Omega Service Center vs Independents

watchguynyc · Jan 5, 2026

Looking to get my Yachting 176.010 serviced. Does the forum feel strongly about using Omega Service Center ($800) vs an independent? What price is reasonable to aim for?

Have any members used watchrepair.net or TM Watches? I’m not finding many options near me in South Florida…

Obligatory pictures attached. Thanks!

YY77 · Jan 5, 2026

Are those still the original tritium hands, if so an OSC will most likely replace them with SL hands.

watchguynyc · Jan 5, 2026

As far as I know / can tell, it's all original

sathomasga · Jan 5, 2026

FWIW, I was told by a technician at my local Omega Boutique that Swatch Group absolutely will replace any lumed hands as part of a service. The rationale being that old lume could flake off and get into the movement.

For the OP, I don't know anything about South Florida, but any reputable vintage watch specialists should be fine accepting work remotely. I'm in Atlanta, but regularly send my watches to Rusty Tuggle, i.e. Antique Watch Company, in North Carolina.

ErichKeane · Jan 5, 2026

I sent a 176.007 back to Omega about a year ago(Old enough it has to go back to switzerland) and just got it back recently, and they replaced A TON even though I said 'leave as original as possible'. They replaced basically everything, see my thread I posted a while back.

On the bright side, the watch is fantastic and is basically brand new. On the down side, it is very much not original anymore.

So thats what you're going to get from it.

HorsinTime · Jan 6, 2026

sathomasga
I'm in Atlanta, but regularly send my watches to Rusty Tuggle, i.e. Antique Watch Company, in North Carolina.

I'd also be sending mine to Rusty Tuggle just so I could say, "I sent my watch to Rusty Tuggle". Great name!

hmmmcamu · Jan 6, 2026

find an INDIE watch maker who specializes in LEMANIA movements ... if you can
They will know very well how to manage and navigate these old lemania made but modified by Omega movements,

if u are invested maintaining ERA specific OEM parts to be used on ur watch ... that will not happen with Omega service center, modern equivalents will be used. .. there are 3 given things that Omega service center will definitely do if they work on the watch that u will not be charged for ...

replace the crystal
replace the crown
replace all gaskets

source ur own vintage replacement parts ?

there is also the other road where U after the indie watch maker tells u parts that need to be replaced either have him or urself try to source vintage unused parts that u need from the era ur watch was made

kfranzk · Jan 7, 2026

ErichKeane
. ..On the bright side, the watch is fantastic and is basically brand new. On the down side, it is very much not original anymore.

It depends what you define as 'original'??
For a watch that is not dedicated to your private museum, 'original' should mean, 'all parts original Omega'! That includes service parts and is working perfect for every day use at best also water tight.
I had a Constellation 168.059 18k at Omega service in Biel and they refusd to keep the 'OM' 18k dial because a bit of the lacquer paint was loose. They only could offer a plated dial, but send back my 18k dial.
So at home my local watchmaker made the change back, no worry. But I have for the value the original Omega service documents, what adds more to the value than it did cost.
And my local watchmaker is good, but he was'nt able to change all moving and related parts to new, see att receipt.
Ok, for a not so valuable steel watch I would have let him do it.
Konrad

Dan S · Jan 7, 2026

kfranzk
For a watch that is not dedicated to your private museum, 'original' should mean, 'all parts original Omega'!

I think you are well aware that is not what collectors mean by "original," so please don't confuse things further for newbies who may read your posts. If the parts are not original, the watch is not original. The value of a watch can easily be decreased by 50% if original parts are replaced with authentic "service" parts. It's true that the watch will be perfectly functional, but that is not the only consideration.

Maybe not a huge issue for the OP watch, but important for highly collectible vintage watches. Personally, even in this case, I would prefer to keep the watch original, since the condition looks good, and the watch is bordering on being collectible.

ErichKeane · Jan 7, 2026

Dan S
I think you are well aware that is not what collectors mean by "original," so please don't confuse things further for newbies who may read your posts. If the parts are not original, the watch is not original. The value of a watch can easily be decreased by 50% if original parts are replaced with authentic "service" parts. It's true that the watch will be perfectly functional, but that is not the only consideration.

Maybe not a huge issue for the OP watch, but important for highly collectible vintage watches. Personally, even in this case, I would prefer to keep the watch original, since the condition looks good, and the watch is bordering on being collectible.

Yep, exactly this. For ME, completely unimportant, as a basically-new-watch I can wear without concern is better than one with the collect-ability of originality. If I cared about being able to resell it, them swapping as much as they did probably cost me a bunch of money.

Peemacgee · Jan 7, 2026

Dan S
I think you are well aware that is not what collectors mean by "original," so please don't confuse things further for newbies who may read your posts. If the parts are not original, the watch is not original. The value of a watch can easily be decreased by 50% if original parts are replaced with authentic "service" parts. It's true that the watch will be perfectly functional, but that is not the only consideration.

Maybe not a huge issue for the OP watch, but important for highly collectible vintage watches.

I couldn’t agree more.
The premium market value of a vintage watch is set by its collectibility.
Not its wearability nor its serviceability.
Otherwise these watches are just ‘old stuff’ that some folks find interesting and would be priced accordingly.

Collectors prize originality - in both original ( not service) parts and condition - and this sets the premium market value.
This does not mean they have to be shut away in a ‘private museum’ and many members, myself included, wear our watches daily.

Of course if an owner wishes to have replacement parts fitted then that is their prerogative but it will devalue the market price of that watch significantly.

kfranzk · Jan 7, 2026

@Dan S: "..so please don't confuse things further for newbies who may read your posts."
I do that intenionally, as in no way this Forum is only for hard core collectors.
As the starter of this thread, I think, many newbies come here looking for a practical advice for their every day or one and only Omega watch. There is no need to cover them with the purists standpoint only!
Konrad
( and beleive me, I am a hard core collector for 40 years...)

kfranzk · Jan 7, 2026

@ Dan S, Peemacgee....
I realize a portion of animosity against me, when I give another view on how to advice old watches discussed here.
(I got even attributes like "diatribes - berate - harangue - belligerent.." to my comments from you and others.)
So again I explain, whats my intent by thinking of the watch discussed by the starter.
The Omega automatic chronograph 176.010 is a very nice and horologically important watch, but it is a real tool watch, I would wear on the playground, bicycling, mountain hiking and therefore it should work perfect for the next 5 or 10 years. There exactly an Omega service is best, as the local watchmaker cannot get all parts new.
(And of course my 'museum' Grand Luxe I wear at my wrist but in 'civilized' environments.)
Konrad

ErichKeane · Jan 7, 2026

kfranzk
@ Dan S, Peemacgee....
I realize a portion of animosity against me, when I give another view on how to advice old watches discussed here.
(I got even attributes like "diatribes - berate - harangue - belligerent.." to my comments from you and others.)
So again I explain, whats my intent by thinking of the watch discussed by the starter.
The Omega automatic chronograph 176.010 is a very nice and horologically important watch, but it is a real tool watch, I would wear on the playground, bicycling, mountain hiking and therefore it should work perfect for the next 5 or 10 years. There exactly an Omega service is best, as the local watchmaker cannot get all parts new.
(And of course my 'museum' Grand Luxe I wear at my wrist bit in 'civilized' environments.)
Konrad

I believe the point really is: Lets not mislead newbies who don't know what is/isn't important to them yet. IF I read "oh, it doesn't matter to remove all the original parts", did it, and found out "oh btw, your watch is now worth 1/2 as much!" I'd be pretty miffed.

That is why I did a bit of hedging (I could have explained it a bit) to let the OP figure out WHAT is important to them: Value or wear-ability.

Peemacgee · Jan 7, 2026

kfranzk
@ Dan S, Peemacgee....
I realize a portion of animosity against me, when I give another view on how to advice old watches discussed here.
(I got even attributes like "diatribes - berate - harangue - belligerent.." to my comments from you and others.)
So again I explain, whats my intent by thinking of the watch discussed by the starter.
The Omega automatic chronograph 176.010 is a very nice and horologically important watch, but it is a real tool watch, I would wear on the playground, bicycling, mountain hiking and therefore it should work perfect for the next 5 or 10 years. There exactly an Omega service is best, as the local watchmaker cannot get all parts new.
(And of course my 'museum' Grand Luxe I wear at my wrist bit in 'civilized' environments.)
Konrad

There is no animosity against you personally @kfranzk.

But you do like to offer a view as specifically seen by you - and stick to your guns, regardless of what others might say.

Everyone is welcome to express their views - after all, forums are for discussion.

However, when a view is stated with certainty and without context then it is beholden upon other members to offer an alternative (and perhaps majority) view.

Dan S · Jan 7, 2026

kfranzk
@ Dan S, Peemacgee....
I realize a portion of animosity against me, when I give another view on how to advice old watches discussed here.
(I got even attributes like "diatribes - berate - harangue - belligerent.." to my comments from you and others.)
So again I explain, whats my intent by thinking of the watch discussed by the starter.
The Omega automatic chronograph 176.010 is a very nice and horologically important watch, but it is a real tool watch, I would wear on the playground, bicycling, mountain hiking and therefore it should work perfect for the next 5 or 10 years. There exactly an Omega service is best, as the local watchmaker cannot get all parts new.
(And of course my 'museum' Grand Luxe I wear at my wrist bit in 'civilized' environments.)
Konrad

There is no animosity, and your general viewpoint is valid and welcome. Some people prefer to have watches serviced by the manufacturer and to update it with service parts, and there is a time and place for that.

I simply object to the improper use of the word "original." I hope that we will agree to use that word literally, because that is actually how most watch enthusiasts use it. Sloppy use of that terminology enables unscrupulous sellers. Simply put, "original" is absolutely NOT the same as "authentic." "Original" has a clear literal meaning and let's be careful and precise when using the term.

We often see watches for sale with service parts, or repainted dials, and the seller uses the word "original." When called out, they use an excuse like you posted, i.e. "original" is the same as "authentic" or the "original" dial has been repainted. I think that as a group, we are trying to get away from that type of dishonestly, and posts like your can confuse the issue.

cmcm0404 · Jan 7, 2026

Yeah, neo-vintage (1990s, in my head anyway) I'm on the fence with, but I always send my vintage watches to an independent person I like, and my new(er) ones from c.2010 go Omega/the manufacturer, mainly because you can typically insist on keeping things original where possible.

In another thread I talked about sending a 7750-derived movement from the early 2000s to an independent, not for originality's sake, but because my Omega boutique (and some others, in fairness) pulled the whole 'it's a Speedmaster and that's what they cost' line when quoting an astronomical price. One of the advantages of that period is common calibres ended up in a ton of brands, so no I'm not paying £1000 because it says Speedmaster on the dial, thanks.

sheepdoll · Jan 7, 2026

I like to service my own rusty rat traps.

'Colectability.' Is not a word I really understand even after 35 years of collecting. Sometimes I feel that standards what applied to 18th and early 20th century pocket watches, are imposed on mass produced consumer items.

I could never really afford 1990s watches and much of the post quartz crisis mystique. When I started aquiring watches run of the mill seamasters were betwee 60 and 120. The club collectors were mostly into Pocket watches. The dealers only cared about Rolex. I was told that Omega had too many fakes. I think a few got burned by fakes. Rolex also had issues with fakery, but their marketing (at least in the US.) was better.

I did get an older Speedmaster, which at the time was the most I had paid for a watch. It was still a fairly cheap watch . I wore that watch for most of the 1990s. Banging up the Bezel. scratching the crystal etc. Now that watch just sits. I probably have 50 other watches I could wear. So there is no real point doing anything with it. At one time I thought it would be fun to get a 'factory.' service and bring it back to what it was like in 1970. It came with two backs as the correct back had engraving on it. I misplaced the engraved back, so the back on it is from an earlier reference. None of that bothered me till I started reading these fourum. Sure it would be nice if it was a 321 and not an 861. None of that bothered me when this was my daily watch. All I cared was that it was a Speedmaster and it was from the 1960s in design (technically February 1970 is still part of the 1960s.)

I have the watch and that is all that matters.

kfranzk · Jan 7, 2026

As a non native English speaker I had to search for:
"In the antiques world, “original” and “authentic” are related but not identical: an object can be authentic without being in completely original condition, and “original” usually refers more narrowly to untouched parts or finish."
I once had a dispute with Phillips: I offered a Rolex for auction, where the case ring was swapped with one of the same ref the same year and make. They refused, I could not understand.
Even a renaissance painting with restored paint cracks is not 'original' in that sense.
So what about a balance stuff or crystal replace same ref same year NOS, but the watch was not born in the factory with these individual parts. Crazy, to be so strict. In that sense no repair or restoration would be possible.
I hope Omega to reproduce outofstock parts helping to keep my watch original in my sense.
I would not accept 'aftermarket' so not from Omega or 'repainted' except Omega would do it with the original tampon.
A shame only they dont give their parts to independant watch repairers preventing them taking used parts.
Konrad

Peemacgee · Jan 7, 2026

kfranzk
Even a renaissance painting with restored paint cracks is not 'original' in that sense.
So what about a balance stuff or crystal replace same ref same year NOS, but the watch was not born in the factory with these individual parts. Crazy, to be so strict. In that sense no repair or restoration would be possible.

Watches are not paintings.
They are massed produced items, whereas a painting is a one off piece of art.

Watches do get serviced and some things that are replaced are more acceptable to collectors than others - like a correct crystal or a waterproof crown ( where you can replace like for like).
Individual internal movt parts generally don’t affect collectibility.

However, even then, a watch with the original crystal or crown would, all other things being equal, be more desirable than one with replacement parts.

(And if you could replace items with true NOS contemporary parts then it would be difficult to prove they weren’t original - just as it would with contemporaneous service parts)

Omega Service Center vs Independents

watchguynyc

YY77

watchguynyc

sathomasga

ErichKeane

HorsinTime

hmmmcamu

kfranzk

Dan S

ErichKeane

Peemacgee

kfranzk

kfranzk

ErichKeane

Peemacgee

Dan S

cmcm0404

sheepdoll

kfranzk

Peemacgee

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