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OEM springbars.
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Undefeatable
·My local Omega Boutique charged me $1/ea
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Evitzee
·Thankfully, some of the Omega's I've bought over the last couple of years (regular Speedmaster, Ultraman, and Apollo 11 among them) all came with extra springbars and I haven't had to use any other ones. Charging $50 for a couple of these is terrible customer service by Omega. A good way to drive customers away.
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avidmark
·Thankfully, some of the Omega's I've bought over the last couple of years (regular Speedmaster, Ultraman, and Apollo 11 among them) all came with extra springbars and I haven't had to use any other ones. Charging $50 for a couple of these is terrible customer service by Omega. A good way to drive customers away.
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Lurk41
·I bought some OEM springbars online (ebay) a few months ago, cost me around 30€ for 2 pairs incl. shipping, and the seller included a third free pair.
I did not know at that time but he is a Ex-member of this forum: he started nice but ended is journey here by - let's say - showing questionable ethics. So I guess I won't give his name...
All I can say is that the bars were as described and all went smoothly. If I hadn't see his recent reputation here afterwise, I would have recommend him :/
I did not know at that time but he is a Ex-member of this forum: he started nice but ended is journey here by - let's say - showing questionable ethics. So I guess I won't give his name...
All I can say is that the bars were as described and all went smoothly. If I hadn't see his recent reputation here afterwise, I would have recommend him :/
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Peter_from_NL
·Irrespective of where it is coming from, paying 50 or so in either usd or euro is a ridiculous amount of money.
But off topic but for me more importantly, do original springs really make difference compare to the ones my watch shop takes out of his “big box”?
But off topic but for me more importantly, do original springs really make difference compare to the ones my watch shop takes out of his “big box”?
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerIrrespective of where it is coming from, paying 50 or so in either usd or euro is a ridiculous amount of money.
But off topic but for me more importantly, do original springs really make difference compare to the ones my watch shop takes out of his “big box”?
Yes
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JwRosenthal
·Three pages in on this guys-
I believe @Archer actually showed a pictorial on this once upon a time with detailed pictures of a factory Omega spring bar versus a cheap spring bar- and the differences at the ends where they are crimped is very different in terms of quality. I have had cheap spring bars fail and when your watch hits the asphalt- you wish you spend the extra $2. You’ll buy a $5k watch and slap a $300 piece of leather on it, but you’re penny-pinching on the $4 spring bars???
Spring bars are not just a piece of metal- they are spring loaded pins made to a specific size, with a spring of a specific tension, loaded within a tube of a specific size and material strength, with a crimp (or some form of fitting) at the ends to hold the pins in place. They can also be made of various metals, some cheap and rust prone and some of better quality. They are actually a mechanical device, and like any mechanical device, they can vary in quality depending on materials and construction.
Omega is sourcing very high quality spring bars, they are better than the cheap shit you get from China. Are they made by Omega- probably not, most likely a Swiss contracotor. Are they model specific- I highly doubt it (unless like in the case of the shoulderless 2mm spring bars Rolex used which were specific to certain models).
If the MSRP from Omega is $4, then they should be $4. If your dealer is charging you $4 plus $40 shipping, then you need to find another dealer. If your dealer is charging you $40 in the shop for factory spring bars, then you need to find another dealer.
I believe @Archer actually showed a pictorial on this once upon a time with detailed pictures of a factory Omega spring bar versus a cheap spring bar- and the differences at the ends where they are crimped is very different in terms of quality. I have had cheap spring bars fail and when your watch hits the asphalt- you wish you spend the extra $2. You’ll buy a $5k watch and slap a $300 piece of leather on it, but you’re penny-pinching on the $4 spring bars???
Spring bars are not just a piece of metal- they are spring loaded pins made to a specific size, with a spring of a specific tension, loaded within a tube of a specific size and material strength, with a crimp (or some form of fitting) at the ends to hold the pins in place. They can also be made of various metals, some cheap and rust prone and some of better quality. They are actually a mechanical device, and like any mechanical device, they can vary in quality depending on materials and construction.
Omega is sourcing very high quality spring bars, they are better than the cheap shit you get from China. Are they made by Omega- probably not, most likely a Swiss contracotor. Are they model specific- I highly doubt it (unless like in the case of the shoulderless 2mm spring bars Rolex used which were specific to certain models).
If the MSRP from Omega is $4, then they should be $4. If your dealer is charging you $4 plus $40 shipping, then you need to find another dealer. If your dealer is charging you $40 in the shop for factory spring bars, then you need to find another dealer.
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩFI bought some OEM springbars online (ebay) a few months ago, cost me around 30€ for 2 pairs incl. shipping, and the seller included a third free pair.
I did not know at that time but he is a Ex-member of this forum: he started nice but ended is journey here by - let's say - showing questionable ethics. So I guess I won't give his name...
All I can say is that the bars were as described and all went smoothly. If I hadn't see his recent reputation here afterwise, I would have recommend him :/
The best dealers, the ones people recommend all the time are fundamentally not greedy, value relationships, will be honest with people and not exploit a large knowledge gap over their customer and make their money off volume over time, not by squeezing every dollar out of every deal. If they buy a bad watch they chalk it up as a learning experience and eat the loss then move on. That doesn't take you from a Corolla to a Ferrari overnight but it lets you build a good business and attract repeat customers and referrals such that you can consider yourself successful over time and maintain the respect of your friends while doing it.
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STANDY
··schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collectorI bought some OEM springbars online (ebay) a few months ago, cost me around 30€ for 2 pairs incl. shipping, and the seller included a third free pair.
I did not know at that time but he is a Ex-member of this forum: he started nice but ended is journey here by - let's say - showing questionable ethics. So I guess I won't give his name...
All I can say is that the bars were as described and all went smoothly. If I hadn't see his recent reputation here afterwise, I would have recommend him :/
At €30 for three sets of springbars he threw nothing in for free. 😗
Last springbars I got were at Cost = $6.00 AUD each pair and boutique sent three sets out free by courier 4000km away.
Edited:
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerThree pages in on this guys-
I believe @Archer actually showed a pictorial on this once upon a time with detailed pictures of a factory Omega spring bar versus a cheap spring bar- and the differences at the ends where they are crimped is very different in terms of quality. I have had cheap spring bars fail and when your watch hits the asphalt- you wish you spend the extra $2. You’ll buy a $5k watch and slap a $300 piece of leather on it, but you’re penny-pinching on the $4 spring bars???
Spring bars are not just a piece of metal- they are spring loaded pins made to a specific size, with a spring of a specific tension, loaded within a tube of a specific size and material strength, with a crimp (or some form of fitting) at the ends to hold the pins in place. They can also be made of various metals, some cheap and rust prone and some of better quality. They are actually a mechanical device, and like any mechanical device, they can vary in quality depending on materials and construction.
Omega is sourcing very high quality spring bars, they are better than the cheap shit you get from China. Are they made by Omega- probably not, most likely a Swiss contracotor. Are they model specific- I highly doubt it (unless like in the case of the shoulderless 2mm spring bars Rolex used which were specific to certain models).
If the MSRP from Omega is $4, then they should be $4. If your dealer is charging you $4 plus $40 shipping, then you need to find another dealer. If your dealer is charging you $40 in the shop for factory spring bars, then you need to find another dealer.
Which bars would you rather trust to keep your multi-thousand dollar watch on your wrist?
I know which one I would trust...
Regarding what dealers are charging, I understand it sounds like a lot but these are businesses, not charities. Sure the spring bars are cheap in reality, but someone has to take the time to make up an order, package the bars up, make out whatever shipping documents are needed, and actually get them shipped. Then deal with whatever potential issues may arise if the shipment gets lost. It's not just the cost of the actual shipping you are paying for, but for the time of the people who are doing this task.
And keep in mind this isn't necessarily for a well known customer - it could be someone who they didn't know, and who may have never bought anything from their store before. Would you want to spend your days sending out orders worth $10 to random people who contact you all the time? Not excactly a profitable business model, in particular when it's not your actual business to sell and ship spring bars...
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Peter_from_NL
·This is actually a great thread, thanks to all. I am learning a lot!!!
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JwRosenthal
·So all this said, I ask again, does anyone have any experience with another brand of high quality spring bars, like the Swiss bars sold by Ofrei (they say they are "the best" quality- are they?) , for those of us who want high quality spring bars in sizes other than the 20mm Omega bars, for other watches?
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerSo all this said, I ask again, does anyone have any experience with another brand of high quality spring bars, like the Swiss bars sold by Ofrei (they say they are "the best" quality- are they?) , for those of us who want high quality spring bars in sizes other than the 20mm Omega bars, for other watches?
The alternate bar I show above is a Swiss made Horotec bar, so not some cheap Chinese made bar. I've not seen a generic bar that is of the same quality as the Omega bars are...they might be out there, but I've not seen them yet.
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mattonthewater
·Is there really such a huge quality difference between the official OE Omega spring bar and some eBay special?
substantially different
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STANDY
··schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collectorSo all this said, I ask again, does anyone have any experience with another brand of high quality spring bars, like the Swiss bars sold by Ofrei (they say they are "the best" quality- are they?) , for those of us who want high quality spring bars in sizes other than the 20mm Omega bars, for other watches?
So just buy Omega 18mm or 22mm bars 😉
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