Omega Seamaster CK2913-8: back to life...

Hello everyone.

My name is Marcelo, and like everyone here, I have a very personal history with Omega watches.

The piece I’m sharing today is a Seamaster, reference CK2913-8, with the 501 movement. It belonged to my father, who gave it to me as a gift when I was 16. I wore it with great pleasure and pride.

However, it developed an issue with the winding stem, and I ended up losing the original crown as well. The watch runs perfectly—the mechanism works well—but for the last few months, I’ve been undecided about whether to restore it because the case shows signs of corrosion; my father used to deep-sea fish while wearing the Seamaster. I decided to restore it but keep the original case. I’ve already ordered an original stem (ref. 501-1106).

Now I’m looking for the crown (ref. 42028 or 069ST42028). I’m still undecided on the bracelet, but it will be steel.

The only part I haven't been able to find—or rather, the one where the asking prices are exorbitant—is the Bakelite bezel insert. The bezel is still on the watch but is seized to the case. If anyone happens to know where I can find the crown or the bezel insert, I’d appreciate it. Once the parts (crown and stem) arrive, I’ll send the watch in for servicing and a general cleaning. I hope you enjoy it... and thanks for any help.

Thanks a lot, Marcelo

Beautiful watch, definatelly worth restoring it for the story it has.
For the crown have a look here: https://www.ebay.it/itm/375755672421?var=644648506629
For the bezel insert ask here: https://odokadolo.industries/
I just ordered an insert and very curious to see the quality.

Great watch and story. Looking forward to seeing how this one comes out.

Great story, and definitely worth restoring. But...... what are you going to do about that case? My guess is you will need to scavenge one. Good luck!

i ordered the insert for my 166.0251 and waiting delivery. Hopefully it will be as good as i heard about.

Hi guys.
First of all, thank you very much for the support and encouragement regarding the restoration of this Omega.
Regarding the condition of the case and the course of action, there are three options:
1 - try to find a donor watch—something practically impossible to locate, and if found, the cost is prohibitive;
2 - ask the watchmaker handling the maintenance and reassembly if they offer weld-filling services to try and restore the original case. Once again, this variable depends on costs and whether the service can actually be performed;
3 - leave it as is, considering that these signs of wear are part of the watch's history. In this case, the goal would be to halt the damage and prevent it from spreading.
I admit I almost gave up on this restoration because of the case's overall condition. However, since the plan is to restore the watch to working order—but not for regular use, just for special occasions—the case doesn't bother me as much as it used to. It is certainly a tricky issue to deal with, but it’s not worth stressing over too much.
I’ve finally started restoring my Omega. The stem—an original Omega NOS part, ref. 501-1106—arrived today. The crown is the next step, but I’ve only found it at a shop in California (I live in Portugal); prices on eBay are prohibitive. I’m still trying to see if I can find the crown—ref. 069ST42028 or simply 42028—here in Europe.
Once I have the crown in hand, I’ll take everything to a reputable and trustworthy watchmaker to have the necessary maintenance and fine-tuning performed.
Thanks again to everyone here. If you know of any place or anyone with parts for the Seamaster CK2913-8, I would greatly appreciate the help.
Marcelo Campos
PS: Stem duly tested. It fits perfectly. I just couldn't move the hands or wind the watch, as I didn't have the crown attached and didn't want to force anything internally and damage the mechanism.