Hello Omegoids,
so I got my first speedy (a '69 mark II) for a great price in mid May. Naturally I took the usual advice and took it to be serviced. Before I did so, I bought an original Omega replacement crystal to get done at the same time.
About 3 weeks later my watchmaker says he's done the revision but doesn't have the requisite tool to replace the glass and would I be ok with him sending it off to Omega to do it. ....."As long as they don't polish the case or anything like that" was my reply.
Three weeks later he contacts me again and says Omega won't replace the glass only as "that is not what they do" and says it'll be a full case overhaul only with all their in-house bits and bobs extra as they see fit AND it'll cost a basic 210 Euros plus parts.....My mind went back to all these folk who've posted here, gone ahead and had their watch case done in, the perfectly good pushers replaced with inferior stock ones and stuck in a wee accompanying jiffy bag with washers and springs
.....I said no.
So the revised watch is back on my wrist after 10 long weeks of waiting...looks clean and tidy (though I do wonder if my watchmaker couldn't quite resist the merest of buffs on the strap after the ultrasonic cleaning)...the crystal scratches are there but only annoy in a certain light.
As for the Omega (ahem "Swatch Group" ) service centre Germany I can only say "give the customer what they want you idiots".I'd have expected to pay 80-100 Euros for a five minute crystal replacement job carried out with due professionalism and care..We pay a lot of money for vintage luxury quality timepieces and expect a decent and reasonable service in return.....
I know there's a pile of you ready to jump in and say "this guy here will do it", or "that guy there"...If my watch leaves my home again for a long holiday on a bench in some watchmakers studio it'll be for a full spa routine at STS or Simon Freese or the watch guy. The next couple of years it's getting worn!

 

Hey, now you know!

 

In a lot of ways it makes sense. In their eyes they want to make sure that the watch looks as new and perfect as possible. They want to make sure that anyone seeing it sees it in it's best light.

Of course, people buy vintage items because they look vintage, if we wanted brand new watches we'd buy those instead. It's a shame they don't have a smaller team at Omega that focuses on preserving the history of a vintage piece. I don't expect that I'll ever own a nice enough watch to pay Omega to service it so I don't think I'll ever have to worry about it, not unless I stumble on an amazing watch at a yard sale.

I wonder how much the tool costs to replace the crystal, maybe the break even point is low enough that you can convince the watch maker to buy one.

 

Wear it; scratch it some more ... then have it serviced when you're ready.

The main spring on my MkII broke at the weekend, so it's going to have to go away for a week or three. It was only serviced in December but I'm not sure if the spring was replaced ... I suppose I should make a phone call and check if there's any warranty ... but then again, it's something that my local watch maker would probably do for little more than the postage and insurance.

 

If the movement has a problem 2 months after they do nothing but change the crystal, who's fault is it? I'm sure Omega is going to say not theirs, and the watchmaker would say the same. That's the reason they (and many watchmakers) won't do small jobs like this.

Even if the watchmaker in question has a parts account from Omega, the tool is no longer available from Omega. You can occasionally find them on the open market, but they do cost a bit when they come up...

 

That's a good point. It would probably result in something you hear a lot of about getting your car serviced. "Every time I bring my car to (insert everyone's most hated service/dealer here) for something simple, something expensive breaks a month later, they must be loosening something"

Time for the 'Omega Forum community crystal replacement tool' , shipped around the world to watch makers when someone needs a new crystal put on

 

Same here, i have my MK II with an OEM crystal.
I bought an original crystal that is still waiting to be installed when it goes for a service. I think i'm getting used to this though, looks a lot cleaner..

 

Actually Archer it was just the case that was sent off. The movement stayed at the watchmakers.Like the idea of a member having the tool though...

 

It took me about 20 seconds to work it out ll! A very interesting look....a minimalist Speedy.

 

Same reasoning applies - if they only replace the crystal, and the watch leaks down the road, they don't want to be on the hook for a claim from you. I know this may not be to your liking...unless you are a Swatch Group shareholder that is. That is who this company really works for, not watch owners...