So I have owned my Speedy for almost 20 years. I wore it daily for years and it was subject to some of the most extreme and harsh working conditions on the planet. I worked for the National Park Service and did deep back country hiking as part of the job- tumbling down a ravine with a 45lb pack strapped to your back, you don’t care if your watch gets slammed into a rock as you grab for something to stop your decent.
In recent years it has had more of a life of luxury, actually purgatory, as I have gotten back into watch collecting and it finds itself in lesser rotation. It is still one of my favorites, but it has gotten shabby, the mangled aftermarket crystal (was on it when I got it) was past the point of a wet sand and the bezel was chipped all the hell and looked like crap (I keep my duty boots polished- and those of you who do the same, you know what I mean).

I decided to invest a little money and procure a new crystal and service bezel from some kind members on this forum and just got it back from the watchmaker, and boy what a difference it made.

The shape of the aftermarket crystal that was on it was totally different (not to mention I can actually see through it now). The stepped dial pops and the dial looks three dimensional (it looked flat and grey under the old crystal). The dome actually makes the watch appear larger.

The black bezel (as opposed to the greying and chipped up bezel) snaps the eye into the dial as opposed to wandering around the chips before you look at the dial. The little things do indeed matter when it comes to readability.
The original DNN bezel is going into storage, this was a great refresh to this watch and will make it a joy to wear again without affecting the “value” in any way.

Before:


After

 

Old adage: Seller - patina
Buyer - worn

Your watch looks better, despite killing some of the wabi-sabi.

 

I kept the beaten crystal and bezel so if my decendants want the mountain cred back, they are welcome to it.

 

I like the new look much better.

Much like your Speedy, I wish the patina on my countenance could be refurbished..

 

Your body still has some of the mountain cred, I'm sure. I know mine does.

 

Looks like a brand new watch. A new crystal make a big difference.

 

I have a cracked vertibrea and bulging disc that would agree with you.

 

Your watch looks great! Did you buy it new, or used?

 

It’s a ‘72 so it was almost 30 years old when I got it, but was near flawless (and was just an old Omega back then). I put every ding and chip in it.

 

I'll take the refresh, too, especially if you can put it back to the old, beat up condition.

 

And as a side note without being preachy about patina (yeah-yeah, I know), the lume is slightly yellow (the photo washes it out a bit), and dial is possibly a shade greyer than the black it once was, but I have always been anal about keeping the seals fresh and having it pressure tested every time it gets serviced. I don’t swim with it (although it has taken a few spills on me while traversing rivers and steams or caught in flash flood conditions), and I mostly wear long pants and sleeves- even in the sweltering heat- keeps the bugs, flora and sun off the skin.
I never understand how some of these look as bad as they do considering the life I have put mine through. I just see it as neglect and abuse, not cred of a rind well earned.

 

Ist gen: "Pop's worked for the Park Service and was in the mountains a lot. Needed a rugged watch."
2nd gen: "GrandPoppa had a cool job."
3rd gen: " I was told Great-Granddad drank and fell down a-lot"


yes, enjoy YOUR watch, ANYWAY you want.

And leave records and pictures!

 

lol!! Yeah- family history has a way of getting distorted.

My job actually was taking records and pictures (large format phtography actually). I worked to document historic architecture across the country. Carrying a full view camera kit and lighting, split among 3 rangers and myself- along with food water and camping gear for 5 days- up to the top of High Rocks in the Great Smoky Moinitains to document an abandoned fire lookout station, was one of my highlights. It was a hellish journey strait up a mountain, through rivers and streams (gear was broken down and put into 5gal ziplocks in our packs) and resulted in a torn IT band and crack in my L5 when I slipped on wet rocks on my way down...but we got the coverage of the site and it was well worth it.
Speedy did just fine, just needed a rinse in sink after that to get the sweat, funk and Deet off of it.

 

By 'large format', do you mean those 4-6" negative film cameras? I saw one once, and the photos. Awesome.

 

I'm sitting behind a desk all day... Year in, year out...Most exiting thing was that my computer did not work for one day. That was in 2004. Still remember it like it was yesterday. That's my life...

 

5x7 sheet film. Processed it ourselves in our archival lab, images reposited in Library of Congress for posterity.
Although I am no longer with NPS, I believe it is truly the greatest example of government doing something good for the sake of doing good. Once a Parkie always a Parkie.

 

I think it’s time for you to become the most intersting man in the world.

 

Ok, gotta throw in a cheesy still life now that I’m feeling all nostalgic.

 

Yes, this! Conservation of some of our most amazing natural wonders here in the US can be credited to those programs. When people talk about drilling/fracking Yosemite it usually only takes a few Ansel Adams images to start changing the conversation.