Question about service:

How long should a service on the Speedmaster 145.022 69-st take. I was told the gaskets need to be replaced, a regular service done on the movement and new hands (told him no new hands just to put old ones back on).
Watchmaker is 30 minutes from my house and said he is waiting on parts.

Am i being impatient as it has been 7 weeks now.

Advice?

 

Depends on his workload and motivation to get it done. Parts can be a hassle now as Omega has put a serious strangle hold on replacement parts. 7 weeks is not ridiculous, but I can understand you wanting to get your watch back. Just buy another one, then you'll always have one while the other is in for service. Easy fix.

 

HaHa, easier said than done. I unfortunately work in the oilfield business so the economy has beaten us down.... If i could afford another i would but thats for another time.
Yeah, im getting antsy.

 

From my experience each watchmaker works at different speeds, but there are several on the forum that I'm sure will chime in, @Archer and @Horlogerie to name a few?

 

I've had watches in to an AD with a certified watchmaker. They say that a 321 is 8 week minimum turn around. As others have said, this depends largely on their workload and many other factors, but I'd say 7 weeks isn't the end of the world.

Sit tight and just imagine how great it will feel to slide that watch onto your wrist for the first time when it comes back.

 

I figured it would be 6-8 weeks and as my wife always says.... Im an impatient bastard! LOL. Im trying to forget about it hoping time passes faster but this is my first expensive watch purchase. I probably wouldnt have bought it if the price wasnt right.
Everything before hand has been under the 500$ range so it will be nice once i get it back.

 

My watchmaker (Paul's in Sacramento) turns watches around in a week or less. I've had him overhaul 7-8 watches to date (including 3 Speedmasters) and have been entirely satisfied with the results. He'll replace worn parts as needed, but will not replace dial/hands/etc. unless requested. His charges are extremely reasonable ($300 for a Speedmaster overhaul, for example). How does he do this so quickly?

1. This is all he does. His son Raimund travels to watch shows and comes back with watches; Paul services them and they go up for sale. Paul sits at his desk all and works on watches; he does not spend any time posting on forums.
2. He is not widely known in the watch community and thus does not have a large mail-in business.
3. He does not time each watch for 5 days on a machine. He does try to get the beat error as close to zero as possible and he does adjust the timing---in one position only.
4. He doesn't do a lot of parts fabrication. He can certainly fit a new stem (for example), but there's no lathe in his shop. If a watch has extensive damage that needs repair, he just won't accept it.

Because Paul lacks the factory polishing equipment available at Omega, I once sent a Speedmaster out and requested a case polish only (the case was in decent shape, I thought, but I wanted it to sparkle). They wrote back and refused to polish, instead offering to sell me a new case for $965 or so; I declined.

Watchmakers have different philosophies, and no particular one will suit all people. I'm an impatient sort, and can't see waiting months to get a watch back.

 

I wish i had it back in a week or two, I just dont see how it takes this long for a local watchmaker... I can understand sending it overseas taking a couple months but 30 miles from my house?? It just irritates me thats all.
Thanks for your insight. Looks like you and i have the same philosophy when it comes to "Wanting your watch back ASAP".

He initially told me 1-2 weeks and said it could be longer if he was waiting on parts but the parts he was supposedly waiting for are new hands. I called him Friday last week and told him to fit the old hands as i can buy NOS hands and have them to my house in less than 5 days.

It just doesnt make any sense that its been this long waiting on HANDS.

 

I use two watchmakers. One is kind of pricey and S L O W and the other is quick and pretty inexpensive because he only does the minimum needed. If it needs a overhaul and parts that's what happens. I've taken watches to him and he's inspected them and put them on the timer, put a new gasket in the back, that's it. Tells me to bring it back in a year or two. Doesn't spend a lot of time regulating the movement. When I buy a watch off the bay or an old junk store that's who I take it to. It turns out some watches on the bay have actually been serviced and others not so much.

The slow guy I use for mainly problem Omega or Longines. He will spend weeks timing the damn things but when he finally delivers, WOW! They keep time. He complains a lot about parts...

 

I got a call this morning saying my watch will be ready this weekend! YAY.... 8 weeks seemed like a year. Everything tested good. He said he tested the watch under pressure and replaced all gaskets.
Hopefully i am satisfied with it when i get it back. I told him to fit the original hands back on it so we will see. I will post photos when i receive it.