Month: August 2022

The Omega Seamaster is a watch we see regularly in our workshop. It is however a little unusual to receive two of the same model from the same client! Both watches were the mid-size version of the Seamaster, with a black dial and a stainless steel case and bracelet. They were both working though our client said they were unreliable. There were also problems with the clasp on each watch.

Inspection of each movement revealed them both to be in good condition. This makes our life much easier, as if watches are well maintained there is less risk of broken parts or damage caused by significant wear. These watches are powered by the Omega calibre 1120 movement – an automatic mechanical watch movement of excellent quality. This is a modified version of a movement produced by ETA – one of the top watch movement manufacturers. The modifications are designed to improve performance, with 23 jewels and a three arm Glucydur balance amongst the modifications made to the base movement.

We fully serviced and fitted a fresh mainspring to each watch. When we service a watch it is completely disassembled and pre-cleaned, with each part inspected. The disassembled movement is then run through our specialist watch movement cleaning machine, while the case and bracelet are cleaned in a separate ultrasonic cleaner. After cleaning the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled. The dial and hands are then refitted, before the complete movement is fitted into the case.

Once cased up we fine-tune the timekeeping to make sure each watch is as accurate as it can be. Indeed these models are chronometer rated, so when new these movements passed a series of strict tests to ensure excellent timekeeping accuracy. We endeavour get timekeeping as accurate as we can – both watches were adjusted and still met the timekeeping criteria as chronometers. It’s important to note here that every watch is different and will have different timekeeping capabilities – we will of course advise you on what you can realistically expect from your specific watch (for example, accuracy to a few seconds a day may be fine for these modern Omega watches, but it is unrealistic when dealing with a verge pocket watch!).

One of the last elements of the job is to pressure test for water resistance. The Omega Seamaster is rated to 300m water resistant – we are able to test to this depth using our Sigma watch pressure testing machine. Finally we refit the bracelet (complete with brand new Omega clasp) before the watches go on test prior to returning them to our client.

Do you have an Omega watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any Omega watch and we offer a comprehensive watch repair service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. You can also bring watches in to our showrooms based in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. As Business Partners of the British Horological Institute and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director

We receive a huge spectrum of watches through our stores in Lewes and Uckfield, as well as through our postal repairs service. The postal service is fully insured and completely free – Using this we accept repairs from all around the UK. One such repair involved fully servicing and repairing a vintage Omega Seamaster.

The Omega Seamaster has been perhaps the most notable Omega model since its introduction in 1948 and was stylistically at least somewhat based on designs made for the Royal Navy towards the end of the war. Originally one of the key features of the watch was a rubber o-ring gasket designed to provide water resistance – a feature which at the time was not as common as it is now.

The Omega Seamaster belonging to our client is a model dating from the early 60s. It has a stainless steel, three part case and the movement is an Omega calibre 501  – a great quality, vintage automatic movement.

On arrival in the workshop this watch was not working. Upon inspection there was water damage noted, so alongside a full service and new mainspring, we replaced a number of other components. During a full service we completely disassemble the movement and run it through our specialist watch movement cleaning machine. We also run the case and bracelet through a separate ultrasonic cleaner. After cleaning, the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled, before being adjusted and tested.

The water ingress had also caused damage to the dial. We partner with a fantastic dial restorer and we are able to restore a huge variety of watch dials. The damaged dial is completely stripped back, before the appropriate colour and finish are reapplied. Any dial furniture such as batons are also fully cleaned and restored. The end result is a dial which looks absolutely fantastic.

Once the dial is refitted to the movement, the entire watch is then cased up. Once everything is back together we are able to test the watch using our specialist automatic watch testing machine. This simulates the movement of the watch on your wrist and allows us to confirm the automatic winding mechanism is operating correctly, as well as to confirm the timekeeping is within acceptable tolerances for the movement calibre.

Do you have an Omega Seamaster in need of repair? From vintage to modern pieces, we are able to help. Thanks to our fully insured, freepost watch repairs service we are able to accept watches from all around the UK. We also accept repairs through our two stores in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. Our business is long established and we are Business Partners of the British Horological Institute, as well as holders of a coveted Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award. You can be confident when dealing with us.

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director

Our fully equipped watch repair workshop allows us to repair a huge range of types and styles of watch. From full servicing right the way through to smaller repairs, such as crown and stem replacement, glass replacement and movement exchanges. In this blog post we’ll look at a quartz movement service on an Omega De Ville watch.

Firstly we should clarify the difference between movement exchanges and servicing, as many watch repair workshops do not differentiate to the customer, even though the work involved is significantly different. Some quartz watches can, like mechanical watches, be serviced. In other words they are designed to be taken apart and repaired. If you have a big name brand like this Omega, your watch will have a movement which can be serviced. Servicing involves complete disassembly of the movement, cleaning, reassembly, oiling and testing. It’s quite an involved process.

In contrast a movement exchange involves swapping over the complete watch movement like-for-like with a brand new one. The dial and hands are switched over to the new movement. This can sometimes be more cost effective even if it is possible to service the existing movement, though with high quality quartz movements this is absolutely not the case. In other instances the movement fitted by the manufacturer is not even designed to be repaired, so we have no choice but to fit a complete replacement.

In this instance we have a lovely quality Omega De Ville with a serviceable quartz movement. The service is done in a similar fashion to with a mechanical watch. The watch movement is disassembled, cleaned, reassembled, oiled and tested. The oils used are slightly different, though many of the core principles of servicing remain the same, such as the need for absolute cleanliness. It is perhaps even more important in a quartz watch, as it takes very little to stop a quartz watch from working. After the movement is reassembled, we test it using our Elma Watch Master testing machine. These machines are able to test the power consumption of the movement and allow us to confirm the movement is operating within the manufacturer specified parameters.

Interestingly this particular movement had an unusual fault – the magnetic rotor (which forms part of the motor) had broken into two pieces. We were able to order a replacement and this was fitted during the repair.

After the service is complete the watch can be fully reassembled – pairing the movement with the dial, hands and freshly cleaned watch case. Another job well done!

Do you have an Omega watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair many different Omega models and we offer a comprehensive repairs service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. As holder of a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award and Business Partners of the British Horological Institute you can be confident when dealing with us.

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director