Speedmaster Racing - repeated moisture issues for 5 Years, now Omega says crown tube damaged

josiahg52 · Apr 15, 2026

Ah, this was all vaguely familiar, beyond another discussion that ends up being largely about water resistance.

ErichPryde
Clearly the AD he was dealing with was telling him similar things... which we all know ADs do. After all, they want to sell more watches.

Like ADs (or OBs) who tell people this watch or that watch is going away "this year" or end of the year. The green Seamaster was one I remember a thread being created "warning" about it ceasing production because of "difficulty" making the specific green ceramic requires per the AD the thread creator who was shopping at. Over three years later, it's still there.

ErichPryde · Apr 15, 2026

josiahg52
Ah, this was all vaguely familiar, beyond another discussion that ends up being largely about water resistance.

Like ADs (or OBs) who tell people this watch or that watch is going away "this year" or end of the year. The green Seamaster was one I remember a thread being created "warning" about it ceasing production because of "difficulty" making the specific green ceramic requires per the AD the thread creator who was shopping at. Over three years later, it's still there.

I remember that thread- and haven't heard any panic about the green seamaster since then, but it did result in several reddit threads as well.

Linas · Apr 15, 2026

ErichPryde
Linas originally created a thread about this issue in 2021 and expressed similar beliefs that the Speedmaster can't handle water. That was the second time the watch had shown indications of water intrusion per the thread, but the first time it was sent in. This poster has been absent from the forum since their first two posts in August of 2021, and this current thread states that the watch went back into service for water intrusion in 2022, and then again a year later in 2023. That's wild. And, it's well past the point that most of us would have put up with this issue before reaching out to Omega's customer service directly and saying "hey, something is really not OK here."

Well, considering I’ve only made 46 posts and about 36 of them are in this thread, the old thread isn’t exactly hidden - I assumed people had seen it.

That said, let’s do a quick count:
7 people said they would not swim with their Speedmaster, would not recommend swimming, or that it’s not meant for swimming.
3 people said it should be fine for swimming - two of them were very confident, quoting Omega’s own WR definitions and even posting photos of someone diving with one (even vintage).
1 person posted photos under a strong tap but later said they personally wouldn’t swim with it, though it “could be done.”
So that makes it 7.5 against vs. 3.5 for - a mixed bag at best.

If the response had been 100% “obviously something is wrong, escalate immediately”, then I would have acted differently. And to be clear, I’m not blaming anyone here - I posted on three forums and reddit, and everywhere the answer was the same - mixed opinions, some strongly against, some strongly for, some undecided.

In summary:

1. “Linas believed from the start that the Speedmaster can’t handle water” - I believed my specific watch had a sealing issue. Omega said it didn’t (and still says it), but that turned out to be incorrect.

2. “Ignored advice from the forum” - the forum was split 7.5 vs. 3.5 and I followed the majority view of avoiding swimming.

3. “Didn’t escalate early because of confirmation bias” - I escalated every time the watch severely fogged - 2021, 2022, 2023 and now in 2026.

4. “Should have pressure‑tested it yourself” - no reasonable customer pressure‑tests a watch under warranty. Omega tested it four times (five, including factory), always passed and still passes.

5. “Resisted WR information or didn’t believe the data” - I accepted the WR data, my watch simply didn’t behave according to it.

6. “Belief caused the problem to continue” - I lacked strong evidence to challenge Omega early on, but each time I sent it in I pushed harder, explained how it fogged, and asked them to find the issue.

7. “Didn’t escalate to Omega customer service early enough” - it was sent to Omega service every time - that is the official escalation path.

8. “Now arguing Speedmasters are inherently weak to justify not acting earlier” - I’m describing my experience with what is likely a defective watch. Neither Omega nor the AD sees it that way, so practically speaking, this is the customer experience I’ve had with this Speedmaster. I never said the model is weak by design, but if Omega can’t maintain QC, their Authorised Service can’t identify the issue and doesn’t replace a watch that’s been back four times, then that’s the acceptable standard they are setting.

Let’s use an analogy - if a car brand becomes known as “unreliable” because engines keep blowing up, the manufacturer refuses to fix them under warranty, and owners are left to deal with the consequences, then over time the brand earns that reputation.

I’ve given Omega every chance to fix this. I shouldn’t have to go hunting for “forbidden knowledge”, take it to independents, or pressure‑test the watch myself just to verify whether an authorised service centre did its job. And if, after three attempts, the watch is still defective, then it’s not unreasonable to say “this Speedmaster is only good for indoors”. That’s not me inventing anything - that’s Omega setting that standard. Their WR table isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on if they can’t ensure their product meets that standard after fixing it three times. I don't care how it's supposed to be, I am saying how it is.

Final thing - I’m still dealing with Omega and still trying to get this resolved, but get off the high horse about “perfect knowledge”, “not following advice” and all the other nonsense.

Archer · Apr 15, 2026

L Linas
Let’s use an analogy - if a car brand becomes known as “unreliable” because engines keep blowing up, the manufacturer refuses to fix them under warranty, and owners are left to deal with the consequences, then over time the brand earns that reputation.

That analogy doesn’t apply here. By your own admission they have repaired it under warranty several times, so they are not leaving you to deal with the consequences.

What we are all trying very hard to make you understand is that your watch is an anomaly, and not a representation of how the watches typically work for water resistance. Your experience with Omega this time around is also not typical.

I think if you get the history of this watch in front of the right person at Omega, you will get results.

ErichPryde · Apr 15, 2026

I'm not attempting to excuse Omega's incompetence in this matter at all. If I'd been handling your repair, I would have been like "oh gee, this watch has been in multiple times for the exact same issue. What the heck is going on, this doesn't make sense!"

But I'm not Omega. As the owner of the watch, you do have some ability to go up the ladder. And you had strong evidence the second time this occurred and it had to be sent for service, in my opinion. Not to mention, before your warranty actually expired. RE Perfect advice, you were told to escalate this to customer service back in march, and today- until the option was practically forced down your throat- you seemed insistent you had no recourse and that wasn't an option for you, and you've instead dealing with your AD, who absolutely will give you attention and supply, but also absolutely cannot fix your problem.

Archer
I think if you get the history of this watch in front of the right person at Omega, you will get results.

I agree with this. Despite how adversarial you may think I am being about the water resistance issue, I genuinely hope you get this resolved. AND- by refusing to accept what the water resistance should be, you're inherently harming your ability to make a sound, logical argument to the right person.

Anyway, I'm going to go watch a Harry Potter movie and have some calzone- best of luck to you. Draft the right email and keep escalating and I think you'll get results. I sincerely wish you a good evening and it saddens me that you've had such a rough and ongoing experience with this.

Linas · Apr 16, 2026

Archer
That analogy doesn’t apply here. By your own admission they have repaired it under warranty several times, so they are not leaving you to deal with the consequences.

What we are all trying very hard to make you understand is that your watch is an anomaly, and not a representation of how the watches typically work for water resistance. Your experience with Omega this time around is also not typical.

I think if you get the history of this watch in front of the right person at Omega, you will get results.

Have they fixed it?

That’s the whole point - they haven’t. So, unless the expectation is to own a Speedmaster for five years and then bin it, they have absolutely left me with the consequences.

I understand what you’re saying about this being an anomaly, but knowing I’m uniquely unlucky isn’t much of a consolation. I’m describing what has actually happened, not what should have happened in theory.

As for escalation - I only have legal leverage against the AD. I have zero leverage against Omega directly. Anything Omega does for me is literally "goodwill", unless they do it because of the "brand name" or just because they feel like doing the "right thing".

ErichPryde
But I'm not Omega. As the owner of the watch, you do have some ability to go up the ladder. And you had strong evidence the second time this occurred and it had to be sent for service, in my opinion. Not to mention, before your warranty actually expired. RE Perfect advice, you were told to escalate this to customer service back in march, and today- until the option was practically forced down your throat- you seemed insistent you had no recourse and that wasn't an option for you, and you've instead dealing with your AD, who absolutely will give you attention and supply, but also absolutely cannot fix your problem.

I agree with this. Despite how adversarial you may think I am being about the water resistance issue, I genuinely hope you get this resolved. AND- by refusing to accept what the water resistance should be, you're inherently harming your ability to make a sound, logical argument to the right person.

Anyway, I'm going to go watch a Harry Potter movie and have some calzone- best of luck to you. Draft the right email and keep escalating and I think you'll get results. I sincerely wish you a good evening and it saddens me that you've had such a rough and ongoing experience with this.

Not quite - this is hindsight you’re applying. Each time the watch came back, there was a reasonable chance it was actually fixed. Short of deliberately diving with it or taking it to an independent to verify Omega’s work, there was nothing to escalate. There was no disagreement, no refusal, no pushback - Omega simply took the watch, apologised and “fixed” it.

If Omega had challenged me at any point - first time, second time or third time... I would have escalated immediately. But they didn’t. They de‑escalated it every single time by accepting the watch and returning it “repaired”. What exactly would I escalate against? Them taking the watch and fixing it?

In the service forms and when speaking with them on the phone. I did push - “this is the second time”, “this is the third time”, “please make sure it’s definitely resolved”. And they were like "ohh we are very sorry, we will make sure our authorised Jesus master watchmaker looks at it". Beyond that, there was nothing more to ask for until now.

Now that they are trying to push their previous failures and the damage caused during the warranty period onto me... there is an actual dispute. Now there is something to escalate.

As for March - Omega takes two weeks to respond to each message and at the start it wasn’t even clear what the issue was. Before escalating, it’s reasonable to let them explain what they think is wrong and whether it’s on them or on me... and how so. They only gave me the final details yesterday. Yesterday I spoke to the AD and today I escalated within Omega.

So I’m not sure where the idea comes from that I’m “not escalating” or taking too long, or refusing to take steps.

And just to be clear - what we are discussing here is not the argument I’m making to Omega. This thread is where I refine the argument. Omega only sees the final version, which I make sure is as hard as possible, but still reasonable, where they can't say I am overstating anything. Because again - I have no leverage over them, so if I piss them off, or give them any reason not to like me... they can say "sod it then".

Archer · Apr 16, 2026

L Linas
Have they fixed it?

No, but again they have serviced it under warranty several times. You portray this as Omega completely not doing anything for you, which is clearly not the case. They have tried at least.

Part of the problem here is that we simply don't know why this particular watch failed. I find it hard to believe they are missing something simple many times over, so this is likely some sort of defect that is showing up only under specific circumstances. I have had watches that have obviously leaked come to my own shop, and when I pressure test them before I start work, they pass. It's not common, it's baffling, but it has happened.

L Linas
As for escalation - I only have legal leverage against the AD. I have zero leverage against Omega directly. Anything Omega does for me is literally "goodwill", unless they do it because of the "brand name" or just because they feel like doing the "right thing".

Good wil interventions are a thing Omega does, and people have reported this here many times. If you don't want to escalate this with Omega, that's fine, but that is your decision to not do so. I'm not sure why you are so resistant to this, or why you seem to think it's of no use. This is exactly the type of situation that should be escalated with Omega - the people denying you the warranty repair.

L Linas
Yesterday I spoke to the AD and today I escalated within Omega.

Praise be! Finally. It was honestly starting to feel like you didn't want them to do the right thing...

If I were in your situation, I would be writing to every email I could find, calling every phone number I could find, and they would finally give me another watch just to get rid of me.

Linas · Apr 16, 2026

Archer
Praise be! Finally. It was honestly starting to feel like you didn't want them to do the right thing...

If I were in your situation, I would be writing to every email I could find, calling every phone number I could find, and they would finally give me another watch just to get rid of me.

Again, I don't know where this impression came from. They literally responded to me yesterday to say 4, a piece of lume came out, I think 10 days ago they just sent me the picture with one and it was not clear where it came from and why it fell out.

So, before yesterday, it wasn't even clear why I was escalating.

Also, there is part of me letting them trip over themselves (and they were doing a lot of that).

For example, they could have said "we got the watch like that"... oh that is simple "here is the picture of the watch I sent, meaning damaged in transit, and if it was hit so hard that lume fell out, then I don't even want that watch back, replace the whole thing". The shipping is insured, so that is a good outcome for me, good outcome for them. They didn't say that.

So it remains as - they received the watch all intact, but somehow, for some reason, after about a month since they got it, lume started falling out. Now that we finally know what they mean by "oxidised dial", which they said 4 weeks ago and "hour markers" falling out, which they said 2 weeks ago... it is possible to push back and say ... "ohh I see what you mean, but that would have taken yers for water to cause this damage, so pre-existing condition, and considering the history it is definatelly linked to issues under wrranty". 4 weeks ago I just simply didn't have that clarity and I would have to guess what I am escalating.

Also, to be honest, I was prepared to pay for "some discounted" service, I am not looking to get it done completely free (although that wouldn't be unreasonable). So if it was just the case of £900 -50% discount, I would have done that and moved the watch on. But when they tagged new dial on top (despite the dial looking good when I sent it out), that instantly created an issue. Maybe I would have paid £450, asked nicely to include polish and be done with it... but paying £1300+ just wasn't something I wanted to do.

I might be wrong, other people may do it differently, but I am not the person who calls the cleaner and CEO, just in case, between them, they can find somebody who is right to answer my call. I escalate once I think I have clear picture, identified gaps in their response, identified weaknesses, found a contradiction, maybe they slipped up and undermined their position - that is when I escalate.

Archer · Apr 16, 2026

L Linas
So, before yesterday, it wasn't even clear why I was escalating.

Well, the whole premise of this thread is in your first post. I would have been escalating right after this:

L Linas
The watch is now five months out of warranty, I sent it to Omega again. Same story - “it passes the tests”, except now the service is chargeable.

This is where the failure is, given the history of the watch having water intrusions over and over again. All these other details about dials and case tubes are not important - it's clear that the watch is defective somehow, and they need to take responsibility for it. But I think part of the issue is this:

ErichPryde
AND- by refusing to accept what the water resistance should be, you're inherently harming your ability to make a sound, logical argument to the right person.

Linas · Apr 16, 2026

Archer
Well, the whole premise of this thread is in your first post. I would have been escalating right after this:

This is where the failure is, given the history of the watch having water intrusions over and over again. All these other details about dials and case tubes are not important - it's clear that the watch is defective somehow, and they need to take responsibility for it. But I think part of the issue is this:

Fine, but I wouldn't have esclalated, because I believe I have one shot at this, also I believ their inability to even explain it clearly for a months in itself helps my case.

No that is not an issue:

ErichPryde
AND- by refusing to accept what the water resistance should be, you're inherently harming your ability to make a sound, logical argument to the right person.

It is only an issue in this forum and in our discussion, not in my case with Omega... so it is wrong to comflate the two.

It is very simple case of me pushing against Omega, them comming-up with excuses, getting oppinions here (some of them very educated, maybe even expert)... and then pushing against those oppinions to see where my boundaries are.

Simple research and being informed.

Porteroso · Apr 16, 2026

I do think you can take the advice presented here, and it seems you are. Certainly Archer has much knowledge of how these things work. Getting to the right person needs to be the strategy now, because so far you have been in contact with many of the wrong people.

I think the forum can be a bit harsh, but given all the issues you have faced, and how long it has dragged on, I understand that you are a little pissed, and maybe even doubtful that this will be resolved.

Linas · Apr 16, 2026

Porteroso
I do think you can take the advice presented here, and it seems you are. Certainly Archer has much knowledge of how these things work. Getting to the right person needs to be the strategy now, because so far you have been in contact with many of the wrong people.

I think the forum can be a bit harsh, but given all the issues you have faced, and how long it has dragged on, I understand that you are a little pissed, and maybe even doubtful that this will be resolved.

Yes, that is exactly what it is. Not the fault of anyone here, but I am not exactly happy with how this purchase turned out.

I am quite persistent when it comes to fighting for my rights, but I need to build my case. I would prefer to resolve it with Omega, because honestly, most of my issues are with them, but as I said before, legally I can't only go against AD.

I was sort of stitching the case together, to see what would work best... and to be fair, legally it is lose-lose (unless they settle out of court, which would make most sense to everyone, but by no means guaranteed outcome). Actually, going in front of the judge would not get me anything, even if I win. I am almost better of just paying the repairs, but also I am quite principled, so I have sued for principle alone many times, not shy of courts at all, even enjoy it.

josiahg52 · Apr 16, 2026

Well, you can poll forum members to determine their opinions on what constitutes "safe" and suitable use for your watch, or you can consider what Omega precisely says is suitable and what has been quoted here and then you can use it as you see fit. I wouldn't swim with mine, not out of caution, because I have dozens of watches that provide an even better margin and are actual diver's watches. Likewise, I wouldn't wear a diver's watch to an event where I needed to time things (for some reason) as the Speedmaster is better suited for that. If I needed both, I'd wear my titanium SMP chronograph.

If I get splashed or pushed into a pool or lake wearing my Speedmaster, I wouldn't be concerned or scared for them. Your Speedmaster failed not because of a wink and a nod from Omega, false advertising, poor design, mistreatment, misuse, or unclear water resistance ratings or expectations. It failed because something is wrong with it. It failed multiple times because of poor service by Omega. You can continue to argue here about water resistance ratings and "what they really mean" or you can pursue getting your watch repaired and sell or keep it, or just gather it back and sell it as is.

I'm going through the same thing with Stellantis and we are probably going into arbitration. A problem that has existed since 2020 and 12k miles continues to plague me in 2026 and at 80k miles. As I feared the second or third time, they're now claiming they've fixed it multiple times and now I'm on the hook. My claim is that if you pull the historical record from the ECM, this CEL has existed for 66k+ miles. That's about 12k miles and then a few thousand miles of testing and me driving around without the CEL. I have evidence, fortunately, you don't. It's a case of multiple failures to repair a defect, not a new issue.

YY77 · Apr 16, 2026

L Linas
I am quite persistent when it comes to fighting for my rights, but I need to build my case.

Imho after repair no. 2 I would have already escalated when it fogged up again, case was already built in my book without any add on you are waiting on.

ErichKeane · Apr 16, 2026

YY77
Imho after repair no. 2 I would have already escalated when it fogged up again, case was already built in my book without any add on you are waiting on.

One of the nice parts about sending it back through a GOOD AD/OB, is that they'll do this fight for you, and know how to do it, and know who to talk to.

Based on OP's comments, he has a kind of crappy AD if they're willing to lie to him about the "can't do better than a a hand-wash" thing.

One of the problems with non-Swiss repair facilities (or non-Japanese in the case of Seiko), is they are typically a contracted out place. So whether they use the same attention to detail as "send back to switzerland" or not is up to the gods. I've heard in the distant past about the UK repair facility being less-effective in the past, but perhaps its still the case?

That said, After I sent it back the 2nd time, my OB-SA would have fought hard for me. I had my railmaster go back at one point with automatic-works complaints under warranty (so something much less serious). It ended up having to go back a third time (all automatic works related, but different problems: First was a rotor pinwheeling on wind, second was an obvious free-wheeling, third was not actually winding well enough), at which point he read them the riot act, to the point that the head-of-facility called him and apologized, personally reviewed/tested the watch, and had Omega send me a gift.

So in the end, squeaky-wheel and all that, though a good OB/AD will know exactly the level of squeakiness to be.

Linas · Apr 16, 2026

josiahg52
I'm going through the same thing with Stellantis and we are probably going into arbitration. A problem that has existed since 2020 and 12k miles continues to plague me in 2026 and at 80k miles. As I feared the second or third time, they're now claiming they've fixed it multiple times and now I'm on the hook. My claim is that if you pull the historical record from the ECM, this CEL has existed for 66k+ miles. That's about 12k miles and then a few thousand miles of testing and me driving around without the CEL. I have evidence, fortunately, you don't. It's a case of multiple failures to repair a defect, not a new issue.

Great - car analogies work for me too.

And your analogy actually highlights the core issue here. With cars, you can get evidence. You can get a second opinion. You can plug in a scanner, check logs or take it to another qualified mechanic. With watches, it is not so easy, especially ones with marginal WR and as you said yourself, not really intended for swimming. You can’t “scan” a Speedmaster and you can’t replicate the exact failure mode outside of real‑world use.

In my case, I do have a supportive history, which helps, but there is no conclusive proof for a 50m WR watch and will never be. Omega can always fall back on the same explanation - “2e tested it, it passes, so maybe the crown wasn't fully closed". It’s the most convenient answer because it requires no investigation and no admission of fault.

And yes - I’m not letting them off that easily and service history helps me here, they can't say for example, I skipped on WR checks, because mine was tested in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026. It passed every single time (and it still passes today). But if Omega really wanted to be dicks they can always default to the simplest explanation - “you didn’t close the crown, bye”... and there’s nothing I can do about it.

So we are not discussing WR ratings in theory - we are discussing the practical water resistance of a Speedmaster and how slippery that becomes once you are outside warranty. Because at that point, you are entirely dependent on Omega’s "goodwill", not on any enforceable standard.

With Stellantis, you can go to arbitration. With Omega, I don’t. And that’s exactly why a “50 m WR” or “5000 m WR” number is just a number on paper. Not because the watch can’t survive 49 m, or Omega lies, or it is marketing, but because if anything goes wrong, Omega always has a convenient out if they choose to use it.

YY77 · Apr 16, 2026

@ErichKeane I had a date issue with my Tagheuer which I mentioned as part of a request for a paid full service. Came back serviced but issue was not solved, AD blamed me changing the date in the danger window which definitely didn't happen. Got it sent in again via AD again but this time I made sure CS was aware this issue wasn't addressed at the first service.

Came back with the date issue so I mailed CS again without dealing with the AD this time and they finally got it solved with the workshop leader personally involved.

Linas · Apr 16, 2026

YY77
Imho after repair no. 2 I would have already escalated when it fogged up again, case was already built in my book without any add on you are waiting on.

Great… and what exactly would that escalation have looked like?

After the second time it happens, they say “Sorry to hear that, we will do everything we can to make sure it never happens again”, then few weeks later "we have fully investigated it, cleaned it, serviced it, tested it, it passes all tests, it should be good, it’s on the way back to you”.

So what am I escalating here? For what reason? To whom?

There is nothing to investigate until it happens again and it is not like I want to deliberately damage my watch and subject it to some sort of extreme case just to prove the point.

WR is not such an issue where you can easily check it was fixed. You need to push it to the limit, to know where the limit is.

YY77 · Apr 16, 2026

L Linas
So what am I escalating here? For what reason? To whom?

Having it fog up again for the third time is reason enough there's an issue with the watch although it should have been resolved at the 2nd service, with Omega UK directly.

Archer · Apr 16, 2026

ErichKeane
One of the problems with non-Swiss repair facilities (or non-Japanese in the case of Seiko), is they are typically a contracted out place.

This is typically only in smaller markets, not in a market as large as the US, Canada, and I suspect the UK after a quick Google search. There are private places that are considered service centers, with Nesbitt in Seattle area being an example most would recognize (even though they no longer hold that status, they once did).

There is a large corporate Swatch service center in Toronto, definitely one in New Jersey (went there for training), and I believe there is at least one more in the US. These are not under contract - they are corporate.

L Linas
In my case, I do have a supportive history, which helps, but there is no conclusive proof for a 50m WR watch and will never be. Omega can always fall back on the same explanation - “2e tested it, it passes, so maybe the crown wasn't fully closed". It’s the most convenient answer because it requires no investigation and no admission of fault.

Have they actually said this to you, or is this some answer you have dreamt up? Not the AD, but someone from the service center?

Speedmaster Racing - repeated moisture issues for 5 Years, now Omega says crown tube damaged

josiahg52

ErichPryde

Linas

Archer

ErichPryde

Linas

Archer

Linas

Archer

Linas

Porteroso

Linas

josiahg52

YY77

ErichKeane

Linas

YY77

Linas

YY77

Archer

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