I inherited a tiny Ladymatic from my mother, who died in Feb. at age 96. I did a little online research and realized that it doesn't have much monetary value. However, it has great sentimental value.

I took it to the local Omega store. The watch repairman in the store removed the back. I fell in love with the tiny, delicate and intricate mechanism still running after all those years. It's the smallest cocktail size, and the tiny gold wheels and jewels are beautiful. He spent an hour doing tests on it and concluded that it is losing about a second a day. He went into more detail than that, but what it boils down to is that it's beating irregularly and needs to be restored. I'm sending it to Biele to be restored if they can do it for the base price for watches of its age ($1280). I realize that that is far more than it's worth, but that's OK.

I have three questions. The people at the Omega store said that the watch was the original Ladymatic, that is, the very first generation of Ladymatics. It's 14k gold fill, so not very fancy. It has two positions (??) Without more information than that, is it possible to estimate the value? (Maybe I don't want to know, since I'm spending so much to get it restored…)

Where can I find more information on Ladymatics? I read that they were the women's version of Seamasters, but that's as far as I've gotten. I have to admit that I've always owned Tissots since high school (sorry!) and although I love Swiss watches, i know next to nothing about them. It seems that since women's cocktail size watches are out of fashion, nobody pays much attention to them.


Second, where can I get a watch band that would go with the watch? The band on my mother's watch is too big for me. I'd like to get one that is the same age or at least style as the watch. Is there a reputable source for vintage watch bands?

Finally, if the watch can't really be restored without expensive repairs like building new parts, I'll just have them ship it back. Is there someone around Boston who can or should do something to clean it and do what can be done short of rebuilding it? I'd like to wear it occasionally even if it does lose a second a day. Would that eventually break it?

Thanks for your help.

 

Whatever you do don't send it to Omega for restoration. You are spending at least $1000 MORE than you need to. Any competent watchmaker can do it for WAY less.

 

If you want the watch kept as original as possible and done for a reasonable price DON'T send it to Omega.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Message this forum's Archer to ask about restoration.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. The Ladymatic is coming back from Omega and going off to Archer instead.