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Will Omega Switzerland refinish or recond a bad dial?

  1. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 3, 2012

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    Kindly advise, whether Omega Switzerland will refinish or recondition a dial that is either damaged or had been badly refinished, before. If they do, how long will they take and has anyone had the experience of sending one to them? Any examples of work done by them, please.

    Thank you.
     
  2. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 3, 2012

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    Interesting question, from what I've seen, when people send vintage pieces with wrecked dials to Omega Bienne, they offer a direct replacement, brand new rather than refinishing. They have everything fro
    Pie-Pan constellation dials to 1967 Seamaster 300 dials like the NOS one I have on my SM300
     
  3. ulackfocus Jan 3, 2012

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    Ashley has it - Omega will replace with whatever dial they have that fits the size & style. It's not always correct to original though. I've seen their work and while it does make the watch look new, it is not 100% like the watch was when it rolled out of the factory. Hand lengths are incorrect but the same style, different crowns are used even though the crown might have been used on that same line of watches during it's run, etc. I would find a professional that can source correct parts and see what they can do. The biggest problem is finding decent pie pan dial replacements.
     
  4. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 3, 2012

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    dsio


    Thanks for your response.

    Will the NOS dials still have the tritium hour markers or luminova (sorry, I am hopeless with the spelling of this word!)?
     
  5. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 3, 2012

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    ulackfocus


    Thanks for your response.

    A certain level of its originality will be missing, then. This will be sad. However, will they cater for a special request that a damaged or badly refinished dial, be factory-refinished or reconditioned? (PP will do this, as far as, I know.) Of course, it may be more expensive than a replacement dial but we are willing to foot the bill.
     
  6. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 3, 2012

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    Not entirely sure on this, if they're old NOS parts perhaps tritium... but I know for the vast majority they use new luminova dials. My SM300 has a super luminova dial which is why it glows like a torch.
     
  7. ulackfocus Jan 3, 2012

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    Even Omega doesn't refinish their dials exactly like original. JLC, Patek do, as well as AP and VC I think - but they charge $800 and up for just that part of the restoration and you have to do it as part of a complete job on the watch. Add the redial fee into the rest of the work and you're talking over $2000.
     
  8. Steve Jan 3, 2012

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    Obviously as ulack has stated this aint going to be a cheap send away !.
    It all depends on the watch you have that needs repairing, and is it really worth sending back to Omega, plus these dont take 7 to 10 days, you could be waiting months !.
    IMO find a good watchmaker and see if he can repair the watch.
     
  9. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 4, 2012

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    dsio

    Thanks for the reply.

    To be honest, not many people including me, will be able to tell the difference between one that is tritium and another that is luminova or super luminova.
     
  10. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 4, 2012

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    ulackfocus

    Thank you for the advice.

    If the refinishing is unable to match that of the original, there is no point having it re-done. $800.00 will be far too much, for a sub-standard work, I reckon.
     
  11. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 4, 2012

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    Steve

    Thanks for the advice.

    I think, I will have to forget about it. By the time I receive the watch back, I would have forgotten, I ever had owned that watch.
     
  12. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 4, 2012

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    The problem is, even when you have a really, really good refinishing job done, and you're proud of the result, you post pictures of it on here, and the vintage Omega nerds will look at it and notice that there is a slight upward inflection on the tip of the R in "Seamaster" and as SOON as they mention it, every time you look at the dial, you will only be able to stare at that tip of the R and how much you hate it. :p
     
  13. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 4, 2012

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    dsio

    Thanks for the reply.

    Not only the Omega nerds here, I too will be upset, assuming I am prepared to spend so much money on a refinishing job. I would expect it to be a mirror-image of the original dial. Apparently if this is not possible to achieve, it defeats the whole purpose of sending it back to the factory.

    To live with it, it will mean this watch will never be on the wrist and will always be put in cold-storage, till a factory-original and identical piece appears on the market. Only God will know, as to when this will take place.
     
  14. Spy You know my name. Jan 22, 2012

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    Seamonster, do you have picture of the Omega in question?
     
  15. seamonster Respectable Member Jan 22, 2012

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    Respectable Member Spy


    Thanks for your response.

    I had two and have given both the watches away to my young nephews, since they love the Omega logo on the dial.

    Unless a watch is extremely rare, it is disgusting to own one with a horribly reconditioned or refinished dial.

    Thank-you.