Omega watch service center

[Charlie Mike]

I mailed my watch today for factory service. Its a Planet Ocean chronograph with a serial number that suggests manufacture in 2006. I purchased it approx 5 months ago from The Bay and though I have zero doubts about authenticity, I do think it needs to be brought back to factory spec since it has been gaining 2 minutes per month. (My Rolex loses 20-30 seconds per month.)

Does anyone have any experience with the NJ service center? Average turnaround time?

I'll post pics and possibly a video when I get it back.

 

[ErikD]

I dropped my Seamaster off a few years back, very happy with the work. I was losing a couple of minutes a month and wanted a general cleanup of the watch. They gave me an estimate, and called with some options (replace bezel due to small scratch, etc). From what I recall it was about 6-7 weeks.

 

[Grouch]

2 minutes per month equals 4 seconds per day ...well within Omega spec of - 1 to +6.

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[Charlie Mike]

Got an email from Omega stating it has arrived.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Love mechanical watches for their beauty and craftsmanship, but I gave up on them years ago for a soulless but incredibly accurate Seiko quartz diver's analogue, and a Casio mil-spec digital. Both accurate to a second a month.

 

[Buck3117]

I would love to have an Omega. It's my dream watch. Right now, all I can afford are Invictas, which are nice watches for their price range.

 

[Charlie Mike]

 

[Charlie Mike]

 

[Sid Post]

Why is that estimate so high and expensive? Have these watches really gone up so much since I looked at them to make a $775 service a reasonable expense? Or, was it pretty damaged and in need of significant repairs?

TIA,
Sid

 

[Grouch]

Standard Omega chrono (with a coaxial movement) service cost. These can't be serviced by non - omega trained watchmakers.

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[Charlie Mike]

The estimate said "movement has low amplitude"...

Does that mean anything significant?

 

[cchu518]

The estimate said "movement has low amplitude"...

Does that mean anything significant?

That's nothing. It means they need to clean out the old lube and then relube. Meant the ticking wasn't ticking hard bc of gummed up gears.

I've gone back and forth on the watch thing. I had at some point a collection 9f Omegas from each decade of the 50s through 90s. And other watches, sold them for various reasons.

Coaxials are special to some bc they can go long periods without maintenance and still other ppl think that a coaxial is bastardizing am Omega. So funny watch ppl! I'm of the opinion they are special.

Lately I've been really enjoying cheap Japanese movements.

This one is a Omega 300 homage with a Miyota 821a in it. I have to adjust it about once every month or so it's keeping to within a few minutes a month. I want to get a Miyota 9015 or am ST19 seagull movement next unless my wife pulls the trigger on TransOcean. I told her to hold off as I get bored easy sometimes and the TO has something goofy about it.

 

[DocT]

Back in the early to mid 90's Rolex had some serious quality problems that apparently they have rectified. I had one (and not me alone!) that would lose 2 hours every time I mowed the lawn. I took it back to the store and got my money back and then bought an Omega Seamaster and never looked back. That Seamaster is the best watch I have ever owned.

I am glad this thread came up as it reminds me that I need to get mine serviced.

 

[Charlie Mike]

 

[Stan Rose]

Omega Sea Master Profesional no chronographs cost $535 to have serviced at authorized service dealer. The only problem was that they tried to talk me into annual servicing which they said would be "slightly less ezpensive", I'll wait until it absolutely requires service.

 

[bdmicarta]

Love mechanical watches for their beauty and craftsmanship, but I gave up on them years ago for a soulless but incredibly accurate Seiko quartz diver's analogue, and a Casio mil-spec digital. Both accurate to a second a month.

That's the equivalent of selling all of your nice knives and using a pair of scissors and Home Depot box cutter for all of your cutting. But even at that I usually wear quartz watches on weekends and save my interesting mechanical watches for weekday wear.

 

[leghog]

The estimate said "movement has low amplitude"...

Does that mean anything significant?

cchu518 is spot on.

Amplitude refers to the degrees of the beat of the movement. It's the swing of the balance wheel or the degrees of arc the balance wheel swings. Low amplitude is caused mostly by the lubricants becoming gummy so is corrected the vast majority of the time simply by cleaning and relubing the watch. The reason mechanical movements should be serviced every 5-7 years.

Could be the mainspring , but those are replaced very inexpensively. They may be replacing the mainspring; however, "waiting for parts" is a ridiculous reason for a manufacturers national service center for such parts.

$750 is a VERY hefty price to pay for inspecting, cleaning, and lubing a movement and replacing the mainspring even for a complicated movement like a chronograph. Do some research and find a competent local watchmaker in your area and build a relationship with him.

 

[Grouch]

cchu518 is spot on.

Amplitude refers to the degrees of the beat of the movement. It's the swing of the balance wheel or the degrees of arc the balance wheel swings. Low amplitude is caused mostly by the lubricants becoming gummy so is corrected the vast majority of the time simply by cleaning and relubing the watch. The reason mechanical movements should be serviced every 5-7 years.

Could be the mainspring , but those are replaced very inexpensively. They may be replacing the mainspring; however, "waiting for parts" is a ridiculous reason for a manufacturers national service center for such parts.

$750 is a VERY hefty price to pay for inspecting, cleaning, and lubing a movement and replacing the mainspring even for a complicated movement like a chronograph. Do some research and find a competent local watchmaker in your area and build a relationship with him.

Do not follow that advice for THIS movement. The 3313C is not a movement for any watchmaker that isn't trained by Omega and doesn't possess the necessary specialized equipment. If you doubt this, ask on any Omega forum.

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[leghog]

Do not follow that advice for THIS movement. The 3313C is not a movement for any watchmaker that isn't trained by Omega and doesn't possess the necessary specialized equipment. If you doubt this, ask on any Omega forum.

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Find a competent watchmaker. He'll either accept the job or he won't. $750 every 5 years (and the cost will be more 5 years from now and more again the next service) is a ridiculous price to pay for simply servicing (cleaning and lubing) a chronograph. Even a coaxial.

 

[fq55]

Is a crystal replacement part of the service? It may explain the seemingly high cost of maintenance. On the bright side, at least you didn't send in something like a Glashutte or JLC Master Compressor. The service cost may have been something like $2k.