omega watch repairs?

[v8 westy]

i have just managed to obtain my fathers omega seamaster watch, he died 35 years ago so this is a very precious item to me.
it is not running and has no strap but i would like to find someone who could get it running and fit something near to the original strap, i dont mind paying top money for a good job and i will definitely not be posting it anywhere, i would rather drop it in for repair and collect it myself, can anyone reccomend a really trustworthy watchmaker/repairer anywhere in the uk?
thanks for any help.

[parapaul]

maybe try in the watches forum?

[Strangely Brown]

Be careful with advice like that. The chances are that if you take it to a high street dealer they will send it to the Swatch group repair centre (Southampton?) and they do not have a good reputation. You could always insist that they send it direct to Omega in Switzerland but, IMO, if you want to be sure of getting it done right then send it to them yourself.

There is a price list somewhere on the website and you can always agree the work to be carried out before they actually start. If you're not bothered about price, send it by courier. I would trust one of my watches more to a courier to CH than I would to a dealer to the Swatch service centre.

http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=341 

Edited by Strangely Brown on Monday 23 June 08:01

[anonymous-user]

parapaul said:

maybe try in the watches forum?

Agreed or www.tz-uk.com

[Strangely Brown]

... or timezone.

Ask your question in the Omega forum.

Edited by Strangely Brown on Monday 23 June 08:26

[Olf]

FFS DON'T send it to Omega. They're a bunch of plastic watch goons now who charge rip-off money and provide poor service.

I have had the misfortune in delaing with them 3 times in the last 2 years. It's cost me fortune, taken ages and I've been very unhappy with the result. My Seamaster came back from them last time with the casing cover unsecured!!!

I know a good watch maker in Kent who will be getting mine next time. If you ever get down that way I can provide deatils. He also fixed my FiL's 40 year old Omega.

Edited by Olf on Monday 23 June 08:51

[CmdrBond]

This is a question asked often in TZ-UK and there are a few good vintage Omega specialists around.

There is one I have read about that do complete restoration, but be prepared to not have it for a while and it could cost a few quid.

As before, ask on the forums or google Omega servicing and/or repairs and take your pick.

[Strangely Brown]

Olf said:

FFS DON'T send it to Omega. They're a bunch of plastic watch goons now who charge rip-off money and provide poor service.

Are you referring to Omega CH or the UK based service centres? I know of the bad reputation of the Eastleigh/Hants one but I have seen consistently good reports of work carried out in Switzerland.

[Olf]

Strangely Brown said:

Olf said:

FFS DON'T send it to Omega. They're a bunch of plastic watch goons now who charge rip-off money and provide poor service.

Are you referring to Omega CH or the UK based service centres? I know of the bad reputation of the Eastleigh/Hants one but I have seen consistently good reports of work carried out in Switzerland.

Eastleigh/Hants is where I have had my problems.

Not sure how you'd make sure your watch went to Switzerland?

[Strangely Brown]

Olf said:

Not sure how you'd make sure your watch went to Switzerland?

Send it there yourself rather than relying on the dealer to do it. I get the impression that is what most people on the TZ Omega forum do.

[mel]

Take a day off work and drive to Southend http://www.swisstimeservices.co.uk/ you'll be met at reception by a proper watchmaker who specialises in vintage omega, if it's straight forward they will give you a cost and do the repair/service while you wait, they'll also discuss the watch condition and make any longer term recomendations and they've got probably the biggest stock of vintage omega spares outside of the factory.

[Zeek]

Similar request last week...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[MikeA3]

You could try a company called west repairs, I sent my omega to them for a service a while back and it was all done very well (& not at omega's prices either).

[uriel]

I've used Martin's Jewellers in Glasgow to repair my Speedy Pro. Not sure exactly what was wrong with it, but something came out of the movement and it cause the chrono mechanism to not work. They said that since it's stripped and rebuilt suring a service there would be no charge for a repair as it would just be put back together again as part of the service. Cost me £125 and the watch is as good as new.

After an initial extimate of 4-5 weeks though, it was nigh on 6 months before I got my watch back!

[uktrailmonster]

The Omega factory restoration service in Switzerland is top notch from everythng I've heard and not that expensive. There was a guy on the Watchuseek forum a while back who had an old Speedmaster restored and the end result was stunning. I remember the cost was very reasonable too. I've only used them for routine servicing and never had a problem. Takes a while though, around 6 weeks I think.

[Olf]

uktrailmonster said:

The Omega factory restoration service in Switzerland is top notch from everythng I've heard and not that expensive. There was a guy on the Watchuseek forum a while back who had an old Speedmaster restored and the end result was stunning. I remember the cost was very reasonable too. I've only used them for routine servicing and never had a problem. Takes a while though, around 6 weeks I think.

Two weeks less than the UK outfit then! Do they secure the back cover on as part of the price?

[GC8]

I can recommend a watchmaker in Bolton: youd have to send and recevie it via registered post though. Unlike Swatch he does have a good reputation and he charges 1/4 of the price too...

[GC8]

Omega in Switzerland are suberb though, for an important piece I think that Id be speaking to them first, as they have the best access to parts.