About a year ago I purchased my first vintage Omega - a 67 145.012 Speedmaster. Unfortunately, it completely stopped working this last week. It was losing a lot of time for a while, but this week stopped keeping time completely. I've seen some mentions of certain shops here and on other forums that seem to be trusted by the community like Archer Watches in Canada. My question is are there any good shops in Phoenix, AZ or Los Angeles, CA that can service it? Would I be better off just shipping it off for service? If so, what shop is best yet affordable?
I suggest changing the thread title to “Servicing a 321 Speedy in LA or Phoenix?” You’ll get some decent suggestions.
I've heard good things about LA Watch Works, although I haven't personally used them. http://www.lawatchworks.com
From everything I’ve been told either ABC Watchwerks or Los Angeles Watch Works are the go to for vintage.
I live in OC CA and just sent my 105.003 to STS. It's not convenient, but hey I figure given he value of the watch why mess around?? Chris
You’re referring to Swiss Time Services in the UK, right? Did you send it in for routine service? How are their prices?
World Time in San Jose CA does the best work on Omegas and Rolexes of anyone I've seen. They understand about (not) polishing, they understand chrono creep, and they've serviced a bunch of 321's. They are also serious, serious perfectionists. Every watch gets completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, reassembled, pressure tested, and regulated. They're not cheap ($950 for a 105.012 CB I just brought in), and they have a two-month turnaround time currently. Well worth it for a watch you plan to keep for a while.
In Arizona, or anywhere, I'd send it to Philip Ridley. He does mostly vintage Rolexes, but also Speedmasters. He's based in Mesa, Ariz. I've used him for some very high-end vintage pieces with great results. He's also a lot faster than LAWW. https://ridleywatchmakers.com/