Stuck chrono-hand Speedmaster 145.012-67

[ortope]

Archer

No one is going to stop you from doing so. I assume your watchmaker knows that the hand is still available from Omega.

Still not sure what the real problem, is here, other than your watchmaker being afraid to remove a hand...

Yes, this is the main concern of the guy, who is, as said, one of the most skilled watchmakers in Italy.

 

[ortope]

Problem solved: no damage!



Cheers

 

[Archer]

So it wasn't really seized after all then?

 

[ortope]

Stuck not seized...
My Friend Gino send me this picture: The UM Hand seems to be slimmer...

Cheers

 

[Archer]

Well, that was your word...

ortope

Any idea how to remove a seized chrono-hand from a 145.012-67?

So how did he remove it then? Just the normal way I suspect?

 

[ortope]

Nope, he made a special tool to remove it as far as I know...

 

[Archer]

ortope

Nope, he made a special tool to remove it as far as I know...

Cool - let's see some photos.

 

[ortope]

Archer

Cool - let's see some photos.

I will ask him...

Cheers

 

[Larry S]

ortope

I can assure you that my watchmaker is one of the leading experts in Italy, but he is a little bit afraid to damage. Italy is kind of the mothership of vintage watch collecting. There must be someone else to go to.
the chromo hand considering its rarity...
As said it was my idea to post the problem.

I can assure you that he is most certainly not if he is bothering you with this question. I have had many complex chronographs serviced and have never had any watchmaker come to me with such a question.

 

[ortope]

I repeat it, my watch maker told me that it will be more difficult than usual to remove the hand, but he didn't t ask me to ask for an advise
in the forum.
It was just my curiosity to ask the experts if there is a special trick to use.

Cheers

 

[140dave]

Okay, let’s lay off the watchmaker. Let me give you my take on this and see if it sounds about right:

OP takes watch to watchmaker and makes sure to point out the chrono hand, tells how important, valuable, and irreplaceable the OP believes it is. Now the watchmaker is a bit paranoid about even touching the hand so warned the OP something may happen when he removes it. Then the OP came here to express his angst over the issue and here we are.

Sound about right? Seems probable to me but just speculation.

 

[ortope]

Right you are....

Cheers

 

[Archer]

140dave

Okay, let’s lay off the watchmaker. Let me give you my take on this and see if it sounds about right:

OP takes watch to watchmaker and makes sure to point out the chrono hand, tells how important, valuable, and irreplaceable the OP believes it is. Now the watchmaker is a bit paranoid about even touching the hand so warned the OP something may happen when he removes it. Then the OP came here to express his angst over the issue and here we are.

Sound about right? Seems probable to me but just speculation.

The hand on this watch is no more challenging to remove than a regular chronograph hand is. We now know it wasn't seized, just "stuck" but of course that's how it's supposed to be - they are all stuck or the chronograph wouldn't be functional.

I've suspected for a while that this is more a crisis of confidence on the part of the watchmaker, than a real technical problem that needs solving.

If this guy is the expert that we are told he is, he already knows the value of that hand. He was likely just trying to let the OP know that sometimes "shit happens" just in case it does.

 

[pdxleaf]

ortope

Stuck not seized...
My Friend Gino send me this picture: The UM Hand seems to be slimmer...

Cheers

Now that it's off, what's the story on the watch? How did you come across it, that sort of thing.

 

[ortope]

I found the watch recently in the US, the price seemed to be ok and so I bought it just before X-Mas.


It was one of the few pre moon Speedmaster Pro missing in my collection.
The watch came without the 1039/516 band from 2/68, that fortunately a friend of mine that lives in the UK sold me.


It is all original exception made for the crystal that is a later version,
Needs some TLC, but I think that it is worth it.

By the way, I consider the 145.012-67 dial the most beautiful versions used on the pre moon Speedmaster Professional.



Cheers

Edited: Jan 10, 2024