What would you do, OSC polished 3570.50 case

GadgetGuy88 · Aug 29, 2022

So, I dropped my 2014 era Speedy off at the Omega Boutique here in OC and specified "DO NOT POLISH." I learned just now that Omega polished it by mistake.

So the sales associate was very nice and offered to comp the service cost. I'll take a look at the watch tomorrow. He also suggested Omega could replace the case.

So what would you do, thinking of the long term? What's going to impact the value more, having a replacement case or having the case polished?

Thanks, folks!

PS...I'm going to do everything I can to suggest that a Snoopy is the best way to make amends.

bigtriangle68 · Aug 29, 2022

Get a replacement case and have them engrave the original serial number on it to preserve resale. Let them keep your old case (so they can destroy it) when you have them swap it out.

For the hassle and inconvenience of being without your watch due to them not following your directions, ask for further concessions beyond the case swap. Free leather strap or buckle? Discount at an Omega Boutique towards a future purchase?

Omegafanman · Aug 30, 2022

I think a new looking 3570.50.00 would sell better than a scratched one. If you can get a new case with the serial number go for it but try to keep the old case :0)
There are grades of polishing. I don’t see a light polish to restore a showroom look on a modern watch is an issue. If you remove metal and change the shape / loose definition that is a different matter. Unlikely on an early service from the manufacturer IMHO

Archer · Aug 30, 2022

New case would be appropriate.

padders · Aug 30, 2022

As @Omegafanman rightly says, this fixation with damage preservation aka patina doesn't make sense on a nearly new piece. It's hard to say where the break point is, but it is a lot earlier than 2014. The tritium change in 1997 maybe? Personally I'd be thanking them for doing you a favour since it presumably looks brand new and is now worth several hundred more than before. If you treasured each scratch and mark as a cherished memory that is unfortunate, but a new case isn't going to bring that back. Agreed they should have followed your instructions, but there are worse mistakes to have been made. I would keep it as it is but as suggested above, ask for a concession, a freebee like a clasp or whatever, then it's a win win. Actually I just realised that they are waiving the service cost, I'd leave it at that and enjoy your mint watch as if it were new.

Archer · Aug 30, 2022

padders
As @Omegafanman rightly says, this fixation with damage preservation aka patina doesn't make sense on a nearly new piece. It's hard to say where the break point is, but it is a lot earlier than 2014. The tritium change in 1997 maybe? Personally I'd be thanking them for doing you a favour since it presumably looks brand new and is now worth several hundred more than before. If you treasured each scratch and mark as a cherished memory that is unfortunate, but a new case isn't going to bring that back. Agreed they should have followed your instructions, but there are worse mistakes to have been made. I would keep it as it is but as suggested above, ask for a concession, a freebee like a clasp or whatever, then it's a win win. Actually I just realised that they are waiving the service cost, I'd leave it at that and enjoy your mint watch as if it were new.

I don't believe the OP even mentioned "damage preservation" or patina at all, so assuming this is the reason for not polishing is not a certainty.

To me, as someone who does this for a living, the principle is doing what the customer has asked. If you fail to do that, then you need to make it right for the customer. So the various biases that the pro or anti polish people would want to bring in here are mostly irrelevant to me.

padders · Aug 30, 2022

Archer
I don't believe the OP even mentioned "damage preservation" or patina at all, so assuming this is the reason for not polishing is not a certainty.

To me, as someone who does this for a living, the principle is doing what the customer has asked. If you fail to do that, then you need to make it right for the customer. So the various biases that the pro or anti polish people would want to bring in here are mostly irrelevant to me.

He did ask for an opinion on the 'impact on the value' did he not? Irrelevant to you perhaps, but I think this makes the value or otherwise of patina petinent, and worthy of discussion. Would you not agree that a factory polished case on a recent piece would have more value to an impartial market buyer (with no sentimental link) than a beaten up or even only lightly worn one? I understand your point and perhaps I put mine across clumsily but the fact remains, they have done him a favour if you look at it purely in follow on value terms. Not all patina is worth cherishing. It's not a question of bias, I am speaking quite objectively as far as I am aware.

I am assuming here that the result of the polish looks factory fresh and indistinguishable from new, if that isn't the result then maybe yes a new case is preferable. It can't be unpolished, but waiving the considerable service cost is a good step in the right direction.

Archer · Aug 30, 2022

padders
He did ask for an opinion on the 'impact on the value' did he not? Irrelevant to you perhaps, but I think this makes the value or otherwise of patina petinent, and worthy of discussion. Would you not agree that a factory polished case on a recent piece would have more value to an impartial market buyer (with no sentimental link) than a beaten up or even only lightly worn one? I understand your point and perhaps I put mine across clumsily but the fact remains, they have done him a favour if you look at it purely in follow on value terms. Not all patina is worth cherishing. It's not a question of bias, I am speaking quite objectively as far as I am aware.

I am assuming here that the result of the polish looks factory fresh and indistinguishable from new, if that isn't the result then maybe yes a new case is preferable. It can't be unpolished, but waiving the considerable service cost is a good step in the right direction.

Again, you keep focusing on patina for some reason. Polishing removes material, and can dull sharp edges. To me a polished case where that is evident is worth less than a crisp case that may have slight wear on it - the watch isn't that old.

To me, this isn't necessarily about "patina" at all...

padders · Aug 30, 2022

Archer
Again, you keep focusing on patina for some reason. Polishing removes material, and can dull sharp edges. To me a polished case where that is evident is worth less than a crisp case that may have slight wear on it - the watch isn't that old.

To me, this isn't necessarily about "patina" at all...

Read my second para, I think I covered that pretty well but if you want to me to concede that a new case is better than an obvious or second rate polish then I will do so gladly. Again.

Archer · Aug 30, 2022

padders
Read my second para, I think I covered that pretty well but if you want to me to concede that a new case is better than an obvious or second rate polish then I will do so gladly. Again.

All I'm trying to get across here, is that there are other reasons for not wanting a watch polished, other than the "patina" debate.

perks713 · Aug 30, 2022

Unless you're worried about someone 50 years down the road saying.... "I don't know, looks like a service case to me"... I'd opt for the new case.

arno · Aug 30, 2022

Archer
I don't believe the OP even mentioned "damage preservation" or patina at all, so assuming this is the reason for not polishing is not a certainty.

To me, as someone who does this for a living, the principle is doing what the customer has asked. If you fail to do that, then you need to make it right for the customer. So the various biases that the pro or anti polish people would want to bring in here are mostly irrelevant to me.

This, and this only

GadgetGuy88 · Aug 30, 2022

@Archer and @padders, I hope I did't cause any undo conflict in raising this question.

First, I don't have an emotional attachment to the patina. Second, I do care about the case appearing altered due to too much metal being polished off or the edges not looking right. I have a lovely 1997 Rolex GMT-II that I would love even more if the RSC hadn't been so aggressive on the crown guard during a second polishing. Lesson learned.

What I am curious about is whether having a replacement case installed is sort of creating a frankenwatch. Like my GMT-II now has a Superluminova dial... so my original question was sort of about a Hobson's choice question, perhaps...

I'll see the watch today. If I cannot tell that the watch's case has been reduced in matter then I'll probably accept it. Stay tuned!

Archer · Aug 30, 2022

Jakemeister1000
@Archer and @padders, I hope I did't cause any undo conflict in raising this question.

First, I don't have an emotional attachment to the patina. Second, I do care about the case appearing altered due to too much metal being polished off or the edges not looking right. I have a lovely 1997 Rolex GMT-II that I would love even more if the RSC hadn't been so aggressive on the crown guard during a second polishing. Lesson learned.

What I am curious about is whether having a replacement case installed is sort of creating a frankenwatch. Like my GMT-II now has a Superluminova dial... so my original question was sort of about a Hobson's choice question, perhaps...

I'll see the watch today. If I cannot tell that the watch's case has been reduced in matter then I'll probably accept it. Stay tuned!

Pay close attention to the transitions between the brushed and polished surfaces. The lines should be very crisp - if needed, use a new Speedmaster they have for comparison.

GadgetGuy88 · Aug 30, 2022

Archer
Pay close attention to the transitions between the brushed and polished surfaces. The lines should be very crisp - if needed, use a new Speedmaster they have for comparison.

I did exactly as you said and used their loupe. The edges were definitely a little softer compared to a new one. It wasn't horribly done, not a disaster, but the edges were not what they ought to be.

The Costa Mesa staff were very professional. They are going to have a new case made with the correct serial number. Timing? They guessed a couple of months.

Thanks, again!

Scarecrow Boat · Aug 30, 2022

Jakemeister1000
The Costa Mesa staff were very professional.

This used to be my local boutique and they have always been wonderful to work with and very helpful. I know a few other members on here that speak very highly of them as well. Even now that I live up in NorCal, they are still the boutique I choose to work with. 👍

Omegafanman · Aug 31, 2022

Archer
All I'm trying to get across here, is that there are other reasons for not wanting a watch polished, other than the "patina" debate.

When doctors get it wrong (well there are human) people do die..... how do they make it right? - stuff them and send them back in an armchair? The case has been polished and it cant be unpolished. A new case is a new case - it wont replace the lost unique original.
I have sometimes had a light sympathetic polish on a vintage watch by an expert to remove hairline marks. Unless you have an electron microscope I dont think anyone would notice a loss of material and the improvement in its appearance was marked. I get the edges (did people say the 3861 was too sharp a while back) and the contrast polishing.
Other than failing to follow his instructions perhaps the OP can explain what damages have been done to him / his watch as a result of the error. That might help settle things. If I am sending a modern watch to an OEM for a service and paying top dollar I am happy if it comes back minty provided they dont use a grinder.
Long story short I would take a free service over a new case (but will take a new case as well if offered). Assuming the work has been done to Omega standard.
The worry from all this is the implication a modern steel watch can never be polished or the edges will go soft. 99% of OEM full services include a light polish - how to close that loop? There are going to be a lot of crappy looking watches around.

Archer · Aug 31, 2022

Omegafanman
When doctors get it wrong (well there are human) people do die..... how do they make it right? - stuff them and send them back in an armchair? The case has been polished and it cant be unpolished. A new case is a new case - it wont replace the lost unique original.
I have sometimes had a light sympathetic polish on a vintage watch by an expert to remove hairline marks. Unless you have an electron microscope I dont think anyone would notice a loss of material and the improvement in its appearance was marked. I get the edges (did people say the 3861 was too sharp a while back) and the contrast polishing.
Other than failing to follow his instructions perhaps the OP can explain what damages have been done to him / his watch as a result of the error. That might help settle things. If I am sending a modern watch to an OEM for a service and paying top dollar I am happy if it comes back minty provided they dont use a grinder.
Long story short I would take a free service over a new case (but will take a new case as well if offered). Assuming the work has been done to Omega standard.
The worry from all this is the implication a modern steel watch can never be polished or the edges will go soft. 99% of OEM full services include a light polish - how to close that loop? There are going to be a lot of crappy looking watches around.

I feel that if people don't understand this by now, trying to explain it further is rather futile. Comparisons to doctors killing patients and sharp edges on other models is proof of that.

Right now there's a thread on WUS where someone sent a vintage Speedmaster Mk II to Omega. The dial and hands were changed to new replacements, and I asked if they approved or asked for that to happen. The answer was no, he just asked for a standard service and it just came back that way.

In this case, a specific request not to polish was ignored. Whether or not you would be happy with this is irrelevant. Saying that they did him a favour, by ignoring his request, is nonsense.

The OP doesn't owe anyone here any explanations of the "damages" done - he should be able to get the service he asked for and nothing more. The fact that many people accept something less than that, doesn't make it right.

A customer dropped off a 2010 Speedmaster to me this week for service (broken mainspring). It was a gift from his grandmother and has been worn daily. He asked in emails and several times in person that I not polish it. I don't care why - it's none of my business, but my default is not to assume people want this, so they must ask for it (and pay for it) separately if they want it done.

Regardless of all the arguments people are itching to have over polishing, that really isn't the point - it's about customer service.

Omegafanman · Aug 31, 2022

Archer
I feel that if people don't understand this by now, trying to explain it further is rather futile. Comparisons to doctors killing patients and sharp edges on other models is proof of that.

Right now there's a thread on WUS where someone sent a vintage Speedmaster Mk II to Omega. The dial and hands were changed to new replacements, and I asked if they approved or asked for that to happen. The answer was no, he just asked for a standard service and it just came back that way.

In this case, a specific request not to polish was ignored. Whether or not you would be happy with this is irrelevant. Saying that they did him a favour, by ignoring his request, is nonsense.

The OP doesn't owe anyone here any explanations of the "damages" done - he should be able to get the service he asked for and nothing more. The fact that many people accept something less than that, doesn't make it right.

A customer dropped off a 2010 Speedmaster to me this week for service (broken mainspring). It was a gift from his grandmother and has been worn daily. He asked in emails and several times in person that I not polish it. I don't care why - it's none of my business, but my default is not to assume people want this, so they must ask for it (and pay for it) separately if they want it done.

Regardless of all the arguments people are itching to have over polishing, that really isn't the point - it's about customer service.

By understand do you actually mean fail to fully agree with all your points ;0)
Also at no point did I say that did the OP a favour.

Adding a bit more to the futility, my concern is that some people new to more prestige mechanical watches are already a bit paranoid - how to wind it, how to clean it, when to service it, what to do when I scratch it, can I pee with it etc etc. We all see the threads. For sure it is 1000 times more complex with vintage for very justified reasons - especially around service and polishing.
We have a situation here were Omega polished a new (well 7 year old watch) against instructions. It now also appears we are saying Omega are unable to polish a modern watch without dulling the edges.
I just think in most cases with a modern Omega watch you are fine to send it to Omega. They will return it in as new condition, including a light polish to remove fine marks and restore the correct factory finish. In my experience they also return all the replaced parts to you. I also bet an Omega serviced and polished 3570.50.00 will sell quicker and for more money compared to an unpolished worn one with marks.

They did fail to follow an instruction and in that instance a free service and a new case seems very fair. I just don’t want average punters reading this thinking they need to forgo a polish for the manufacturer on a modern watch (especially the first few times)

Archer · Aug 31, 2022

Omegafanman
By understand do you actually mean fail to fully agree with all your points ;0)
Also at no point did I say that did the OP a favour.

Adding a bit more to the futility, my concern is that some people new to more prestige mechanical watches are already a bit paranoid - how to wind it, how to clean it, when to service it, what to do when I scratch it, can I pee with it etc etc. We all see the threads. For sure it is 1000 times more complex with vintage for very justified reasons - especially around service and polishing.
We have a situation here were Omega polished a new (well 7 year old watch) against instructions. It now also appears we are saying Omega are unable to polish a modern watch without dulling the edges.
I just think in most cases with a modern Omega watch you are fine to send it to Omega. They will return it in as new condition, including a light polish to remove fine marks and restore the correct factory finish. In my experience they also return all the replaced parts to you. I also bet an Omega serviced and polished 3570.50.00 will sell quicker and for more money compared to an unpolished worn one with marks.

They did fail to follow an instruction and in that instance a free service and a new case seems very fair. I just don’t want average punters reading this thinking they need to forgo a polish for the manufacturer on a modern watch (especially the first few times)

The only thing I really want people to agree with, is to let people make their own decisions for their own reasons. If is something you find unacceptable, so be it.

Not sure how I can make it any clearer - this really isn't about polishing...it's about holding companies accountable for what they do.

I didn't say that you said they did him a favour - that was someone else.

The quality of polishing from Omega varies widely (I have seen some truly awful examples), and in this case they did "dull" the edges.

What "average punters" feel they need to do or not do really isn't yours to decide. It's interesting that people who decry the group think surrounding polishing, push back with their own form of group think when it comes to modern watches (that will some day be vintage).

Let people decide what they want for their own reasons.

What would you do, OSC polished 3570.50 case

GadgetGuy88

bigtriangle68

Omegafanman

Archer

padders

Archer

padders

Archer

padders

Archer

perks713

arno

GadgetGuy88

Archer

GadgetGuy88

Scarecrow Boat

Omegafanman

Archer

Omegafanman

Archer

Similar threads

What would you do?

1976 birth year Omega...what would you go for?

What would you do?

What would you pay?

How would you do this (a customization query)

Omega Geneve f300 - what would you do?