I posted the other day about a 50’s omega watch I’ve been given. I’ve been into a local jeweller today and they were pretty non-committal about getting it spruced up, saying it may end up worse.

As far as I can tell it needs a new glass and the face needs cleaning. It keeps time well.

Any recommendations of where I can take it? Near Blackpool would be good, or are the online places such as http://www.swisstec.co.uk/watchrepairs.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA45njBRBwEiwASnZT5wA3yHExWaDJ7TtvNmYQpzcvFm7CB3kt9SEbWTAWfSqYPES0bsSOIRoC_dcQAvD_BwE

Or https://www.thewatchhospital.co.uk

Any good?

The jeweller I went into said I’d be looking at at least £200. Omega’s website suggests £400+.

Don’t mind spending a certain amount if it’s going to come out well.

Need a new strap as well, was looking at something from here https://www.steveostraps.com/straps-2/classic-2 of anyone had experience of these

I only know of one place who I’d really trust, but they’re a long way from Blackpool!
They have branches in Swindon, Marlborough and Royal Wootton Bassett, and they have in-house watchmakers. They charged me £450 to replace a mainspring, service and replace the crystal on my Yema, which I considered worth it, just because the watch has personal value. It turned out to have significant financial value as well, but that’s just the cherry on the top.
Whether you would consider yours to be worth that sort of expenditure is up to you.
Here’s their web address – https://www.deacons-jewellers.com
They’re handy for me, each branch is roughly fifteen-twenty miles away, so easy to visit personally.
It’s difficult to find an experienced watchmaker to do this kind of work these days, if you can locate someone near to you, fantastic, but it might take some effort.

I have just had my Titanium Seiko refurbished by this chap

Home

May be worth a call to see if he could do it?
Cost was £50.00 including battery.

Send us a pic of watch and I am sure a realistic as is and spruced up price will commeth.

Probably worth about £500 would be my guess, if wind up, add £100 if bumper / auto. So £400 cost really is non financially viable.

If it runs fine wear it until it doesn’t then send it to one a in Switzerland. They will completely refurbish it from top to bottom. It will never look new again though. They don’t typically replace dials or re lume them. They don’t have the parts in many cases. They will replace or polish the crystal usually.

They are like old cars though. It’ll cost you far more to get it fixed up than it’ll be worth at the end.

Send us a pic of watch and I am sure a realistic as is and spruced up price will commeth

It’s the one in this thread

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/identify-my-watch/

I was surprised to hear it was worth anything at all to be honest. But that’s not the point. I just want to spruce it up, make it look nice again, new strap and wear it.

I’m not going to spend £400 coz it holds no sentimental value. But I’m happy to spend something in order to keep what is already a 50-60 year old, half decent thing going, rather than discard it like is so common nowadays!

Get in touch with Duncan Potter from Genesis Watchmaking in Cumbria. Done quite a bit of work for me in the past and comes highly recommended on TZUK.

https://www.genesiswatchmaking.co.uk

A quick update to this thread – I have just received back my watch from Duncan Potter after following the recommendation above. His service was fantastic, quick, his communications excellent and I wouldnt hesitate in recommending him. And no, I dont know the guy personally.

They are like old cars though. It’ll cost you far more to get it fixed up than it’ll be worth at the end.

Depends very much on the watch. My Yema, which I mentioned above, cost £450 to repair, was £50 new, but one sold at auction in London last March for £3800.
The same can be just as true with old cars, provided they’re the right old cars…

A quick update to this thread

Well let’s see a picture then, and how much did it cost in the end?

Glad to hear Duncan sorted out your watch. He’s a true gent and highly regarded for good reason. Go on then, before and after!