Speedmaster Professional - Where to send for service

n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

Couple Omega Watch questions, I'm not a watch collector but rather I inherited several Omega watches
which I am reasonably certain have some value, but just trying to get some ideas.

I have a Speedmaster Professional that works perfectly. It was inherited from a Vietnam Era helicopter pilot
and seems to be in very good shape. Watch has been in the family since 1969-70 when bought new. It has a
newer style Omega band on it, but I also have the original (with a minor dent in it). There are no scratches to
speak of, and it winds up, keeps time, and looks good.

I'd like to find a reputable shop to send the watch to for a complete going over/tuneup/evaluation any good
shops that can be recommended?

Also for a watch like this what kind of price range could be expected for it? Just a ballpark as I have an idea.

I also have a couple men's and women's Omega Seamaster Deville's from I'm guessing the 1970's as well
which are in good condition, not sure if they are worth being evaluated? They work fine and look fine, just
dated vintage watches.

Thanks,
Jeff

SkunkPrince · Jan 20, 2022

Your location is required to give useful information.

perenowell · Jan 20, 2022

Location and pictures please

MikiJ · Jan 20, 2022

Dan S · Jan 20, 2022

For valuation: https://speedmaster101.com/price-chart-2/

n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

Here's some pictures of the Speedmaster Professional I have. It has the newer band on it, and also I included front/back pics of the original band. I am in the NW Chicago Suburbs area.

Jeff

n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

Next here is the next watch I have

Jeff

n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

One more

YY77 · Jan 20, 2022

N n85ae
Next here is the next watch I have

Jeff

Are your hands enormous or is that a really tiny watch?

lightweight · Jan 20, 2022

N n85ae
... Watch has been in the family since 1969-70 when bought new... I'd like to find a reputable shop to send the watch to for a complete going over/tuneup/...

Also for a watch like this what kind of price range could be expected for it?

I also have a couple men's and women's Omega Seamaster Deville's from I'm guessing the 1970's as well
which are in good condition, not sure if they are worth being evaluated?

Thanks,
Jeff

Hey Jeff! Thanks for joining the conversation here of the Omega Forums! The approximate date of purchase is not as helpful as one would hope. Watches are a bit different than other old collectables like cars for example. Part of the reason is that watches were not always the hot commodity that they are today and could sometimes linger on jewelers shelves for a few years before being sold. Another reason is that in most years Omega was producing more than one model of Speedmaster. The differences can be quite subtle to the uninitiated but make a massive difference in desirability and there for price to collectors. That's why we want pictures of the watch it will help us narrow down the exact reference that you have on your hand and let us evaluate the condition.

No one is trying to sneak up your driveway at night. Watchmakers are becoming harder to find but there are still plenty of excellent craftspeople out there who can take great care of you and your watch. I would be a shame for you to have to send your watch to a watchmaker a different country with all the hassles of dutys and shipping when there might be someone great very near by.

The more info you give us the better the advice you can get. For photos a shot of the dial straight on in good light. A shot of the dial from a few angles in good light, a shot of both sides of the case, a shot of the case back, pictures of both sides of the original bracelet would be a great start to get an idea of the value.

If you want recommendations on where to go the get the watch looked at country and nearest large city should be sufficient. If not contact Simon Freese who is a wizard for everything speedmaster but be aware that you will pay for the skill, the reputation, and the demand. Not to mention shipping and dutys assuming (you mentioned the Vietnam war) that you are not in the UK.

n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

Haha, nope normal size hands.

YY77
Are your hands enormous or is that a really tiny watch?

n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

Thanks for the info. I know approx when the watch was made, simply because of the history, but as said it would probably need somebody who know's these watches to evaluate it and tell me for sure.

I was the executor for my Uncle's Estate, and I know when and where he got the Speedmaster Professional since it was his daily wear watch, and he told me about it. He was a career Army Officer, and he bought the watch right after he came back from Vietnam in the 1970's while he was stationed at Fort Knox Kentucky. I don't think I ever saw him not wear the watch. I used to use it for a while, but then decided it was probably valuable, so I switched to my good old Timex digital 😀

Jeff

lightweight
Hey Jeff! Thanks for joining the conversation here of the Omega Forums! The approximate date of purchase is not as helpful as one would hope. Watches are a bit different than other old collectables like cars for example. Part of the reason is that watches were not always the hot commodity that they are today and could sometimes linger on jewelers shelves for a few years before being sold. Another reason is that in most years Omega was producing more than one model of Speedmaster. The differences can be quite subtle to the uninitiated but make a massive difference in desirability and there for price to collectors. That's why we want pictures of the watch it will help us narrow down the exact reference that you have on your hand and let us evaluate the condition.

No one is trying to sneak up your driveway at night. Watchmakers are becoming harder to find but there are still plenty of excellent craftspeople out there who can take great care of you and your watch. I would be a shame for you to have to send your watch to a watchmaker a different country with all the hassles of dutys and shipping when there might be someone great very near by.

The more info you give us the better the advice you can get. For photos a shot of the dial straight on in good light. A shot of the dial from a few angles in good light, a shot of both sides of the case, a shot of the case back, pictures of both sides of the original bracelet would be a great start to get an idea of the value.

If you want recommendations on where to go the get the watch looked at country and nearest large city should be sufficient. If not contact Simon Freese who is a wizard for everything speedmaster but be aware that you will pay for the skill, the reputation, and the demand. Not to mention shipping and dutys assuming (you mentioned the Vietnam war) that you are not in the UK.

SkunkPrince · Jan 20, 2022

I have heard good things about these people but I have never used them. http://www.swissservice.com

If anyone suggests a certain CMW in Gurnee, run screaming in the other direction. 🙁

Jantar · Jan 20, 2022

That speedmaster has a later bezel and I think those are hands from a Mk II. Definitely not original to that watch. So it must have seen a service and had some replacements at some point.

SkunkPrince · Jan 20, 2022

Jantar
That speedmaster has a later bezel and I think those are hands from a Mk II. Definitely not original to that watch. So it must have seen a service and had some replacements at some point.

Just curious, Speedmaster people... at what point do you give up on collectability and just send it to Omega? I mostly did that with mine but it for sure was not collectable. Well, maybe now it is. 😀 But that's for the new owner to decide.

Jantar · Jan 20, 2022

If this was my watch and it had sentimental value in its current state then I would preserve it and look for an independent watchmaker. But otherwise I’d send it to Omega and have it come back looking new.

gbesq · Jan 20, 2022

SkunkPrince
Just curious, Speedmaster people... at what point do you give up on collectability and just send it to Omega? I mostly did that with mine but it for sure was not collectable. Well, maybe now it is. 😀 But that's for the new owner to decide.

In my view, it depends upon how much work needs to be done, how much you're willing to spend, and whether collectability is more important to you than appearance. Let's face it, a fully original vintage watch that is collectible, whether it's a Speedmaster or something else, isn't necessarily always attractive to the average person. Some can look downright beaten up. As Jantar mentioned, if you send your Speedmaster to Omega service, it will come back looking new. A lot of casual owners really like that. And if your Speedmaster needs a lot of parts, Omega's flat fee for service can be a real bargain (understanding that there are some things which are not included in the flat fee). Personally, I wouldn't send any of my vintage watches to Omega for service because I know that they won't come back as vintage any longer. But that's just me.

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n85ae · Jan 20, 2022

The Speedmaster Professional was worn daily and wasn't hidden in a jewelry box, so that it was serviced would completely make sense. Given that it most likely was serviced, and has some replacement parts, what would be the main criteria for determining its worth, and then making it as marketable as possible?

gbesq · Jan 20, 2022

N n85ae
The Speedmaster Professional was worn daily and wasn't hidden in a jewelry box, so that it was serviced would completely make sense. Given that it most likely was serviced, and has some replacement parts, what would be the main criteria for determining its worth, and then making it as marketable as possible?

As for the movement, as long as any replacement parts are genuine Omega, there's no issue. As for the rest of the watch, the main value is in the dial. The dial on yours looks to be original and in pretty good condition although the lume plots haven't patinated particularly well. Still, an original dial is a good start. The original 1039 bracelet is also a big plus. The two issues with your watch that are most problematic from a collector's perspective are the bezel and the hands. Your watch should have a DON bezel (dot over ninety) and tritium hands. Your watch has a DNN bezel (dot next to ninety) and is probably an Omega service replacement. Used DON bezels in very good condition are difficult to find and VERY expensive. As another poster mentioned, the hour and minute hands on your watch are incorrect. Tritium hand sets for a Speedmaster Pro are easier to find than a DON bezel, but won't be cheap either. If you intend to sell the watch, you may find that the cost of restoring it equals or exceeds the return that you'll get from selling it.

Davidt · Jan 21, 2022

N n85ae
The Speedmaster Professional was worn daily and wasn't hidden in a jewelry box, so that it was serviced would completely make sense. Given that it most likely was serviced, and has some replacement parts, what would be the main criteria for determining its worth, and then making it as marketable as possible?

Basically the value will be that of a complete one in comparable condition, minus the value of the incorrect parts (bezel, hands in this case). Unfortunately correct bezels are wel over a thousand dollars so that will have an impact on price.

With a watch like this you won’t be far off it’s private sale value in an open auction (either bricks and mortar auction house or eBay) as so many people are looking for them.

There’s no value in you servicing it or searching for the replaced parts. Most collectors would rather do this themselves so you won’t recoup the cost of you time, effort and expense of doing it yourself. Simply as as is.

Speedmaster Professional - Where to send for service

n85ae

SkunkPrince

perenowell

MikiJ

Dan S

n85ae

n85ae

n85ae

YY77

lightweight

n85ae

n85ae

SkunkPrince

Jantar

SkunkPrince

Jantar

gbesq

n85ae

gbesq

Davidt

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