No Serial Number Omega Speedmaster Reduced: Factory Service

[Flanaman]

Hello All,

A few months ago I decided to take a risk and buy a speedy reduced from Ebay (authenticated but no original box/papers). It was a 1988 reference 175.0032 with the 1140 movement. Kind of a weird year for these timepieces as the 1140 was quickly scrapped for the 3220. This was a birth year watch for me and the condition was phenomenal. The dial has the perfect petina.

Any ways after about 2 weeks of owning it I went to set the time one morning and the stem came free of the movement. Completely out of the watch. I called Nesbits as they are local, and they won’t touch the reduced with the 1140 movement. So I decided to reach out to omega and have a factory service preformed as my options otherwise were pretty limited.

Here’s where it gets interesting:
-there is no serial on the case back. They used an interesting laser dot serial originally (I believe) which had been polished off.
-there is no serial on the 1140 movement as it was not an in-house movement
- the only markings anywhere on the caseback are makers marks from servicing.

I knew all of this going in, but decided to take the risk as this watch and year have been on my grail list for a while, and I had never found one in this condition.

I mailed the watch off to Omega and they will service the watch. Normally non-serialized watches will not be serviced, but this one falls into a year where the movements were not serialized, so they verified all the parts were authentic and agreed to repair the stem and perform a factory service (with no polishing, crystal replacement as its original, no dial or hand replacement, etc.).

I will post pictures once it is returned, but wanted to let folks know that omega will service these weird year speedy reduced, that may have some serial issues.

 

[SkunkPrince]

Did you go directly to the Omega service center? It’s about three blocks away from Nesbit’s.

 

[Flanaman]

SkunkPrince

Did you go directly to the Omega service center? It’s about three blocks away from Nesbit’s.

Unfortunately I was told that service center only services watches sent in from AD’s and that a watch couldn’t be just dropped off (per a call with Omega). It is down in California at the moment and should be back around June 10th.

 

[vitriol]

F Flanaman

-there is no serial on the case back. They used an interesting laser dot serial originally (I believe) which had been polished off.
[...]
- the only markings anywhere on the caseback are makers marks from servicing.

Since mid 1980's (possibly even earlier? hope someone can chime in more) Omega puts serial numbers on the case, on the bottom side of the lug, so that's Ok if your case back has not serial number.
The case backs have other numbering - 'case number', in your case looks like it is ST175.0032.

F Flanaman

-there is no serial on the 1140 movement as it was not an in-house movement

That also sounds correct to me. There was the time when Omega has not been serializing calibres which were not chronometers (non COSC). As far as I know 1140 calibre is not COSC.

Edited: May 19, 2021

 

[Archer]

vitriol

Since mid 1980's (possibly even earlier? hope someone can chine in more) Omega puts serial numbers on the case, on the bottom side of the lug, so that's Ok if your case back has not serial number.

Not on these. The serial number was either on the outside of the case back, or printed on the inside. The external serials can be removed from refinishing, and the internal versions can come off when the case is cleaned, so the situation described by the OP is not unusual.

The movements were not serialized, just like many of the 7750 based watches didn't have serialized movements (1150 series).

The only time that Omega will refuse to service a watch is if it's not genuine, or if the serial numbers on both the movement and the case have been removed. On these watches, the movements never had a serial number (so it can't be removed), so as long as the movement is genuine, they won't refuse to service them. FYI - this isn't new information as I've posted it before, and it's clearly stated in Omega customer service polices.

Cheers, Al

 

[SkunkPrince]

F Flanaman

Unfortunately I was told that service center only services watches sent in from AD’s and that a watch couldn’t be just dropped off (per a call with Omega). It is down in California at the moment and should be back around June 10th.

If that's so, then why would Omega give you the address and phone number of the service center on their website? And why send your watch to California? That's just weird.

 

[Flanaman]

SkunkPrince

If that's so, then why would Omega give you the address and phone number of the service center on their website? And why send your watch to California? That's just weird.

Those are great questions. I will say that I got the box to ship it down there super fast and the communication this far has been phenomenal.

 

[vitriol]

Archer

Not on these. The serial number was either on the outside of the case back, or printed on the inside.

Would you happen to know was I correct in estimation of mid 1980's as a transition date of serializing on the lug?
In general I mean, as per your "not on these" comment I assume not all references/collections have fallen into the new serial-on-the-lug system (?)
Thanks

 

[Flanaman]

Archer

FYI - this isn't new information as I've posted it before, and it's clearly stated in Omega customer service polices.

Archer

FYI - this isn't new information as I've posted it before, and it's clearly stated in Omega customer service polices.

Thanks Archer, I read a lot of conflicting information here and on other forums. Even Omega gave me the “we have to see it first” which makes perfect sense. I just wanted to share my particular experience as I thought it may help someone on the fence about getting one of these specific year/model watches.

 

[Archer]

vitriol

Would you happen to know was I correct in estimation of mid 1980's as a transition date of serializing on the lug?
In general I mean, as per your "not on these" comment I assume not all references/collections have fallen into the new serial-on-the-lug system (?)
Thanks

Not making any comments on the date of when the "on the lug" serials happened. I have no idea when that happened specifically.

When I said "not on these" I meant the Speedmaster reduced never had serials on the lugs that I've ever seen - they have always been on the case backs as far as I know.

 

[Archer]

F Flanaman

Thanks Archer, I read a lot of conflicting information here and on other forums. Even Omega gave me the “we have to see it first” which makes perfect sense. I just wanted to share my particular experience as I thought it may help someone on the fence about getting one of these specific year/model watches.

Yes, of course they need to see it first to be sure it has a genuine Omega movement inside. But the serial number not being on the case is not a problem in itself on these watches, or the 1150 series Speedmaster date watches.