Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to collecting speedmasters but have the bug bad. I recently purchased a 105.012-66. It certainly wasn't a perfect example but i really liked to patina and the wear on the dial so went for it.

I expected it to need a service so found an authorised service centre near me. I popped in today to see how things were going. They need more time to complete the service but during the inspection I noticed there has been a lot of damage on the bezel during the cleaning. I raised this and showed before images of the watch and they explained that the paint simply came off during cleaning.

As I'm a bit new this I wasn't entirely sure what I could expect. Needless to say I'm gutted. I would have much rather the bezel not be serviced than have it damaged to this extent (sorry i don't have photos of its current state yet but will post next week if helpful, the image uploaded was how it went into the service. I would say about 10-15% of the bezel has come off) but I understand the bezels are fragile.

I guess my questions fall into two categories:

1) what if any recourse do i have with the service centre. Is this simply something i should have prepared for or have they been reckless with the work?

2) emotion aside can i do anything to restore the bezel or replace it with an age appropriate bezel. If the latter, does anyone have any good tips on where to find a 1966 DON bezel or any advice on people who maybe able to carry out the restoration work in the UK or Europe and what effect would that likely have on the resale value? I'm wasn't planning on selling it on particularly and i appreciate it certainly isn't a perfect example, i just had an emotional connection to it which is why i got it. I'm worried every time I look at it now I'm just going to feel angry and disappointed.

Thanks in advance to this brilliant community.

A

 

1) yes this sort of thing can happen during a service on a 50-year-old watch. Impossible to say specifically whether your watch was mishandled or not. Judging by the condition of the lume on those hands, though, I would say there is also a chance of further lume loss during a service.

2) if you want to replace it, there are plenty of original replacement bezels out there, from Ebay to Chrono24 to the parts and accessories for sale section right here on OF...

 

I have highlighted areas that look like it may have been filled in with a black paint especially at the perimeter. A large part of the numerals are filled in as well. Could that be most of the area that has been affected? Unfortunately not much can be done except to do something similar to what you had previously. If you are comfortable with what you had previously, I see no reason why you would not just get it filled in again. A better assessment could be had with current state of the bezel obviously.

As for recourse and emotional connection, that I will leave to you to decide. I would suggest having a civil discussion with whom is responsible, ask specifically what had been done to bezel, how it got to its current state and see if you can come to an agreeable resolution be it monetary or possibly a replacement bezel be it a modern/ service or one in equal state . If they have a parts account it ought to be much cheaper for a new one than what you would find on the open market. If this had been a pristine example that would be a whole other discussion.

 

Lets back up for a minute. Is the picture above pre-service or post-service?
If it is a pre-service picture please give us a post picture.

It can but it shouldn't happen. Bezel "paint" does not simply come off.

 

It does if it is already loose when it goes in for service...

 

thanks for replying, the picture above is pre-service unfortunately I stupidly didn't take a picture today but will post as soon as i pick it up next week.

 

That is apparently the "before" state of the bezel, and it definitely seems to have been tampered with in the past. As suggested above, those previous repairs may have been damaged during cleaning.

In any case, given the repairs on that bezel, it was already in relatively poor condition. If it fits your budget, it's straightforward to buy a replacement that is in much better condition. They are generally available on eBay or in the sales listings on this forum. You should expect to spend $2k-$4k, depending on condition. There are reproductions/fakes for sale as well, so educate yourself before buying.

 

If the "paint" loss is actually from a previous repair attempt and not the original anodized finish, then that makes more sense. Then there is not the negligence I was perceiving.