Seamaster 8800 worn AR coating after service and removal of speck

[cjoedaniel]

Hi all,
I just had my Seamaster sent in for warranty work due to the watch losing 2-3 seconds a day. It was pretty close to the 5 year mark and thought it would be good to have the service done for free. At the same time the watch also had a white speck under the crystal by the 3 o’clock mark that I wanted removed.

I received the watch back after about 4 weeks. It looked like they replace a couple of sprockets and a barrel. The notes they mentioned on the invoice was that the watch was not running under factory specifications. They also mentioned that the AR on the crystal is worn. The speck is now gone which is great and the watch is now gaining about 4s a day so within specifications.

The weird thing is that I am pretty sure that my AR coating prior to sending the watch in was fine. I’m pretty obsessive and constantly admiring the dial and never noticed any imperfections on the crystal in all sorts of lighting except for that white speck. Now after the return I am noticing hazing and imperfections on the crystal that I’m pretty sure weren’t there before sending in for service.

My question is, could my crystal have been replaced with a different one with more scuffs? My vacuum, air pressure and diving pressure tests were all OK so I’m not sure if they did any other work if they did replace the crystal. There isn’t any mention of any water test.

I believe my watch was sent to the CA Swatch group service center.

Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[josiahg52]

Pretty sure and sure they weren't there are significantly different. Scuffs, hazing, imperfections? What exactly are you seeing? I bought a Citizen new from a store and it certainly had a haze from the very beginning. No idea what it was but it was gone after I got it back from Citizen ten or so years later after they serviced it.

If you have issues, contact Omega because no, if the crystal was replaced, you'd been charged or it would at least be mentioned if it was a warranty issue

 

[Scarecrow Boat]

cjoedaniel

My question is, could my crystal have been replaced with a different one with more scuffs?

Omega returns every part that was replaced, and I imagine that would include sapphire crystals, as I know they return hesalite crystals. So, if you don’t have a sapphire crystal in your returned parts bag, I would believe that answers your question as to if it was replaced.

However, if you want concrete answers, or to address something you may not be satisfied with, your best way forward is to call the Omega service center.

 

[cjoedaniel]

It’s almost like a smudge along the outer edge of the crystal. Almost wonder if it is on the inside?

I am assuming for them to have removed the speck the movement plus dial all comes out during servicing?

 

[Scarecrow Boat]

cjoedaniel

It’s almost like a smudge along the outer edge of the crystal. Almost wonder if it is on the inside?

If it cannot be wiped off, it’s certainly on the inside.

cjoedaniel

I am assuming for them to have removed the speck the movement plus dial all comes out during servicing?

For them to have serviced your watch, yes the movement & dial would be removed from the case.

If the smudge cannot be wiped off, I would contact the Omega service phone number so it can be addressed with them. An alternative would be to find an independent watch maker that has an Omega parts account, as they would be able to address the issue without voiding whatever is left on your warranty,

 

[cjoedaniel]

Thanks for the responses. Is it even possible for the AR coating on the inside to be worn? Does that even look like worn AR to some of you?

 

[josiahg52]

cjoedaniel

Thanks for the responses. Is it even possible for the AR coating on the inside to be worn? Does that even look like worn AR to some of you?

Worn? Maybe. Damaged? Sure. Smudged? Yes.

 

[Tekashi_145.022]

OP, I’d take it back to Omega if it bothers you. Seems like it could have happened when removing the speck, as others have mentioned.

Related- but I remember many Breitling models had unsightly smudges appearing on crystals all the time from worn out anti-reflective coating. It was common for gray dealers to simply remove the A.R. coating altogether to clean up the smudges. I wonder if anyone on the forums has tried that with an SMP 300, or if it’s not that costly to have it reapplied at the factory? I know the SMP 300 crystal is domed and not cheap to replace outright.

I love my SMP 300 (same as OP’s), but I see smudges on the crystal, and wonder what it will look like in 10+ years — and what the options/costs to fix will be once it’s out of warranty.

 

[gbesq]

If I remember correctly, the AR coating on these models is on both sides of the crystal, isn't it? Is it possible that what you are seeing is on the outside of the crystal and not on the inside and that maybe something happened to the exterior AR coating during servicing? The AR coating is durable, but it isn't bulletproof and it will scuff and scratch given a hard enough contact with another surface.

 

[cjoedaniel]

I did notice when I picked up the watch from the dealer the crystal was dirty and crown wasn’t fully locked in place. I was a little surprised.

From what I’ve read on here its about $200 for the crystal and $180 for a waterproof check.

Thanks all for responding, I will contemplate on whether I want to go through the service process again or just enjoy the watch for the next few years. After all aren’t these objects supposed to bring us joy? . I’ve been questioning that a lot lately.