I have had this watch since new in 1968 when it was purchased for me by my parents to use for offshore sailing navigation on my first solo transatlantic crossing. This was back before GPS when you really had to rely on a good watch and sextant for navigation, sao the watch was purchased to be used, not as a collector's piece...and it was used HARD!

As you can see, salt water got inside and did a real number on the internal workings as well as the dial.

I had the watch completely overhauled by a highly acclaimed Omega specialist and mechanically it was restored to "very good" working order now. All of the internal corrosion was addressed and affected parts were replaced with genuine Omega parts. However, I have two cosmetic issue I want to address now. One is the dial and the other is the case back.

I have been looking on eBay for weeks now and have seen a few nice 861 replacements dials BUT they are not exactly the same as mine (missing the step, or missing the "T" marks on each side of "Swiss Made", but they are definitely 861 configurations.

Any suggestions where can turn for replacing the dial exactly, or possibly even repairing the dial and markings?

Photo is of my dial after watch restoration.

Also, since I was a dumb 15 year old kid at the time, I used a dremel tool to engrave my name on the case back and did a pretty poor job of it! In terms of maintaining the highest possible value of the watch (in case I want to sell it in the future) is it better to just leave it as is, or have the engraving removed, and if that's the case, how is that accomplished and who should I find to do it?

Here is what I'm talking about (picture 2):

I don't have any illusions about selling it in prime "collectors" condition for collectors since some of the damaged internal parts were replaced (with genuine omega parts), but I just want it to retain as much value as possible.

 

I'm new today too with sort of similar problems and a one owner to boot. Appreciating that everyone has specific preferences that press their buttons, nevertheless I would say re the case, just leave it. It tells a story which may be worth as much as trying to fix it for someone who thinks that a 50 year old watch should be like new. As long as you keep the original parts, if you decide on a clean face then at least any future owner can change back should they wish. I did think about moving mine on but after some thought I realised that I wanted to keep it more than my Seamaster so it's staying and it's value is what it means to me, not what the market brings. Hail the ferryman and you won't care and the new lucky owner will hopefully appreciate the history more than it as a pristine souless item.

 

The 145.022-68 is a very specific dial which was only available on that year, so the chances of actually finding another dial the same are probably zero. I would keep the dial as it is but I would have those hands restored and relumed (in a vintage look) as imo they are quite ugly in their current state, and you could have the dial relumed to match. Or you could buy a similar new dial for the 861, but I dont think that there is a metal logo Professional dial still available for the 861

 

I know this comment doesn’t help you much, but honestly, that’s about the coolest reason I could imagine for that patina / dial damage and there’s no way I’d ever address it with a replacement dial.

How many people have a story like this for a watch they’ve owned for decades and used in the toughest conditions?

Same goes for the engraved name, by the way. Of course it’s obviously a shoddy job, but accompanied by your story I feel 100% sympathetic about it.

Wear it in good health. When someone actually criticizes the condition, just smile and remember what the two of you have gone through.

 

I'm inclined to agree with what you and the other two posters have said. For as long as I've had the watch, everytime I look at it, it brings me back to memories of my sailing adventures, and that's really why I've held on to it as long as I have. I would only consider selling it if a financial emergency dictated

Thanks for the suggestion about restoring the hands and reluming. Can anyone suggest someone to do this? I was watching an episode of William Speedmaster101 on Youtube and he discussed the importance of having it done right or not at all, a little but didn't go into much detail about how tgo find a well qualified person to do it, so if anyone knows, please share

The guy who does that YouTube channel is amazing BTW! Most of you guys probaby know who I'm talking about but if you don't, visiting is well worth your time at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClUDm6oahv4OaurwAHxjq7Q

 

Actually your comment is much appreciated! I am only exploring these ideas to see what I could do to maximize its' value if I should ever have to sell it for a financial emergency, but the memories it holds for me of those offshore adventures makes it hard to even think of having to sell it, and so I probably never will...but it still would be nice if I could make the dial a little more attractive, and as Pascs suggested, maybe the hands and lume as well.

You are right though...everytime I look at the watch it just takes me back to a real important time in my life, so parting with it wold be very hard.

If anyone can suggest a good horologist who is good with Omega Speedmasters restoration work, please let me know. I've reached out to the guy who restored mine but have not heard back yet and I fear he may no longer be working.

 

I’d second leaving the existing parts on there. Yes they aren’t A1 collector condition but they add interest and value wise, you’ll likely be no further ahead of you purchase additional, period correct parts.

I’d leave the caseback exactly as it is but consider having the hands relumed. Is there lume remaining on the dial! If so I’d just leave that as is. If it’s gone (I can’t properly tell from the photos, I’d have that relumed at the same time as the hands). James Hyman in the UK would be my preference if it was my watch.

 

I agree 100%. The original poster wore this watch on a solo transatlantic journey when he was 15 years old! I wouldn’t change a thing on the watch, including the dial and the caseback, and just wear it. Memories like that are worth more than the watch.

 

To add another thought: Do you happen to have pictures of you wearing the watch on the boat? That might make it more interesting for a potential buyer, should you, at some point, be inclined to sell it.

 

This is a one-year only dial, so it is less common. However, if you stay patient, you will eventually find one come to the market. It may take a while. Regarding the case-back, a repair will be difficult because the engraving overlaps the original engravings. You would need to find a replacement case-back, which, again, is a one-year version. Financially, I'm not sure that buying all of these replacement parts will be worth it in terms of increased value, so it's equally important to ask yourself if having a cleaner dial will really help you enjoy the watch more. If so, then go for it.

 

Interestingly, my Ed White Speedmaster was bought by me from the original owner who also bought it new in the 60’s for the sole purpose of timing dingy/sail boat races in the north of England.

 

I, like many others have already stated, would leave the watch exactly how it is as they tell a great story and probably hold a great deal of sentimental value. You mentioned exploring ideas such as reluming hands or restoring case back to maximize value in order to sell should a financial emergency arise. I am not sure the return on value would make these projects a worth while investment as many collectors value condition and all original parts.

 

Great story Personally I'd leave it the way it is, and wear it forever.

In the 1960s chronographs were not the fashionable items they are now and cost twice as much as a time-only watch, so really you only had one if you needed it. My first good watch was also given to me by my parents as I had recently started navigating on car rallies and had a need for timing, it also helped me get to college lectures on time About 15 years later it got used for yacht race starts -- and was still worn while foredeck sail changing which I really shouldn't have done because it's not a Seamaster Like yours this has the signs of being extensively used and while I cannot remember which incident produced each scar I can look at it and know that we got our scars together.

 

So you appear to have an 861 transitional dial.

it needs to have the step at the minute track and the applied omega logo. It should also be tritium as denoted by T’s on the dial.

there are no replacement dials that match this. And the odds of a single one showing up on eBay would be 1 every 5-10 years. It might be easier to find a 145.012 dial with visually matches but will need to have its feet adjusted to make it fit the 862 movement instead of the 321 it was made for.

there isn’t really replacement 861/1861 dials as the replacement was what ever was current production at the time. The applied logo disappeared by 1969, the step in 1972 or so and the Speedmaster font changed in September of 1977.

So that is the rub if you want a perfectly correct looking dial.

if it was me I would have the dial stabilized if needed by a specialist and leave as is.

 

Beautiful watch!

 

Wow! That’s a fantastic story!
I’d keep the caseback and the dial as it. About the hands, i may think of a relume, but it could be hard to keep the coherence with the dial…

about the parts, i found a couple months ago a caseback. Don’t know if it’s still available… i’ll call the guy.

 

Thank you.

As I've posted previously it's a tool watch which is currently on a tool bracelet (1967 rivet Oyster) which I don't think I trust any longer.

 

Personally, I would leave this watch exactly as it is.
I’d not even get the hands relumed.
Every vintage watch is different, that’s why we all love them so much.
This one says “leave me as is”

 

That's a good thought . I wish I had a real clear picture of the watch on my wrist while sailing but this is the best I could come up with. I post just for fun.






In case anyone's interested, here's the backstory on how my Speedmaster became damaged. During a bad storm mid-ocean, I was on deck at night reducing sail and a wave caught me off guard slamming my wrist against the mast. The force broke one of the pins holding the wristband to the watch, even though I had oversized pins installed. BTW, anyone else ever have this issue with Speedmasters? Because of the heavy weight of the watch, I was continually breaking those pins until Omega told me I could buy "heavy duty" pins.

Anyway, I felt the watch slip off my wrist, and my heart sank because, in the darkness, I was sure it had gone overboard!

It wasn't until several days later that I actually found the watch! Somehow it had found its' way into the bilge of the boat and was submerged under several inches of sea water. Once I replaced the broken pin and had it back on my wrist out under the sun I began to see condensation under the crystal and it became pretty obvious that Speedmaster may be water resistant but are not waterproof.

Even so, it ran and kept good time for the remainder of the voyage but over time afterwards, I could see the dial starting to look worse and worse, and when the crown broke off one day and I took it for repair, the back was removed, the internal damage from saltwater was obvious

Luckily the internal working were repairable but the dial was pretty messed up. This was how the watch looked when the back was opened, after the salt crystals were blown away:



It should be understood that the salt water damage occured after I had been wearing the watch daily for over four years of the sort of rigorous abuses that offshore sailing imposed on it, and that is testament to how rugged these watches really are.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the story . I really love this watch, not so much because it is an Omega Speedmaster, but because of the memories of offshore adventures it evokes in me, and I think the advice a lot of you are giving me about leaving it "as is" is the right course of action. I think the only thing I will consider doing now is perhaps having the hands restored and relumed along with the dial markers since the luming is completely gone from them (all hopefully in a vintage look) as Pascs suggested.

Thank you to all who replied; I really appreciate it!

 

After all the feedback I'm getting from you guys I think I'll leave the dial "as is". However, I am curious what you mean by having it "stabilized"?

It actually looks a lot better inside the case as opposed to the picture I posted with it outside the case. BTW, this picture is from before it was restored (note the missing crown). Believe it or not I have no pictures of it after restoration because I just never thought of taking pictures of it (which I should have done) and now it is being stored for me in the US while I am overseas.



Anyway, I appreciate all the excellent advice you guys are giving me . This is a great forum!