Tips for New Speedmaster Pro Owner?

OMEGAX-33 · Dec 16, 2017

Archer
Socially acceptable Technically correct.

By the way, a watch that is "over wound" is widely recognized as referring to a watch that is fully wound and not running. That is also incorrect, but it doesn't stop it from being socially acceptable.

Rather than muddy the water with terms that have no real meaning (or different meanings) it's better to just stick to facts. Just wind it until it stops - period.

Cheers, Al

I’m assuming you’re a watch maker. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you on this topic. We’re all here to learn and we appreciate your training and wisdom.
Cheers

Foo2rama · Dec 16, 2017

OMEGAX-33
I’m assuming you’re a watch maker. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you on this topic. We’re all here to learn and we appreciate your training and wisdom.
Cheers

Did not worry everyone gets politely smacked down by @Archer before post 200 😀

OMEGAX-33 · Dec 16, 2017

Foo2rama
Did not worry everyone gets politely smacked down by @Archer before post 200 😀

As long as I play in his sand box I’ll have to agree. 😝

Archer · Dec 16, 2017

OMEGAX-33
I’m assuming you’re a watch maker. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you on this topic. We’re all here to learn and we appreciate your training and wisdom.
Cheers

No offence taken, and just to clarify this isn't "my" sandbox. I'm just here to help people understand their watches better.

Unfortunately there are a lot of accepted terms and theories stated on watch forums that have no basis in reality, so I'm just trying to keep things factual is all.

Cheers, Al

mikesspeedy · Dec 17, 2017

Archer
There are only a few states that a mainspring can be in...

A - Fully wound

B - Unwound

C - Somewhere in between A and B

D - Broken

There is no such thing as "over wound" and in order to break the mainspring it would require significant force on the crown. The problem with all these over the top warnings of "don't over wind it!" is that they result in people being afraid to properly wind the watch. So people just need to wind it until it stops, and use some common sense and they will be fine. This isn't rocket science, it's just a watch...

Cheers, Al

When I first got my speedy pro for the first couple of days I read the "can be over wound " posts and I just under wound it, I wondered why it kept stopping and the chrono would not work properly. On day 3 I was so exasperated that I just went for it, wound until I felt a mechanical stop and its worked brilliantly ever since. So New speedy pro ? Just wind until you feel a stop like hitting a buffer, then stop, do that every morning. Look after your speedy and it will look after you.

Archer it is just a watch but boy o boy what a watch.

Archer · Dec 17, 2017

@mikesspeedy - yours is not the first post I've seen by any means where people have been scared off fully winding the watch after reading all the warnings posted on forums.

I was thinking about broken mainsprings last night - hardly a day goes by that I'm not working on one or more Speedmasters of some kind, and those could have a Cal. 321, 861, 1861, 1866, etc. movement. I do see a good number of watches come in with broken mainsprings (not just Speedmasters), but one common denominator with those watches is that they are well past the point where they should have already had a service typically. It's rare in my experience that a Speedmaster has a broken mainspring in say the first 5 years after it was produced and sold, or after a new spring was installed at service.

If you are using Omega or any other reputable watchmaker, they are replacing the mainspring at every service - this is what I do, and I rarely ever use a mainspring over again. The only time I do so is when I have some ancient pocket watch (usually) on my bench that finding a new spring for is nearly impossible, mostly because of the strange end type that's being used that went out of use 60 or 70 years ago. For anything even remotely modern, a new spring goes in with every service. I have yet to have any of the hundreds of Speedmasters I've serviced come back to me with a broken mainspring.

Cheers, Al

Lowflight · Dec 17, 2017

When I wind, I use a back and forward motion an Omega rep suggested to me back in the 90's. Keeps years and years of nothing but forward motion on the crown causing undue stress. But that is OCD kicking in.

degminsec · Dec 17, 2017

Archer
I do see a good number of watches come in with broken mainsprings (not just Speedmasters), but one common denominator with those watches is that they are well past the point where they should have already had a service typically. It's rare in my experience that a Speedmaster has a broken mainspring in say the first 5 years after it was produced and sold, or after a new spring was installed at service.l

Does that mean I should service the Speedmaster Professional in about 5 years if I just bought it new? Does the amount you wear it/use it (which correlates with the amount it sits in an unwound state) affect that recommended time before first service?

Foo2rama · Dec 17, 2017

degminsec
Does that mean I should service the Speedmaster Professional in about 5 years if I just bought it new? Does the amount you wear it/use it (which correlates with the amount it sits in an unwound state) affect that recommended time before first service?

5 years regardless of use is recommended.

taxico · Dec 18, 2017

i'm gonna go against the grain and say 7 years for the speedy pro - but don't go near the pool without a regular WR test after the first few years.

i just got a brand new speedy pro for daily wear (my 4th speedy but it will be my first new one from the store) and i intend to use it until it breaks/stops keeping time, then send it into OSC.

with the experience through the last few watches i sent to them, it made no difference to OSC what broken/unbroken state the watches were in when i sent them in - the cost to overhaul (and end result) will still be the same.

padders · Dec 18, 2017

I tend to work on about 7-8 years between services. Or less if my timing machine shows any significant irregularity which it usually doesn’t. None of my watches gets a lot of continuous use or ever immersed in water though so what works for me may not work for you. I have never experienced a broken main spring on any of the watches which have had at least one service in my care.

dan7800 · Dec 18, 2017

It's on a different forum (hopefully I'm allowed to post the link), but Archer made a great post about servicing Speedmasters

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f20/how-often-service-watch-watchmakers-view-789280.html

One of his great points is that just because the watch keeps time, doesn't mean it does not need to be serviced.

maxymax · Dec 21, 2017

Great tips! Mine is on the honey OEM calf and deploy. Question to the expert - My caliber 1866 is literally brand new. Is it normal for the crown to spring back while winding? It just makes it more confusing when to stop with this spring back... Thank you all in advance!

raynaldo · Mar 12, 2018

Greetings all, thought I would pour my quick thought here to get an answer from all you pros.

I’ve just bought an omega speedmaster professional moonwatch (hesalite) on a bracelet and recently purchased an aftermarket calf leather strap with tang buckle.

Story short, because I was afraid to change the strap myself, I brought it to an Omega boutique in where the staff there changed it for me.

Because the spring bars that came from the bracelet is too thick (the holes on the aftermarket strap is quite small), they have to use the aftermarket one which came with the strap. What do you think about this? Is it okay to use aftermarket spring bars with aftermarket leather strap?

My main concern is that the watch will fall off my wrist unexpectedly but it seems to be holding itself firmly as of now

Thank you 😀

A pic for the lengthy read

USDKH123 · Mar 12, 2018

As a new Speedy owner myself, all this is very appreciated. In no time we’ll all be experts!!

GordonL · Mar 12, 2018

Lowflight
When I wind, I use a back and forward motion an Omega rep suggested to me back in the 90's. Keeps years and years of nothing but forward motion on the crown causing undue stress. But that is OCD kicking in.

I have wondered about this. Is it more sensible to do this rather than just the "standard" forward motion?

@Archer ?

Archer · Mar 12, 2018

GordonL
I have wondered about this. Is it more sensible to do this rather than just the "standard" forward motion?

@Archer ?

The forward (clockwise) motion of the crown is the only one that winds the watch. Turning the crown backwards will not cause any damage, but doesn't provide any sort of benefit either. You will here a clicking sound as you turn the crown backwards, but that is the wolf's teeth on the winding and sliding pinion sliding past each other.

It's really personal preference to go forward only, or back and forth - I always wind forward only.

Cheers, Al

Archer · Mar 12, 2018

raynaldo
Greetings all, thought I would pour my quick thought here to get an answer from all you pros.

I’ve just bought an omega speedmaster professional moonwatch (hesalite) on a bracelet and recently purchased an aftermarket calf leather strap with tang buckle.

Story short, because I was afraid to change the strap myself, I brought it to an Omega boutique in where the staff there changed it for me.

Because the spring bars that came from the bracelet is too thick (the holes on the aftermarket strap is quite small), they have to use the aftermarket one which came with the strap. What do you think about this? Is it okay to use aftermarket spring bars with aftermarket leather strap?

My main concern is that the watch will fall off my wrist unexpectedly but it seems to be holding itself firmly as of now

Thank you 😀

A pic for the lengthy read

No pic seen...but what is the diameter of the spring bars you used? The regular bars are 1.8 mm, so were these 1.5, or 1.3? Did the ends of these aftermarket bars fully fill the holes in the lugs?

Cheers, Al

Tips for New Speedmaster Pro Owner?

OMEGAX-33

Foo2rama

OMEGAX-33

Archer

mikesspeedy

Archer

Lowflight

degminsec

Foo2rama

taxico

padders

dan7800

maxymax

raynaldo

USDKH123

GordonL

Archer

Archer

Similar threads

Pumps/Springbars for new speedmaster

Leather straps for new speedmaster moon watch

Arrival Dates for New Speedmaster Models

Proud new Omega Speedmaster Pro owner

Looking Nato for my new Speedmaster Pro

Omega Speedmaster Pro Apollo XI 40th Anniversary Review