I have an omega speedmaster professional with the Nasa man on the moon back for repair to Omega. They told me the would service the watch but it needed a new case for warrenty purposes. They would not return the old part and the new part did not have the NASA moon back.

I inherited the watch from my late father and want to keep it in its original state. The watch runs fine. I was told they can not replace the original back. I have found "new parts" on ebay.

Any suggestions

 

If the back was on the watch when you sent it to Omega, insist they send the watch back, not done, and search out a well recommended competent independent shop, and have them look at the watch. Servicing an Omega at an Omega service center should be a last resort!

 

Can you tell them you refuse the service and have them send you the watch back as it was sent to them? Or did you already authorize the service?

 

I am not sure I understand this. The watch sent has the circular NASA inscription, right? I mean it isn't a rare 1970 straight writing or something? Omega are saying it needs a new case, presumably for water resistance purposes (which will be stupidly expensive) but they are saying the replacement back won't have the NASA markings? How so. The current watch has the markings and has done so since 1971 so I don't see how they are fitting any other back.

No it makes no sense to me. This is all academic anyhow as you need to ask for the watch back and use an independent who will repair it without replacing any major case parts.

 

This is a known issue I have referred to previously.

This is related to the same problem where some replacement bezels will not fit cases unless they are made by specific case makers. The same situation also applies to the replacement case backs. When Omega feels that the case back needs replacing on one of these watches, they offer to replace the entire case at a very reduced price - that price would be less than the cost of a new case back if the procedures are followed as they are laid out on the Omega Extranet, so replacing the case is not prohibitively expensive to the customer, at least not in terms of the case price (not talking about potential impact on value of course).

No idea what the OP is referring to with NASA markings, as the new case should be just like the current Speedmaster case, so it will have NASA markings, but they might not be exactly the same as what is on the watch now.

To the OP: As for how to handle this, my advice would be to refuse the service, get the watch back, and send it to a competent watchmaker with an Omega parts account. In the past I have received at least a couple Speedmasters that Omega said required new cases to seal, and I was able to replace the crown, pushers, clean up the case back and install a new gasket, and the watch passed the pressure testing fine. Not saying this one can be saved, but someone other than Omega should take a look at it before you take the leap to a new case.

Note that if you buy parts off eBay,. be advised that the case back may not fit properly, which is why Omega is offering a replacement case.

Cheers, Al

 

That is very interesting. Are there different tap sizes for different case backs?