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Vintage parts and where to source them

B
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Hi Guys,
Just purchased a seamaster cosmic and a geneve
I'd like to get a genuine acrylic crystal for both as they have after markets crystals

Can anyone give me a push in the right direction to source genuine vintage omega parts ?

Thanks in advance

Bluebear62
 
Dan S
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eBay. Or contact a watchmaker with an Omega parts account. Omega doesn't sell parts to the public or resellers anymore.
 
B
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Dan S Dan S
eBay. Or contact a watchmaker with an Omega parts account. Omega doesn't sell parts to the public or resellers anymore.
Thanks Dan,
I appreciate your reply
 
X350 XJR
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Generally speaking correct generic crystals are just fine.

$10.00 vs $50-$100, really worth it?
 
B
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
Generally speaking correct generic crystals are just fine.

$10.00 vs $50-$100, really worth it?
So it seems, from my Internet searching, it is near impossible to find vintage parts

Thanks for your reply
 
X350 XJR
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Omega (Swatch Group) stopped selling parts on the open market in 2015 so the parts that were out there prior to this will continue to become scarcer and scarcer and more expensive.
 
rendo
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B Bluebear62
So it seems, from my Internet searching, it is near impossible to find vintage parts

Thanks for your reply
Not impossible, but it depends on the part. Original Omega crystals are harder to find depending on the model, and they are almost always overpriced. Balance completes are not easy to find at reasonable prices. You should be able to find everything else as NOS or used on eBay. Buying a donor watch / movement is also an option, but you may end up spending more if all you need is a single part out of it.
 
jjen
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
Generally speaking correct generic crystals are just fine.

$10.00 vs $50-$100, really worth it?

But but but, tiny omega logo in the center??? 🤔
 
sheepdoll
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rendo rendo
Not impossible, but it depends on the part. Original Omega crystals are harder to find depending on the model, and they are almost always overpriced. Balance completes are not easy to find at reasonable prices. You should be able to find everything else as NOS or used on eBay. Buying a donor watch / movement is also an option, but you may end up spending more if all you need is a single part out of it.

Donor watches are seductive. You can never stop at just one, and there is always a missing part. Sometimes the donor is as nice or even nicer in ways that the patient. One watch becomes two, two watches become four, and before long there are rabbits. (mice or rats) everywhere.

Balance completes, save time. I have old staff assortments. Hairsprings remain the bane of watchmaking. Regulator pins are frustration incarnate. Roller table jewels fall out. High proof alcohol is banned in this state, so burnt shellac become a dwindling resource.

A lot of it becomes a waiting game. Then when the part does come it gets set aside, as the current missing part is more seductive and desirable.
 
B
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sheepdoll sheepdoll
Donor watches are seductive. You can never stop at just one, and there is always a missing part. Sometimes the donor is as nice or even nicer in ways that the patient. One watch becomes two, two watches become four, and before long there are rabbits. (mice or rats) everywhere.

Balance completes, save time. I have old staff assortments. Hairsprings remain the bane of watchmaking. Regulator pins are frustration incarnate. Roller table jewels fall out. High proof alcohol is banned in this state, so burnt shellac become a dwindling resource.

A lot of it becomes a waiting game. Then when the part does come it gets set aside, as the current missing part is more seductive and desirable.
Sounds just like a dog chasing his tail, a never ending story of horology sending you mad....

Thanks for all your replies

These are my 2 vintage omegas, as my first Omegas, l don't think l've done too bad with the look and movements
 
Screenshot_20240121_180144_eBay.jpg Screenshot_20240122_081306_eBay.jpg
Brett2444
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The donor watch part is real I have quite a few movements for 550/565 parts now haha.
I also just went down the road of getting a new crystal for my cosmic, I ended up getting the generic crystal, at the end of the day for me the watch was not going to be collector quality and I was just bringing it back to life so a generic crystal works for me.
 
DON
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If you know the reference numbers on your watches. You can email parts suppliers and see if they have in stock

Otto Frei, Jules Borel or in Toronto. H. W. Perrins

I only used genuine if the watch was extra special or in original and 8 - 10/10 condition

Otherwise I just used a generic crystal. At the time. $32.00 vs. $10.00 Canadian installed
 
Dash1
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If you can find the part number for the crystal you need then search eBay you’ll often find reasonably priced genuine crystals.
 
Brett2444
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That all depends on location too, being in Australia most genuine crystals I buy on ebay end up having postage worth more than the crystal.
 
gbesq
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The OEM vs generic crystal debate really comes down to fit because the crystal is an integral part of the waterproofing system. While no vintage watch should be exposed to water, it's almost impossible not to expose the watch to humidity unless you either live in the desert or only wear the watch indoors in a temperature/humidity regulated environment. I generally don't think that an OEM crystal is worth the extra money (although who doesn't like the tiny etched Omega logo?), but on a valuable vintage watch I would probably go with an OEM crystal unless I was sure that the generic equivalent would have a very good seal.
 
B
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gbesq gbesq
The OEM vs generic crystal debate really comes down to fit because the crystal is an integral part of the waterproofing system. While no vintage watch should be exposed to water, it's almost impossible not to expose the watch to humidity unless you either live in the desert or only wear the watch indoors in a temperature/humidity regulated environment. I generally don't think that an OEM crystal is worth the extra money (although who doesn't like the tiny etched Omega logo?), but on a valuable vintage watch I would probably go with an OEM crystal unless I was sure that the generic equivalent would have a very good seal.
I suppose it all comes down to personal preference and the availability of vintage parts
 
B
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rendo rendo
Not impossible, but it depends on the part. Original Omega crystals are harder to find depending on the model, and they are almost always overpriced. Balance completes are not easy to find at reasonable prices. You should be able to find everything else as NOS or used on eBay. Buying a donor watch / movement is also an option, but you may end up spending more if all you need is a single part out of
B Bluebear62
Thanks
Found a crystal on ebay £142 it is the correct part number pz5123, however confusing its not for my cal which is 565.......l have ordered a generic crystal in the meantime, l hope you don't mind me asking, l think l need a replacement crown and stem, the one that came with the watch clicks in, but pulls out too easily, l don't think it is the right stem or crown, the crown has BF and the number 6 on the bottom inside. I'm trying to find out the omega part number for the crown and stem ?

Thanks again for your help
 
rendo
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You find the crystal based on the case reference, not the movement caliber. That's the same with the crown and the stem. Do you have that number? It should be something like 166.050.

£142 is a crazy amount for the original crystal in my opinion. I don't know much about cosmics, but it makes sense to me how it would be hard to find new crystals for them. Because these models are front-loaded, the only way to access the movement is by removing the crystal. People easily mess up the crystal while doing that, which I have seen with many cosmic models sold on eBay in the past. You can tell by the cracks around the crystal.

How are you thinking of replacing the crystal? You will need a crystal lift tool like the Bergeon 6400.

If the stem issue you described is with the cosmic, that one should have a split stem. It's hard to tell without seeing (and I'm not an expert either), but the issue you described does not necessarily mean that you need a new crown and a stem. It could be the connection point of the two parts of the stem, but I'm just speculating here. You could reuse your current crown with a new stem, if that's where the issue is.

You might want to take the watch to a watchmaker to have them figure it out for you. If they have an Omega parts account, they might be able to get the crystal at a more reasonable price from Omega as well.
 
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