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Vintage Mark ii - How hard should it be to wind?

DSotW
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Hi everyone,

Well.. my father passed away back in January. Still not over the shock, nor had the time to mourn properly (have had to help my mother ever since it happened).

I inherited his Omega SpeedMaster Mark ii, which he purchased new back in 1969. I do not know if it was recently serviced, nor when it was last.

All I know is that when winding it up, it's sort of difficult to wind the crown, but not impossible, there is just some feeling of smooth resistance, meaning it is not fluid / easy to wind like any of my serviced Zeniths or my SpeedMaster Day/Date.

Is that normal for older Omega movements? Or should I send it for a service ?

Thanks....
 
YY77
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Sorry for your loss.

Winding a manual handwound is always more difficult/resistance and resulting in a hard stop in comparison to an automatic movement, but if you don't know when it was last serviced maybe that should be done just to be safe.
 
Evitzee
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I have a 51 yo Mark II from new, and just had it serviced two years ago at Nesbit's in Seattle. It was always a fairly stiff watch to wind, and even after its overhaul it's a stiff winder compared to my other Speedmasters watches, it's just the way it is.
 
DSotW
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YY77 YY77
Sorry for your loss.

Winding a manual handwound is always more difficult/resistance and resulting in a hard stop in comparison to an automatic movement, but if you don't know when it was last serviced maybe that should be done just to be safe.

Thanks. I do appreciate it.
 
DSotW
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Evitzee Evitzee
I have a 51 yo Mark II from new, and just had it serviced two years ago at Nesbit's in Seattle. It was always a fairly stiff watch to wind, and even after its overhaul it's a stiff winder compared to my other Speedmasters watches, it's just the way it is.

Thanks, I forgot to mention that it seems to have at least been cleaned since I last saw it (20 years ago). It used to be covered in little specs of paint, and there is no trace of and build-up in/under the clasp of the bracelet.
 
S
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DSotW DSotW
Hi everyone,

Well.. my father passed away back in January. Still not over the shock, nor had the time to mourn properly (have had to help my mother ever since it happened).

I inherited his Omega SpeedMaster Mark ii, which he purchased new back in 1969. I do not know if it was recently serviced, nor when it was last.

All I know is that when winding it up, it's sort of difficult to wind the crown, but not impossible, there is just some feeling of smooth resistance, meaning it is not fluid / easy to wind like any of my serviced Zeniths or my SpeedMaster Day/Date.

Is that normal for older Omega movements? Or should I send it for a service ?

Thanks....
Does the crown spin backwards a little bit when you wind it?
 
Ascalon
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My Mark II was fully rebuilt with all new seals and it isn't hard to wind at all. Comparing it to various 7750s, and a few others, like a Seagull ST1902, it feels fairly easy to wind.

If you are getting significant resistance, I'd get it checked out.

The II does have a higher water resistance than the moon watch, but it still shouldn't be that hard to wind.
 
Fish70
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I have a 55 year old MKII that was also serviced at Nesbit's in the last couple of years. It was harder to wind when I first got it back (I assume because of new seals but now it is easier. It does get harder the closer it gets to fully wound and I also have a bit of arthritis in my hands these days. This thread needs photos.

20230828_084814.jpg
 
DSotW
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Ascalon Ascalon
My Mark II was fully rebuilt with all new seals and it isn't hard to wind at all. Comparing it to various 7750s, and a few others, like a Seagull ST1902, it feels fairly easy to wind.

If you are getting significant resistance, I'd get it checked out.

The II does have a higher water resistance than the moon watch, but it still shouldn't be that hard to wind.

Thank you, this is what I needed to know. It will be sent for a service.
 
DSotW
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Sorry for taking so much time to come back with a photo.. Here is my late father's 1969 Speedmaster Mark ii on my wrist. Still haven't gotten over the loss. I think of him every time I wear the watch, which sadly is not as often as I would like.

1771842151388.webp
 
JimInOz
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Nice looking Mkii.

How does it wind after the service?
 
DSotW
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JimInOz JimInOz
Nice looking Mkii.

How does it wind after the service?
Sadly, I have not had time to get it serviced yet (hence why I do not wear it so often).

The one specialist I trust has a backlog of two years. My slot is coming up soon.
 
R
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Wear it in health and think of your father.

My dad passed 20 years ago. His daily watch was a gold tone constellation day date which I also waited a long time in line to get overhauled. I wear it every month or so and really enjoy the connection with my Dad. May you also find that joy after the sting wears off a bit. You will have people notice the watch and it’s a great way to get a story or two from those who knew your Dad.

And FWIW I also have a Mark II with a grey dial and wear it frequently. One of my favorites. It wears incredibly well.
 
DSotW
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@Rhinoww & @amuscare87

Thanks guys. That is what I intend to do. I remember when I was a child (10 years old) playing with it. He had quite some success in life at that point and purchased a Rolex Datejust for himself and a ladies version for my mother.

After that, the Speedmaster was religated to the desk drawer and almost never worn (he told me once he tried to have it serviced and it came back in worse time-keeping condition then when he sent it in). He used it while painting the inside of the house, mowing the lawn etc. There used to be little specs of paint in-between the links and on the case. Those are no longer present. So maybe he had it serviced since then? They did not restore / refinish the case, only cleaned it.

The couple of times I have worn it, the crown is easier to turn, and it keeps perfect time. But to be safe, I am going to have it serviced.
 
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