Watchmaker that service vintage Omega quartz movements

[FargoGeek]

I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for watchmakers that have experience with vintage Omega quartz movements from the 1970-1980s? I have an old DeVille quartz (192.0028) that is working great but probably has not been serviced since it left the factory 50-years ago!. These old quartz movement are as much mechanical as they are electrical. No watchmaker in my area will touch them.

I found a few placed online but I would trust recommendations from collectors more. My DeVille is not really worth enough to justify sending it to Omega.

My watch specifically has a Cal. 1325, which is a 15-jewel quartz movement. I actually picked it up on a steal of a deal thinking I would flip it to help me save up for a Speedmaster...but it is just too damn cool to let go.

 

[Jones in LA]

If you don't mind, I'd like to join your query. Omega will not accept this watch for service either, due to a lack of replacement parts.

 

[Archer]

FargoGeek

My watch specifically has a Cal. 1325, which is a 15-jewel quartz movement.

Two very important parts for this movement are no longer available - the motor and the circuit. So if either of those are the problem, you are out of luck. Your watchmaker would have to try to find these parts on the open market, and hope they are good when he buys them. This is why people aren't really interest in fixing these.

You could always send it to Omega...but that will cut into your profits certainly.

 

[Foo2rama]

Swiss time services in the UK I thought did these.

this might have changed but contacting them might not hurt.

 

[FargoGeek]

Archer

Two very important parts for this movement are no longer available - the motor and the circuit. So if either of those are the problem, you are out of luck. Your watchmaker would have to try to find these parts on the open market, and hope they are good when he buys them. This is why people aren't really interest in fixing these.

You could always send it to Omega...but that will cut into your profits certainly.

I don't plan on selling it and it is running just fine. I was just looking for a standard service. I don't think any parts need to be replaced.

 

[lucian23]

FargoGeek

I don't plan on selling it and it is running just fine

If the watch is running ok i think for a general clean you can also try to a local watchamaker with some good reputation.

 

[Spruce]

The Croydon Service Centre in Greater London was recommended to me and were happy to help with my cal 1250 Constellation.

 

[tyrantlizardrex]

Foo2rama

Swiss time services in the UK I thought did these.

this might have changed but contacting them might not hurt.

A lot of the earlier Omega Quartz models, STS do not service, as @Archer points out, some of the parts are NLA.

Talking with Tony a while back, as they have to warranty anything they work on, even if they don’t touch a major component that’s NLA and it fails under the warranty, they are on the hook for it. So the consequence there is that they don’t work on them.

 

[webvan]

For a general service (and you could always ask for parts if need be) I can recommend Ludmil in Bulgaria, been using his services for 10 years now for vintage quartz and tuning fork watches and he's always delivered. In fact I just got back the watch in my avatar after it developed a "sticky" second hand.

 

[bikerfox]

reminds me of owners of model "t" vehicles, even older than most of these watches, ex. there's an ardent following for these cars and lots of parts support. i thought i read that there are some watchmakers who can make needed parts. maybe even using a 3-d printer.

 

[tyrantlizardrex]

bikerfox

reminds me of owners of model "t" vehicles, even older than most of these watches, ex. there's an ardent following for these cars and lots of parts support. i thought i read that there are some watchmakers who can make needed parts. maybe even using a 3-d printer.

Making parts for mechanisms (big and small) is one thing. Making complex micro circuitry another.

 

[sheepdoll]

tyrantlizardrex

Making parts for mechanisms (big and small) is one thing. Making complex micro circuitry another.

Not really. I got some sample chips years ago which are small enough. These use the same AVR family that is is the popular Arduino and used in the Lego stuff (I think it is called mindstorm.)

I was going to hack some cameras using this tech, before I got re interested in my (mostly) mechanical watches. Years ago I was able to get some bare glass displays to work. The Mfg was selling a kit to show off how LCDs are programmed. There were some articles in the magazines what showed how this could be done with any micro.

I was a bit dissapointed when I did take a decent quartz watch in. That they did not rebuild the modual. (that is part of what re-interested me in my watches.) This probably has to do with the economics of time vs profiability.

I did buy 1.37 Lbs of assorted chronographs from goodwill to play with. I also got three decent Heuers for experiments as well. I also have most if not all the issues of the British Horological Journal from the 1960s through 1980s. There are lots of articles on electric and electronic watches.

I should however, be using this tech to come up with some test routines for pipe organ controllers. Which is a really limited market. By the time I get the stuff figured out, the world has moved on to something else and the old guys to old or dead to care.

On the other hand controlling motors and back EMF is fairly well understood. Does however require understanding the impedance, which makes the simple hardware store tester (which use a 9vold battery) to powerfult to measure the coil resistance (also known as impedance.)

In a lot of ways I am surprised there are not others hacking about with watch servo motors. Guess playing around with the model airplain/car servos is more exciting. Camera focus, aperture and shutter servos not so much.

 

[tyrantlizardrex]

It really is another thing.

People are willing to pay watchmakers to restore expensive mechanics watches and make new parts if none are available in the word of high end Horology.

No one is going to pay a watchmaker what it would cost to have electronic components custom made or modified to repair a £300 Quartz omega.

A Megaquartz is a different matter… but those in the know have been trying to source alternate options and as of today I am told that they do not exist.

 

[sheepdoll]

tyrantlizardrex

It really is another thing.

...

No one is going to pay a watchmaker what it would cost to have electronic components custom made or modified to repair a £300 Quartz omega.
...

Yet the watches are still being offered online for £300 or 350USD. Probably because they do use somewhat standard ETA movements.

Custom silicon is actually quite cheap. The packaging is a bit awkward as most is standardized into fairly large cases. Most chip design is software these days.

The Megaquartz is a bit different. I have not found a scrap one yet to play with, although I do keep a weather eye out for one. What I would really like to find is one of those analog/LCD hybrids with the curved LCD displays.

Check out the work of Jerri Ellsworth. Woz introduced me to her. She actually managed to make an integrated circuit in her garage. Most of her work relates to pinball machines and computer games. (which I have no interest in.)

Before the pandemic the maker movement was going strong. There is actually a generation of kids who understand and have grown up this stuff. It becomes access to the materials and the information. Would that I have had the information now back in the 1990s. Of course a lot of this is brand and trade secrets.

The basic fundamentals are quite simple. Eventually someone is going to do this...

 

[Omegafanman]

Foo2rama

Swiss time services in the UK I thought did these.

this might have changed but contacting them might not hurt.

I think they have stopped taking them for service as the parts ran out. Still worth talking to them on a specific issue. Simon Freese (ex Swiss time) was also very good on these and might have more leeway to experiment and find aftermarket solutions. On a positive they seem to be very robust. Mine had run years without a service when I bought it and it did not need much work when it had a full service. I am hoping that has set it up for another 40 years ;0). I am due to see Swiss time this month so might ask what the situation is.

 

[sirtaifun]

FargoGeek

I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for watchmakers

I recommend my watchmaker:
https://www.uhrmacher-gries.de/
Even though he is located in Germany he will accept watches shipped in from civilized countrys
In fact he serviced numerous of my electrical watches the only thing is that they must run and he dont do hummers.

 

[Omegafanman]

So, I did pop in on STS (Swiss Time Services) and saw Tony. I think they would be willing to look at a Megaquartz but some key parts are obsolete so you have to accept the risks and limitations that go with that if anything breaks. I also found out Tony has sold STS (it is on their website so no secret). The team are all still there / same service levels. If anything, they are increasing the staff. The workshop manager Kieren is also doing a grand job. Tony has stayed on for a while to help the process although on reduced hours. Given, like all of us Tony is not getting any younger it looks to be a smart move. It gives him and his wife an exit plan and secures the business with a good investor who does not want to change the core services. I was lucky enough to see one of his French Navy Marine Chromoneter clocks which were at the time of production the most accurate portable autonomous clocks in the world (second only to an atomic clock) and running on a couple of AA batteries. You can change them one at a time without impacting the time- amazing stuff which also showed where the inspiration for my Marine Chronometer Omega wrist watch box came from. Tony was sporting a nice standard Quartz Seamaster in keeping with the theme. A few pictures below which includes the sales announcement.
.

 

[webvan]

Thanks for sharing, I have fond memories of my two stops at STS in 2012 and 2013 and of my discussions with Tony !

 

[TedT]

FargoGeek

I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for watchmakers that have experience with vintage Omega quartz movements from the 1970-1980s? I have an old DeVille quartz (192.0028) that is working great but probably has not been serviced since it left the factory 50-years ago!. These old quartz movement are as much mechanical as they are electrical. No watchmaker in my area will touch them.

I found a few placed online but I would trust recommendations from collectors more. My DeVille is not really worth enough to justify sending it to Omega.

My watch specifically has a Cal. 1325, which is a 15-jewel quartz movement. I actually picked it up on a steal of a deal thinking I would flip it to help me save up for a Speedmaster...but it is just too damn cool to let go.

 

[TedT]

Try Nesbit’s fine watch repair in Seattle, WA. You can email [email protected] with some details and she may be able to help you.

On a side note, I have a 1985 18K gold DeVille quartz. I don’t wear it very often and wondering if it will harm the movement to only run it when wearing. Which will be a couple times a month.