Regarding the late production of 105.003...

Romega · Jan 22, 2020

Is it possible that some of these watches were fitted with a "Professional" dial?

I have one, see pictures below. The first owner was quite certain that the dial never had been changed/ replaced. Hands and bezel are. I just got the EOA, confirming serialnumber to the reference, and production late 1967.
If the watch was serviced in the 70's - why would an older dial be fitted?

Could they simply have ran out of "non-pro" dials ? By searching the net, I easily find similar ones:

HQ Milton, 105.003 - serial 26,5 mill:

Hushhush; 105.003, 24,9 mill

There is also one pictured here:
http://www.speedywatches.com/page/18/?route=product/category&path=37&sort=pd.name&order=ASC&page=2

Here is mine, also the extract.

Interested in your opinions 😀

Best regards

harrymai86 · Jan 22, 2020

I used to have a September 1967 105.003 and dial without Professional. So I believe dial also replaced at some point.

eugeneandresson · Jan 22, 2020

General consensus is 'no'. General consensus is also that professional cased watches did not come with non-professional dials.
Like with the 'watchmaker servicing several similar watches simultaneously and not really caring to keep each watches parts separate' case-back swap theory, perhaps the same happened for dials.

Regarding yours : its a lovely dial, and I would simply enjoy the watch for that, but the H/M hands are wrong...you may want to hunt down the correct one.

simonsays · Jan 22, 2020

The Racing dials and Soleil dials are often in the ‘wrong’ cases.

It is hard to be absolutely definitive because Omega and most of the Swiss watch industry were often quite loose about the consistency of these minor details.

Your watch does not help develop the case for pro dials in straight lug watches. Too much service action!

M'Bob · Jan 22, 2020

My contact at Omega Switzerland told me, under penalty of death (his, not mine...), that 105.003 production actually extended until now, and that's what the new SS Ed White really is...

Badwolf · Jan 22, 2020

M'Bob
My contact at Omega Switzerland told me, under penalty of death (his, not mine...), that 105.003 production actually extended until now, and that's what the new SS Ed White really is...

Lol, That would explain mine 😉

Romega · Jan 22, 2020

Badwolf
Lol, That would explain mine 😉

WOW! Is that the ultra rare "non-AML-early nineties, swiss only dial"???

Also called Transitional NAENSOD????

Badwolf · Jan 22, 2020

I will tell the full story about my recent purchase soon (105.003-64), but long story short, I was told it was bought new in 69. So, if that was the case, when was it actually put together? Possibly a later dial would end up on an early case.

Mine has unfortunately been Omega serviced around 10 years ago and lost the original dial, bezel etc 🤬

Badwolf · Jan 22, 2020

Romega
WOW! Is that the ultra rare "non-AML-early nineties, swiss only dial"???

Also called Transitional NAENSOD????

Lol. I can confirm that it was definitely a SOD that changed the parts!

Badwolf · Feb 5, 2020

Romega
Is it possible that some of these watches were fitted with a "Professional" dial?

I have one, see pictures below. The first owner was quite certain that the dial never had been changed/ replaced. Hands and bezel are. I just got the EOA, confirming serialnumber to the reference, and production late 1967.
If the watch was serviced in the 70's - why would an older dial be fitted?

Could they simply have ran out of "non-pro" dials ? By searching the net, I easily find similar ones:

HQ Milton, 105.003 - serial 26,5 mill:

Hushhush; 105.003, 24,9 mill

There is also one pictured here:
http://www.speedywatches.com/page/18/?route=product/category&path=37&sort=pd.name&order=ASC&page=2

Here is mine, also the extract.

Interested in your opinions 😀

Best regards

This is an interesting question. My recent purchase is a 64, but I was told is was bought new as a wedding present in 69. Unfortunately mine has had everything on the head replaced (probably by Omega) around 10 years ago, so impossible to compare. It does however have an 1171 with 633 ends, not correct for the case, but correct for 69. So when would the watch have been assembled? Is it likely in 64 and then sat for 5 years, or put together nearer 69? If it was later, this might explain a mixture of parts i.e. what was still available.

Anybody know what the time difference would/should be between assembly and sending to a dealer?

momosono · Feb 5, 2020

Badwolf
Anybody know what the time difference would/should be between assembly and sending to a dealer?

Ordering by the "Agent Général" (the importer) would usually have been about a year before delivery. So let's reckon an average of 4 - 6 months between assembly and delivery.
The general agent might than have the watch in stock for a certain period of time after which the retailer would have it in stock for another period of time.
All that could easily add up to a few years.

Badwolf · Feb 5, 2020

momosono
Ordering by the "Agent Général" (the importer) would usually have been about a year before delivery. So let's reckon an average of 4 - 6 months between assembly and delivery.
The general agent might than have the watch in stock for a certain period of time after which the retailer would have it in stock for another period of time.
All that could easily add up to a few years.

Thanks for the info. 5 years would be a very long time between assembly and sale though. I also wouldn't have thought a retailer could afford to have stock sitting for such a prolonged period.

Question for @Archer, although the watch wouldn't have been running during this period, should it have a service before sale? Just wondered if it would need a re-oil?

Archer · Feb 5, 2020

Badwolf
Question for @Archer, although the watch wouldn't have been running during this period, should it have a service before sale? Just wondered if it would need a re-oil?

Should it? yes probably, but if it was sold new it would be under warranty, so if it failed in the first 2 years (assuming that was the warranty period whenever this sale happened) it would be done under warranty.

Dealers aren't going to proactively service a watch that's been sitting in their stock typically.

Badwolf · Feb 5, 2020

Archer
Should it? yes probably, but if it was sold new it would be under warranty, so if it failed in the first 2 years (assuming that was the warranty period whenever this sale happened) it would be done under warranty.

Dealers aren't going to proactively service a watch that's been sitting in their stock typically.

Thanks Archer, that makes sense.