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Omega who had a visit in SPA - laser welding and case finishing

Archer
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ConElPueblo ConElPueblo
The grain is a bit coarser on this one I would say. Also - and this might be my imagination - the transition from brushed to polished surface on the lugs seems sharper than on the original.

You are correct on both counts in my view.
 
M'Bob
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The lugs tips look sharp to the point of possibly hazardous.
 
Als 27
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Horses for courses .... some will like the skill of the work, some won't
i think it takes a certain skill set & a lot of nerves + + + a very large set of gonads to carry out this sort of work & finish...
Compared to having a dirty great ding in the case, lugs, of bracelet
i know which i would preferably have.....
Just a thought / opinion....
 
Archer
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Als 27 Als 27
Horses for courses .... some will like the skill of the work, some won't

The skill is admirable for sure. The result though isn't quite as "original" as it could be, and for me that is a good thing in a way. The ability to do this sort of thing perfectly makes claims like "unpolished" on any watch even more meaningless than it was previously. There are accounts of shady dealers in some circumstances having vintage cases restored like this, artificially aging them, then charging a large premium for them as original and unpolished.

Yes, it's great when you see the before and after, but there are larger implications that come with this sort of work.
 
Professor
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M'Bob M'Bob
The lugs tips look sharp to the point of possibly hazardous.
My nearly new condition Soviet era Pobeda, which was still in the factory box and never had a band on it before I got it, has lugs with the edges so sharp I've used them to trim my nails.

I'd like to have a replacement lug fabricated and welded to my 67-68 Sea Master DeVille case. It has the American made stainless steel mono case.
The original lugs were gold filled around a steel core but I'd settle for a simple stainless lug just to put the watch back into usable condition. The watch will never be sold since it was engraved and presented to my father.
These cases are very thin walled so it may not be feasible. There are methods of soldering stainless but I have no idea how to get started.
Edited:
 
Als 27
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@Archer
From that pivotal point of view i agree completely,
if the process is to be used to try & deceive in some way shape or form...

In terms of damage & repair to the exterior case bracelet its nice to know it can be repaired at a cost like everything else.
I myself know nothing about how to repair a vintage time piece or any other watch for that matter
& in no way do i even take the case backs off...
If ever i have a problem they are sent first hand to an independent professional qualified repair person for their expertise
Me I'm a retired ( December ) 2019 electrician, plumber / heating engineer ...
& just to say i love your work... first class craftsmanship... thanks
 
Archer
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Als 27 Als 27
@Archer
From that pivotal point of view i agree completely,
if the process is to be used to try & deceive in some way shape or form...

In terms of damage & repair to the exterior case bracelet its nice to know it can be repaired at a cost like everything else.
I myself know nothing about how to repair a vintage time piece or any other watch for that matter
& in no way do i even take the case backs off...
If ever i have a problem they are sent first hand to an independent professional qualified repair person for their expertise
Me I'm a retired ( December ) 2019 electrician, plumber / heating engineer ...
& just to say i love your work... first class craftsmanship... thanks

Congrats on the retirement! Speaking of you former line of work, I am due to go in for a dental procedure and while on the phone with the office this morning, expressing my concerns about the precautions they are taking in the pandemic, I kept thinking about how many air changes per hour their ventilation systems are capable of...brings me back to my engineering days...

Cheers, Al
 
Als 27
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@Archer
All i can say is good luck for the dental procedure wish you well.👍...
I can give no explanation or information on air ventilation systems 🙁 as all my work was in gas fired heating / hot water systems....
Retirement foot note ....
i don't think it's for me 🙁 to much knowledge in my head going to waste, along with thousands of pounds worth of trade tools not being used
( all cared for serviced & looked after correctly ) never abused...
Ah well that's another story....
Take care wish you well 👍
 
JwRosenthal
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I think having the option for this kind of work is amazing- but agree it can be a slippery slope if used to deceive. The issue is that we know the case has been restored and disclose it if we choose to sell, but the next owner may not be as scrupulous. Perhaps a very trained eye can see the differences, but most of us couldn’t.
 
funkright
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My goodness these are pretty amazing restorations. Excellent 😀
 
Dms5150
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Incredible work, and both seem like very honest unpolished examples to start with. I wonder how this technique would go adding more volume to the overall watch? So many Speedys taken in for services end up losing case volume after 3-4services. Has anyone seen examples of a Speedmaster being widened back to original factory specs?
 
mancio
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"Untouched case, unpolished" That's why i rarely trust sellers when they say that especially when you have this results.

Impressive.
 
rahul718
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OP, this is really impressive. I found this thread upon a search since my dad is looking to have the lug holes in his 36mm Bond Seamaster restored. Being that the watch is 25+ years old the holes are enlarged; not terrible, but it's caused more wiggle in his end links and if it was my watch it would bother me. A few questions if you don't mind:

1 - Omega uses 316L stainless steel in their watches, so when you add metal are you matching it to the 316L of the cases?
2 - Is this considered a temporary fix or long term fix? Can the strength/integrity of the case be compromised in any way when using a laser application?
3 - For the lug holes, do you ensure that the finished holes are the same specification as Omega intended for that model? I would have to imagine that the measurements need to be spot on accurate so that the end link sits nice and flush, but at the same time you don't want to leave the holes too large or else the spring bars can eat away at them again over time.

Lastly, are you in the US? 😀
 
Servius
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Really impressive results…

Not being able to tell the difference is kind of scary though ! Would be very tempting for unscrupulous dealers / sellers to pimp some chamfers…
 
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