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Would you want Omega to start making fully authenticated watches?

  1. RonJ Mar 12, 2021

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    There was a thread earlier today called "Ed White, is it a crime" that raised some interesting thoughts about the difference between an "original watch" and one that has been made to look all original using authentic parts from other watches of the same time period. For example, a better bezel than the original one (but a correct bezel for that watch).

    https://omegaforums.net/threads/ed-white-is-it-a-crime.128609/

    So, my question is, would you want Omega (or any other watch maker like Rolex) to fully authenticate each new watch so that every watch from that date forward could be evaluated for originality and/or correct part replacement?

    A lot of people don't realize that some manufacturers in other industries are already doing this. There is a modern nanotechnology that allows EVERY component, no matter how small, to have microscopic 2d or 3d images put on them that can only be detected by scientific microscopes and only knowing where to look on the component and what to look for.

    I have a friend that has a rapidly growing company that does this already. Lots of manufacturers want to covertly mark every one of their parts for a number of reasons. One of them is liability lawsuits. They want to use forensics in court situations to prove the failing parts were not made by them but were 3rd Party replacement parts.

    You would never see these markings with the naked eye. You would never know they were there unless someone told you.

    So, it would be easy for someone like Omega to mark every new watch with dozens of these nanotechnology tags. They could mark every watch case, bracelet, dial, watch hand, crown, etc. with nano markings. These markings could be as simple as "they are an official Omega part", or they could have Date Codes embedded within them so that you would later know they are the correct vintage of Omega parts for that watch, or they could have the watch's Serial Number embedded in them so that later you know it is an original part to the watch.

    The question is, would future watch collectors like to have this information available to them? Imagine there was a service offered by Omega to "authenticate" a watch for a reasonable price to list every original component, list every non-original but correct Omega replacement component, and list every non-Omega 3rd Party component in the watch.

    Like I said, this is already being quietly done in a number of industries, do you think it would be a good thing for the watch manufacturers to do?

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    Edited Mar 12, 2021
  2. Nobel Prize Spell Master! Mar 12, 2021

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    Given the choice I would, yes. It would certainly make it a very straight forward conversation, provided I had access to someone reading and or interpreting the signs.

    I would love it if ever piece had the serial of the watch, and, an authorized repair could, again, have the serial plus an R of something for replacement.

    This way you can track what is original to the watch, what is genuine but not original to the watch, and what is added by a third party.

    The two flaws would be. 1- if it becomes a thing then someone will come up with the technology to replicate it. 2- a lot of very legitimate repairs, specially on vintage pieces, would often have articles from various sources...not necessarily the original manufacturer. So you could easily end up with mismatching numbers....then again I suppose that IS the point and it would just require a satisfactory explanation on the part of the seller.

    Interesting
     
  3. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Mar 12, 2021

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    I don’t think it would do that much, the only cases where people really care are where the original parts are different from new replacements, like how they stopped making DON bezels, and stopped making tritium / radium dials and hands. If you could still get perfect original parts things would be different, and Omega makes so many spares now even for LEs that we’re unlikely to run out.
     
    noelekal likes this.
  4. Darlinboy Pratts! Will I B******S!!! Mar 12, 2021

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    So you have to buy an new Omega mainspring that has a matching serial number or your watch will lose value after a service? ::screwloose::
     
    noelekal and Archer like this.
  5. Nobel Prize Spell Master! Mar 12, 2021

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    I guess there’s a limit for everything, but maybe they can mark it before installing it. Anyway, room for thought there.
     
  6. RonJ Mar 12, 2021

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    Yep, maybe even the push bars too. :eek:

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  7. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Mar 12, 2021

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    Mainsprings, wheels, crowns, pushers, seals, hands, crystals, etc....this would be a logistical nightmare to keep track of over time just for watches serviced by Omega, let alone the many other authorized service providers out there.
     
    Darlinboy likes this.