Omega Seamaster wearers – help.

Right, after this thread HERE I’m a bit hesitant.

I need a new watch. My CWC that I was issued with 16 years ago is dead, I could revive it I guess but it’s not me anymore so I reckon wearing it just makes me look like a hasbeen/wannabe. So, when a couple of landscapers quoted some work for my house I suggested that I could do the work (digging holes, shifting earth and popping up fences, that sort of stuff) and save a couple of grand in the process. I’ve got the leave so no great impact on my time doing other stuff.

Anyway, I fancy a Seamaster (actually; a Planet Ocean Seamaster). I’m a bit worried about laying down that sort of cash for a watch that needs a £400 service every year. Have any of you guys got one, and do you have it regularly serviced? I really want to hear if you’ve had one for 10 years, never serviced and never dropped a second.

I know, I’ll probably be better off with a G-Shock but come on I’m not 18 anymore.

Seamaster wearer for 10yrs+ £30 quid or so for battery. Never ‘serviced’.

No problems strap has few scuffs, but wear it for everything – amazingly tough considering.

Highly recommended in it’s class

I wear a Seamaster Planet Ocean, bought in August 2003, never had an issue with it, at first it was gaining a bit of time but took it back to Berrys in Leeds and they re-calibrated it, its just started to loose a bit of time and it tends to stop if not worn for 36 hrs (always used to be about 48 hrs) so I’m gonna get it serviced soon, I don’t think 9 years is too bad before it needs a service.

The co axial movement in the planet ocean is good for 5 yrs without a service. That’s what I was told by the jeweller anyhoo.

had my (battery powered mid sized) Seamaster for about 6 years now, changed the battery once in that time, at a proper shop mind. Never bothered to have it serviced as it always seems accurate enough for me.

Just bought this though, instead of my big plastic G-Shock. £80 all in. shake to go no batteries mechanism and a sweeping second hand.

This all sounds good; £400 every 3 years seemed a bit much. They do look nice, eh. Thanks for the replies.

Had my Seamaster for 10 years. It drops 6 seconds a day, always has, always will. 😕

Serviced once so far for about £200. Current quoted rate is about £300 but I’ll shop about before paying that.

I had mine serviced after it wouldn’t self-wind anymore. £290 for a service and came back good as new. First service since I got it in 2004. I guess 8 years and one service isn’t too bad! My 20 quid Casio sailing watch doesn’t need fancy services mind you!

It drops 6 seconds a day, always has, always will

My Seiko drops that in about a week 😉

My manual wind Speedmaster (not the same, I completely get it) is 35 years old and hasn’t ever been serviced, so far as I’m aware. Still wonderfully accurate.

As noted above, Omega’s moving to the co-axial movement for some Seamaster lines, and that movement needs less frequent servicing than the more traditional automatic movements.

But for ultimate reliability, quartz would be the better bet, I guess, if technically less satisfying for your more geeky tendencies (I still like looking at the movement through the glass caseback on mine!)

Quartz movements (batteries) are more accurate and shouldn’t need any servicing other than new batteries. Buying a £1000+ watch is seriously mental, the insides are the same as any cheapo watch from Argos.

Automatic movements are less accurate (generally) and need servicing, but Omega do different types/qualities of movements with different servicing intervals. Co-axial movements come with longer warranties and service intervals (mine is ten years).

Have a seamaster chronometer – bought second hand, and accurate to 3-4 secs per week for 5 years, then serviced because the stopwatch hand came loose, and now 15-20 secs fast every day. Have returned it 3 times for recalibration and no change. 😥 I loved the watch but starting to go off it / the whole auto thing at the moment

My seamaster chrono pro gets ‘serviced’ every now and then (twice in 6 years) by the tic tic man in hatton garden – 100 ish. You could buy a Seiko but so can everyone else 🙂

I’ve a seamaster, had it serviced once in about 8 years, and that was just after it started running really fast after taking a big whack playing footy. Very nice watch, ignore the service intervals and just get it done if/when it starts playing up.

I’ve got a seamaster professional chronograph, had it for about 10 years and never had it serviced, still tells the time as accurately as it did when new. Same goes for my tag carrera and my oris.

I dont buy this servicing of watches thing.

I briefly had a Seamaster GMT and it was lovely, build quality was very high. The bracelet quality really sets them apart, cheaper ones felt like they had been made from Coke tins by comparison.
My friend has a Seamaster Chronograph and has had it for about 10 years and has essentially had a new watch through services. It always comes back looking better than new I would love to take it off his hands if he ever gets shot of it!

I have a Seamaster Pro Chrono….Never got is serviced for 6 years…now it’s up in my drawer not working!

Expensive paper weight.

Get it serviced.

Lovely watch though…..

I had a self winder for 10 years, had it serviced once (deffinatly didn’t cost anything like £400). Great watch.

Had it replaced with a GMT II for my 40th 😉

Well this all sounds promising; cheers.

My Seamaster is 10yrs old now and bar new batts (as previously mentioned…) and a replacement plastic strap it keeps on going – as expected. If your heart says Seamaster then just buy one, if you don’t it’ll just bug you! Enjoy.

I have a 10 yer old seamaster that needs the bracelet repaired and also probably serviced. Any advice on the best place to get it serviced please?

There’s no way it would need an annual service.

I just had my Panerai serviced after about 8 years use. Total cost was about £260 and it came back looking better than when I bought it.

Omega service costs wont be more than Panerai.

Pretty much back up what everyone here has said. But having had both an Omega is not where near a patch on the real thing, keep saving and buy something truly timeless and beyond lifetime reliable (I am sure you know what I am refering to).

Had my seamaster for approx 22 years, although I dont wear it 24/7 it has never been back in for a proper service only a replacement battery.
It drops a few seconds a week but hey ho thats life!

Andy – Member
I have a 10 yer old seamaster that needs the bracelet repaired and also probably serviced.

If you don’t want to send it to Omega I would try West Repairs. They’ve serviced/repaired a couple for me. Really good service.

Will need a service every 3-4 years, you’ll probably be looking at £2-300 a time. Not a huge deal. Just don’t buy anything quartz for omega money.

Think of it like this, most people think nothing of paying that kind of money for a car service every year, on an engine that’s hundreds of parts which is expected to do maybe 1500 hours of service or so a year, but jib at the same amount every couple of years for a precision instrument with thousands of tiny parts that you expect to work perfectly non stop 24/7 365 days a year.

Not to mention the skill level of the horologist working on your watch who probably spent 10 years learning compared to your average volvo mechanic. (No offence to any mechanics 😉 )

So yes, it’s expensive but not unreasonable. Yes you can wear a Seiko and it’ll keep time as well, but it’s just not the same!

Oh and fwiw you can dramatically change the look of the watch with a different strap, mine originally came with the orange croc strap which is what originally sold it to me, but it just wasn’t upto the job of every day wear, camping/family days out etc, I changed it to a black full on buckle divers strap which changed the watch massively. I’ve now got the orange stitched rubber strap on the deployment which is a happy medium between the two! Love my watch!!

Seamaster auto from my wife for wedding present in 2003. Never serviced and still keeps time within chronometer standards.

If it did need serviced then I’d send it to Steve Burrage at Rytetime. He has done a few watches for me and it has never cost near some of the prices above.

I LOVE my battery powered seamaster, had it 10 years, renovated houses, built cars, dropped a head from a 3.5l BMW on it once and it keeps on going, not a single scratch on the glass.

£100 service and battery change every 5 years. My mates have chronograph ones and apart from the snob factor I prefer my battery model, that and it was a £750 less when I bought it! I once had a young shop assistant look down at me because it wasn’t automatic, enjoyed that too.

Chrono watches are just too delicate for me..

My CWC that I was issued with 16 years ago is dead,

I thought the G10’s were starred items.
You didn’t go diffy a starred item did you? Naughty boy! 😀

i got the battery chrono Seamaster one a few yrs ago and love it. It does have a bad scuff on the bezel where I bumped it on the outside house wall – might get bezel replaced whenever the battery goes and I send it for service but I think they are expensive to replace…

Had my auto Seamaster for 6 years now. I’ve had it serviced once in that time as it started to go ‘very’ fast after a wee off on the bike. It keeps almost perfect time now…maybe +-5 sec a week. Mind you, I’ve stopped wearing it when out on the bike as all the vibration definately messed with the accuracy. Never felt ‘relaxed’ wearing it when out anyway, I fall off a lot! I pop on a Garmin HRM for the riding and never worry about the watch when falling of now!

I thought the G10’s were starred items.
You didn’t go diffy a starred item did you? Naughty boy!

Ha, it’s not quite a G10….close though. Loose all sorts of guggi kit under water.

Pretty much back up what everyone here has said. But having had both an Omega is not where near a patch on the real thing, keep saving and buy something truly timeless and beyond lifetime reliable (I am sure you know what I am refering to).

Oh I’d love a Rolex but the kids would have to go without a skiing trip next year and I don’t do sacrificing that sort of thing. Your comment does strike a cord though about exclusivity though…..I think it’s an suggests a certain amount of arrogance to suggest that a £2800 watch is affordable to anyone

Oh I’d love a Rolex

Ewwwwwww.
One of the hands simply flew off of my Rolex. My speedmasters have been much better.

My dads had an autowind Seamaster for about 45 years. Once in a while it needs a bit of TLC, but I think thats reasonable, and he wears it every day.

I think it’s an suggests a certain amount of arrogance to suggest that a £2800 watch is affordable to anyone

I wasn’t (and didn’t) suggest that at all. I suggested that Omega where not timeless in the same way as a Rolex, I didn’t question their exclusivity. That being said clearly Rolex are more exclusive, and at the same time there are brands similarly priced to Rolex that are more exculsive (or possibly just rarely seen!(.

Loose all sorts of guggi kit under water.

Navy or RE?

RE; and I meant lose.

Small world I joined in 97. Spent all my time at 59. Good times. 😀