Trusted watchmaker for Speedmaster Pro in Southwestern Ontario or near Detroit Michigan

gostang9 · Aug 15, 2016

I want a dial and hands replacemen (ie: modification) on a brand new Omega Speedmaster Pro. I have all of the necessary parts in my posession and am looking for a local trusted watchmaker that you have personal experience with. I am not in any rush and will patiently wait until I someone reliable I can trust.

I have already asked a highly trusted certified Omega watchmaker on this forum but he will not do the modification as it would require removing the dial and hands that came with the watch for a different dial and hands that are not original to this reference (I fully understand and respect his position). I've also asked at the local AD and they understandbly take the same position.

Note: this is a one-time item for me and the end result is 100% intended for my own personal enjoyment. I live in Windsor and would prefer someone within a 2 hour driving radius as I'd like to meet the watchmaker face to face. I also work in Michigan and so could take it across the border if necessary, but this would not be my preference.

Thanks for any feedback...

gostang9 · Oct 15, 2016

Just to update this thread in case someone stumbles on it in the future from a search, I ended up going to Dion Zaniewski of Dions World of Watches in West Bloomfield Michigan [Phone +1 (248) 539-1181] . I bought my first two mechanical watches from him (Hamilton Jazzmaster and Tissot Visodate) and his name came up on a list of AWCI watchmakers that @Archer

efauser
Try searching with the link. @Archer recommended it to me to find a qualified watchmaker. The search I linked to is just vintage Omega in the US. You can narrow it down. https://members.awci.com/AWCIWEB/AWCISearch/MemberSearch.aspx?ContactID_CurrentUser=-1&SearchDate=8/21/2016 3:49 PM&tbSearchKeyword=vintage omega&ddlCountry=United States&SearchResultMatchingTechnique=1&DisplaySearchResults=1

I asked @Archer some further questions about AWCI certification and he was nice enough to give plenty of additional insight:

gostang9
Can you give a litter more insight into what an AWCI certification does mean?
1. Approximately how much training or testing would a typical watchmaker have completed if they are certified as such?
2. Is there another Omega recognized certification and a searchable database related to it?
3. I know certification in and of itself is never a guarantee of anything, but is it reasonable to expect that someone certified to AWCI should be "capable" to perform many service items on an Omega timepiece? (Aside from anything requiring replacement of genuine Omega parts - since lack of parts account might then be difficult or impossible)

As you know, I've been searching for someone and no one has been recommended. I do know a watchmaker from Michigan from whom I've purchased several watches in the past. I checked the database and it turns out he is listed as having the AWCI certification.

Archer
I'll answer your questions the best I can:
Question 1 -
From the AWCI web site:
What is Certification?
Certification means a watch or clock repair specialist has proven to a board of professionals that he or she has the skills required to perform quality repairs on the materials for which they are certified. The 21st Century certification exam involves a stringent 3-day examination of 4 major areas on the technical aspects of watchmaking.

On What Subjects are Watchmakers Examined?
The 3-day Certification examination includes:

Taking a written exam covering a variety of theoretical subjects

Candidates must demonstrate their micromechanical abilities by using a lathe

Performing complete service on a quartz watch

Performing a complete service on an automatic chronograph watch

During the course of the examination, the candidate is required to operate a variety of industry-standard equipment to demonstrate the quality of the work they have completed. Candidates are assessed for their quality of work and their meticulous detail.

This is a shortened version of the exam, which used to be 4 days long, so 1/2 day for the written exam, then servicing a modern 3 hand ETA quartz movement, an ETA 2824-2 based automatic watch, and an ETA 7750 based chronograph, and replacing the balance staff on an ETA 6497-1 balance. They eliminated the 2824-2 watch, so now it's just servicing 2 watches, replacing the staff, and then the written exam.

There are no pre-requisites to taking the exam - if you think you can pass it, sign up, pay the money, and go take the exam. No formal training is required, so theoretically you could sign up and do this exam if you wanted. The movements are checked for timing, then disassembled and inspected at a later date, and you are given a pass/fail grade. If you pass, that's it, you are now certified.

This is very basic watchmaking in terms of the skills needed, and you will note that it's all on modern movements, so nothing related to the challenges of vintage work is addressed. As they clearly say above "has the skills required to perform quality repairs on the materials for which they are certified." They make no claims about the competency of the watchmaker on something other than what the test involves.

2 - As far as I know there is no database of Omega approved watchmakers...you could always ask Omega for that information though.

3 - The examination proves that you are capable of servicing a modern ETA Swiss lever escapement watch, and a modern quartz watch. Anything more specialized than that is not "proven" by such an exam. There is no real repair work here, other than cutting out a balance staff, installing a new one, and poising it, but it never gets timed so it's not a true test for a staff change IMO.

This exam does not cover anything that is brand specific, just generic ETA movements. So for example it does not touch at all on the requirements for servicing a co-axial escapement, so it would very much depend on what Omega you would be asking them to service. If it's an Speedmaster date auto with a 7750 based movement, then sure they should be fine. If it's a Cal. 3313 F. Piguet based movement with a co-axial escapement, then I would ask a lot of questions about their experience and training on that movement before handing one over. Even many people who are certified by Omega won't work on the F. Piguet based movements, at least from what the instructor at Swatch has told me.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Al