 2 Speedies being discussed use cal 861 and 1861 movements, no co-axial.

 

Oils are held in place between the jewels and pivots by capillary action. I honestly can't think of any spot in a watch that would need the "oil circulated" on a regular basis for any reason. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and wind it every once in a while, but honestly I don't think that is really doing anything to preserve the watch...

I think this idea goes back to when watches were oiled with whale oil and porpoise jaw bone oils, etc. Then oils would gum up if not kept in motion - modern oils don't really do this.

Cheers, Al