Hey, folks:

So, a few months back I took a Speedy Reduced in for service at Omega, and well, payed a hefty price for a new case, dial, hands, clasp, etc. Anyway, in my haste to have the process over with (it took about 3 months) and get the thing sold, I forgot to ask a rather important question: Was the new case serialized with the original number, or was this issued a new serial number?

What is the likelihood it would be given a new number? (To me, it is doubtful. But I have no way of knowing because I never knew the original number to begin with!) The serial number on the service receipt matches the serial number on the case, so is it fair to assume that is the original number?

Thanks!

 

Well you have a new watch as I doubt you have the same movement now.

 

Serial number: 57264239
Article ref: 35105000

A serial number starting with 5 is not new, so they used your old serial number, as is the policy.

Cheers, Al

 

You paid for all that work just to sell it on? I can't imagine that was economically sensible.

 

This is what they call "learning the hard way." Yea, I wish I didn't go through with it, but I broke even on the service. That's about it =(. Live and learn, I suppose.

 

Did they charge you extra for re-serializing?

 

So what happens to the old case that had the same serial? That's basically a whole watch that got discarded, hope it lives to see another day in some form.

 

Serialized parts are only available on an exchange basis. Omega doesn't want two parts with the same serial number floating around...

 

So does the case just become scrap metal?

 

Yes, it would be scrapped.

 

Omega returns the replaced parts after the service. BUT these details in the omega service are specially broken to exclude reuse.

 

There's no extra charge for this, at least none that I have ever paid. So the price for getting say a bridge that has the serial number on it is the same if you buy it as a blank part, or if you send the old bridge back and have them engrave the new one. The only difference is your shipping costs to send the original part back (not an issue if you are sending the whole watch to Omega obviously), and the additional time required to get the custom engraved part. It usually adds a few weeks.

Again, the old parts are not returned in these instances.

 

@Archer Are private watchmakers with a parts account such as yourself able to exchange cases, or does it just apply to bridges? Another watchmaker I was speaking with believed it could only be done directly through omega

 

Yes, I can exchange cases as well.

 

Well, you learn something every day, thanks Archer.