My first client in Norway. He’s from Oslo and doesn’t want his name mentioned. I just imagine he’s a super-secret famous watch collector – or the police are after him for fencing watches 😉

This is a great looking bumper, with a super dial and case. The only problem is that it needs a service – and a new crown, as it has a golden case, but a silver, original Omega crown – how did that happen?

Oh yes, this watch needs a service indeed. The balance moves, but not with a good amplitude, and the beat is irregular. No wonder with all the dirt that’s in the watch. The case back doesn’t have a gasket, and I first think that that’s original. But it’s not. It needs a gasket, and that might well be the reason that there is so much dirt.

I strip the bumper winder assembly whilst the movement is still in the case. There is some congealed oil on the transmission wheel, and to me, it looks like a couple of decades without a service.

The hands can do with some polishing. What looks like dirt below the 12 is actually luminous compound. I love the dial design – looks a bit like fabric.

First view of the bottom plate. I notice that the dial washer is missing. This can lead to the crown skipping when trying to set the time, so I will definitely put a new one in.

Now I start taking apart the movement – first, I take the balance jewels out, and then the balance.

The gear train.

Top plate cleared.

All the parts cleaned, rinsed and dried ready for reassembly.

If you look closely (click on the photo), you can see that two windings of the hairspring stick together. The most likely cause for this is magnetism.

I take it to the demagnetizer, and voila, a perfectly shaped hairspring again!

I managed to find the proper crown, which is gold plated, rather than stainless steel.

And, of course, the obligatory new mainspring. You can’t get original bumper mainsprings any more, and I’m using a 1.10 x .10 x 300 x 9.5, which is the closest I can get.

Time to reassembly the movement.

I will only mount the auto-winder assembly once the movement is in its case.

Bottom plate done – with a new dial washer.

The dial gets a light brush to clean dust and small dirt off.

The case back gets a new gasket.

Do I want this watch? Badly! But I’m afraid I have to ship it back to its owner in Norway.