Omega Chronostop Pusher Cap - Advice wanted!

Hello gentlemen, I’m hoping you can help me with my Omega Chronostop ref. 145.009 burgundy.

One day, I looked down and noticed that my pusher cap had fallen off. The cap always “spun” in circles when you touched it, and I think I had a fidgety tendency of spinning it. I never realized it was on a thread and eventually fell off.

Okay - fast forward, there aren’t any caps in stock online. So I had to resort to buying a full new pusher, which came at an insane premium of like 30% the watch value. I ended up taking a risk on a VERY similar pusher not for the Chronostop for $50, because I believe the thread and size of the cap is the exact same.

The internal pusher is still in tact and not damaged. Cap only needed.

The pusher arrived, and I cannot get the cap screwed off. I took it to a local watchmaker, who with a strong language barrier, offered to put the cap on for $250. Felt steep to me. I had seen other threads saying it’s a 5 minute job.

MY QUESTIONS:

1) any tips how I can get this screwed off with no tools?
2) does the movement really need to come out of the watch to screw on the cap? How did it just screw off in the first place?
3) does $250 seem like the actual price to do that? For one, these things are worth like $800. It’s a big cost in my eyes. Plus, I don’t even know if this off reference pusher cap is going to fit.

Thanks guys

Hello 😀

My first question would be the following: are you sure that you have the correct pusher for this reference?

If yes, the operation of changing a pusher isn’t the most complicated on the world. Any decent watchmaker would be able to perform this task. 250 seems high to me especially if you already have the replacement part.

I don’t think you’d be able to do anything without tools.
Maybe there’s some loctite in the thread of the screw so heating it up under hot water for instance might help. You’d need to have proper screwdrivers as not to slip and make potential damages to the case.

You’d have to open the case, take the stem of the crown out, remove the case clamps securing the movement to the case if there’s any. Then remove the dial+movement out of the case. After that you would have access to the pusher assembly and make the change of pusher. Don’t forget to add some loctite when you screw the cap in the case.

If you’re not handy, I’d strongly advise you to look for another watchmaker or wait until you have the ability to get to a decent one.

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, no… I don’t have the correct pusher. Let me explain my non-watchmaking logic:

The correct pusher for this model is (086ST002). This part is incredibly scarce. The only one I have found online is over $225. However, there is a pusher from omega that is 1 serial number off (086ST001) but when comparing the dimensions, I found that both the thread + cap diameter/ height matched. I decided to purchase this pusher because it was only $49.

I was under the impression that if the cap just screwed off in the first place… another cap would be able to be simply screwed back on by hand without opening the movement.

Sounds like I’m wrong. I guess I have to go to another watch maker. The challenge is that I don’t even know if it’s going to fit. Thanks for your thoughtful response

Unscrew the cap on the replacement. Light check and see if it will fit over the toothed part on the omega case (if possible with screw there).

Lightly check and see if you can screw it down just to check thread compatibility.

If not. You may be able to use replacement screw instead of OEM if it fits over the cap.

Had a case I bought after an auction, but back threads worn away and useless. Tossed it. Never through to keep the cap.