So my son has been given his grandfathers 1976 Omega Geneve (manual). The crown and stem were missing and it had other cosmetic issues. I started looking around for help on getting parts for the watch etc. We live in a small town outside Split, in Croatia by the way.
So we decided one day that maybe we should take a walk around the winding alley ways of the old town of Split. So we find a watch shop. We go in and the guy also repairs watches.
I hand him the Omega and ask him if he could possible fix and service it. " Ok he says, let me open her up and have a look". So he gets busy to get the case opened. Which was no mean feat. He then gets his wee eye glass on and tells me the watch was last opened and serviced in 1992. And more than that, it was himself that last opened and serviced it. Low and behold, he has engraved his name and date on the inside of the case. Wow. What a story of coincidence. We were all shocked and have left it in his safe hands to fix.

 

Great outcome.
Must see some pics when it's done.

 

Well its nearly finished. I have put another strap on it. I think it looks good with it. A sympathetic upgrade. The strap colours are that of the Navy. My father in law was on the boats and this watch is engraved to reflect as much. Hence my strap choice. And its going to be worn by a 17 year old. Thoughts on strap choice?

 

I am somewhat older than seventeen but I would wear it on that strap.
May he enjoy it for many years.

 

Looks great!

 

that's a nice piece of family history, with an added twist to the story. congrats!

 

Sounds like you have a family watchmaker now! Cool story thanks for sharing

 

Great story, thanks for sharing. I'd go with a leather strap for the watch - just personal tastes. Contrasting stitching with the appropriate colour might work. Enjoy it either way

 

Nothing wrong with that NATO; though they can wear on the casebacks, so it would probably be a good idea to put one of those clear service stickers on the back to help protect it from the wear and tear.

 

That’s a lovely watch ... I’d not give it to a 17 year old lad ...wait till he’s 30!

 

I think the strap is nice and a good choice for a 17-year old. If he wanted another option that looked a little less informal, I would get a 1 piece perlon strap. See: https://omegaforums.net/threads/perlon-straps-are-they-becoming-modern-again.29695/ That way he could switch between the two without messing with the springbars. If it is engraved on the back, you want to protect it with one of the Red Line case back protectors like @Waltesefalcon suggests. They look like this:

 

By the way i have a number of Omegas. Once this ones back home ( the shops keeping an eye on it to test it after fixing) i will add a photo of all of them together. Including my military issue 1955 pocket watch. I have a wrist band for it.