Hi All, I'm very new to the vintage watch world (and really the entire world of high-end time pieces) and could use the guidance of all you knowledgeable people out there. I received an Omega Speedmaster watch when my uncle passed away that he left for me in his will. I have worn it intermittently for the past few years and brought it into the Omega boutique on 5th Ave in New York City a few years ago to see what they could do about a worn out bracelet and dial. They had the watch maker take a look and said to bring it up to speed (it was loosing a fraction of a second per day) and do any other work, they'd have to send it back to Switzerland which would cost at a minimum $1,200. The customer service rep also talked me out of changing out the vintage bracelet and dial and I'm very glad she did - I know have a greater appreciation for it. I've loved wearing it since then. My issue is that a few weeks ago I went to wind the watch one morning and the crown feel off completely - just pulled right out of the side of the watch. I dropped it off at the NYC Omega store last weekend while visiting friends in the city and just got the findings from the Omega diagnostics. All I have is the e-mail and attached invoice which says the following, "because of the special nature of this repair, the watch must be sent to Switzerland for service." It also states that the services there will start at $1,200 and go up from there based on what's needed. I'm trying to decide if it is worth having this done, and what they might find when they open it up - I certainly want to keep this watch as it has tons of sentimental value but can't afford a multi-thousand dollar repair at this point. I do not have pictures of the watch right now since it's currently in the possession of the Omega store in NY, but the invoice states that this is a 321 caliber with a 145.012 reference. Based on this link which I found digging through the forum, http://chronomaddox.com/romans.html, I believe the watch was from either 66, 67 or 1968. I do not have a serial number and just called Omega to confirm they could not give that to me until it goes to Switzerland because they will not open the watch up in NY since they know they can't do the work on it. So what I'm trying to understand is how much the watch might be worth once I get it back to the best condition possible (while keeping it true to its vintage) and what it might cost to have the work done on it? I know that's a very tough question since no one knows what they'll find when they open it, but can you guess at price ranges? Thanks a lot in advance, and please let me know if there's any other information I might be able to provide as clarification. First time poster, Evan
Absolutely DO NOT send it to Omega. They have surprisingly little regard for the integrity of vintage watches, replacing original and desirable parts and refinishing cases, etc. There are plenty of qualified watchmakers, several here on the forum included, which can attend to the needs of your watch. I would expect a proper sympathetic freshening and service to be perhaps $500-$750, possibly less depending on the condition of the movement. More members will chime in shortly. Welcome to the forum, you have a special watch.
Absolutely DO NOT send it to Omega. They have surprisingly little regard for the integrity of vintage watches, replacing original and desirable parts and refinishing cases, etc. There are plenty of qualified watchmakers, several here on the forum included, which can attend to the needs of your watch. I would expect a proper sympathetic freshening and service to be perhaps $500-$750, possibly less depending on the condition of the movement. More members will chime in shortly. Welcome to the forum, you have a special watch. (When good advice has been given, it bears repeating!)
Yes , and he would give a far better explanation of the watches needs. In addition to what the first two responders stated, I would add that a restoration by Omega in the case of this model watch, could actually hurt its value.
A basic service on a Speedmaster at a good independent should start at around $300 plus parts, if needed and therein lies the problem. Parts for the cal. 321 movement are beginning to get very scarce. Omega has most of them, but they are not selling to watchmakers any more. If the watch was running well before the stem came out, then it might not need more than a basic service. Stem replacement is usually not a big deal. Sometimes they just pop back in place. Send Cicindela a private message through this system for Steve's contact information. Good luck with the repair, Evan, from another Evan. gatorcpa
Thank you all very much for such helpful, and prompt responses. I've sent a PM to Cicindela and will see what he has to say and go from there. Thanks again!
Hi Everyone, Again, thanks for all the advice regarding this, my first Omega. I got it back in my possession this past weekend from Omega before they sent it off to Switzerland and am heading to the post office shortly to send it to Steve to have him take care of. In the meantime, I wanted to post some pictures so you guys could take a look. I'd love to know more about this watch, so please don't hesitate to share thoughts. I also have a pretty thick skin, so you can be honest with me if you don't think it's great - it has tons of sentimental value to me so I'll love the watch anyway and will do my best to take care of it. I'm hoping Steve can fix or replace the crown which broke off while I was winding the watch a few weeks ago and take care of any issues with the movement (thought the watch was running quite well until the crown came off!). What I do know: it's a 321 caliber with a 145.012 reference and there's a fairly significant blemish on the dial at the 2 o'clock mark. And now onto the good stuff (apologize for picture quality - was my first go at watch photography)...
I just sent my 145.012 to ABC Watchworks in LA and received it back in the condition with which I requested. Base chrono jobs are $795. I had a complete service and crystal change. All of my watches have gone to them and Beau and Dalton are very sympathetic to the vintage crowd. Pete
is part of the stem still in the thread part of the crown? if so, stem broke and every watchmaker can fix that. if the crown and the stem came out, then maybe the fixing screw broke in the mainpalte. that is a service job and i`d replace the mainspring as well after all these years. good luck ! kind regards. achim
Thanks, Achim. I'm not really sure which of those possibilities has occurred with my watch - guess I'll find out once I hear back from the watch maker. I am planning to have the watch fully serviced either way as it probably hasn't had one in at least 20 years. What type of costs would be associated with replacing the mainspring and fixing the crown if the fixing screw broke in the mainplate? Any guess?
the mainspring is cheap. replacing it as part of a service will not jack up costs. and if you have a complete service, the fixing screw replacement is not a big cost factor either. unless rust is in the thread. but that rust would affect the mvmt. function and you said, it works quite well.... therefore i`d say the cpl. service will be whatever you are quoted plus 2 cheap parts and maybe 1 extra hour... but that is just a guess. you have to check the mvmt.and see, what is needed. kind regards. achim