I just picked up a Speedmaster Reduced w/ the 1140 in it and it's in need of a service. It's not keeping good time and the chrono is not functioning correctly.

Since it's a relatively modern watch (production range of 1988-1995) it should be okay to hand over to Omega for service, right? My local Omega Boutique says they ship the watches to Seattle for the work, and the turnaround time is about 8 weeks.
The case and bracelet are in pretty good shape so I'm inclined to ask them NOT to polish them and just keep the focus on the internals, the bezel and the Hesalite. Am I missing anything or does anyone have a good reason for me not send it out to Omega?

 

I would imagine that it is fine to send to Omega as it is not a vintage watch and they should have all the proper replacement parts if they need to replace the crown or pushers. The hands and dial look great and I can't imagine a need to replace.

Make sure that they understand not to polish or replace hands and dial.

 

Out of curiosity, how much did omega quote to service it?

 

I would send it to Omega for a quote only. If the quote comes back saying they have to replace the dial or hands then run far far away.

The tritium dial on your watch has aged to a beautiful custard colour and it is the centrepiece of the watch. Omega will want to replace it with what is called a service luminova dial and it will never age like a tritium dial.

If they want to replace the dial, I would suggest taking the watch back and going to an independent watchmaker who can retain the original hands and dial for you.

There are plenty of good independent Omega watchmakers around the world, and I’m sure this community will be happy to share recommendations if you advise of your location.

 

The main reason why not to is the cost, it’s very expensive these days, like $750. If you go down that route then I’d take everything they offer except a dial or hands exchange, keep those as they are. A tatty case on a modern watch just looks tatty, the reduced is not a model collectors will fawn over (well the albino has some following I guess) so it’s not patina you are preserving, it’s wear. You may as well have it back looking mint, otherwise why pay for the full dealer service in the first place?

Omega would charge extra for a new dial so you should get some warning of that but they might well decide to change the hands without asking since the cost is included. Maybe get clarity on what you want doing first as you may get back mismatched hands and dial.

 

$750 (USD)

 

If it were me, I'd send it myself and not bother with the dealer. That's just an additional opportunity for miscommunication and delay. They may even charge you a little extra for their time and bother.

 

I would not. I sent my old 1140 in twice, neither time was it correct. They finally corrected everything on the third trip. It was fixed but ended up being at service more than on the wrist...

 

I wouldn’t. Plenty of Omega qualified independent watchmakers out there with an Omega parts account.

 

Not a cheap service now. Although if I were a master I would take no less )))

 

Thank you @MtnMarine This is the type of feedback that's valuable in helping me decide which direction to go on the service, particularly because your experience was with the same caliber. Just curious, was your experience with a USA service center or another service center in another country? What was the issue that prompted the send back?

With an 8 week turn around time, that would be a major bummer to have to send it back in for them to correct something.

 

There is an Omega certified watchmaker in my area (about a 45 minute drive from my house), so with some of the stories I read on other threads here on OF about the Omega Service Center not following the customers instructions and just replacing stuff that the customer didn't want replaced I'm starting to lean the direction of just taking the watch to him so I can communicate directly to the guy that's going to be working on it.

One of the reasons I was considering going through Omega was I thought that it may help the value or desirability of the watch in the event I were ever sell it in the next 5 years.

 

The price the OB quoted me seems to be inline with the pricing on the Omega website. So I'm not worried about paying more than I should, if I go that route.

 

I’d let Omega do it. Sure, problems can occur, but they can occur with independent watchmakers too. Omega will always make it right, and you’ll get a two year warranty. The reduced isn't a collector watch, so why not make it look new?

 

Omega has multiple service centers, and the one my watches went to seems to be in Miami, and they have messed up plenty of mine over the years in that they've had to go back for rework.

I sent my Seamaster Professional to Nesbit's in Seattle this time, and it came back absolutely flawless. Their prices are likely in line with Omega's, but no funny stuff. They sent me an estimate, I approved it, and some weeks later, received it back runnning perfectly, and yes, they refinished case and bracelet, but Omega requires that of authorized service. You can call them and talk with Jan Nesbit if you have any concerns ahead of time and see what they say.

 

Refinishing of the case and bracelet is not a requirement from Omega.

 

Oh? I read a document a while back that said it was, but I guess I might have misread it. Thanks!

 

What document was this?

 

It's been a while but I believe it was instructions for authorized service centers as to the standards to which Omega expected of a service.

 

To the best of my knowledge, no such requirement exists, and I've gone through several documents such as work instructions and policy documents. This being a requirement is not consistent with experiences of people who have asked that their watches not be polished and Omega has complied, so this is an odd one.

If you are able to locate this document and tell me the specific name of it, I'll look it up on the Extranet to clarify.

As I mentioned in another thread where you recommended these guys, although I'm sure they do good work, they do still operate as if they were a service center. So for those who don't want polishing, hands replaced, etc., it would be prudent to contact them to clarify these things before sending them your watch.

Cheers, Al