Service: Omega Seamaster 168.1623 calibre 1120

IMG_5628Paul sent his Seamaster over from the US to get it serviced, as it isn’t keeping good time at all…

Paul also sent me a new second hand, as the red on the tip is faded. And he wants another link put in his titanium bracelet, and the bracelet put on instead of the leather strap.IMG_5631

This doesn’t look good at all, and something is wrong here…IMG_5632

Time to take the movement apart.IMG_5635

The wheel train has a single cock with three jewels that holds the third, fourth and escape wheel.IMG_5642

And into the cleaning machine …IMG_5719

I start off with the usual new mainspring.IMG_5803

Very strange scratches on the barrel lid.IMG_5721

Having put together the base movement, I notice what’s wrong. The hairspring has slid out of the regulator boot. I take the balance off again and put the hairspring into its proper position.554-01

I also see some odd scratches on the balance, and that, together with the displaced hairspring, doesn’t make me feel to comfortable about this movement. Something has happened somewhere…IMG_5728

In one position and with lots of waiting, I get up to 250 degrees, but when I change position, the balance takes ages to recover, and never gets up to full amplitude. For me, that’s a sign of a balance that isn’t poised – probably through the damage inflicted on it.IMG_5806

I don’t want to test my theory using a £100 original Omega balance. If I’m wrong, I’ve burned the money for nothing. So I order in the (identical) ETA balance for £28.IMG_5808

Bingo! I now have positional stability, and a decent amplitude. £28 well invested.IMG_5725

I put the bottom plate back together. IMG_5727

When casing, I leave the automatic winder off the movement, which I put on after casing.IMG_5729

Now the auto winder is on, and a new case back gasket in place.IMG_5804

More odd scratches – I wonder how you can manage to scratch the inside of a case back!IMG_5733

Time for waterproof testing, and all is well.IMG_5811

Back together with the new second hand with a nice red tip.

 

5 thoughts on “Service: Omega Seamaster 168.1623 calibre 1120

  1. I have seen this kind of thing on several other brands as well. My thoughts are that maybe someone returned it to a dealer and the dealer sold it to a liquidator and it was then sold to another dealer. The high end brands put unreasonable demands on dealers and they are required to purchase a specific dollar amount of watches each year to keep their status. If they don’t sell all they are required to buy, they liquidate them and have money to buy the following years product.

    There is no telling the true history of this watch and there is no way Omega would have let this out their door with those scratches and marks.

    There is also the possibility the dealer that serviced the watch does not have a real watchmaker on premises. He may have sent it out to someone and from the look of the damage to those parts that person has not been properly trained to repair watches.

    Anyone can repair a watch. But it takes years of experience and schooling to be a professional.

    Glad to see you replaced the balance. When I saw that I was thinking it should be replaced. I would not have even tried using it. These modern watches have extremely precisely balanced wheels and damage like that will never allow the watch to run correctly.

  2. The odd thing is that Paul got it as a present from his wife, who bought it new from an Omega dealer. It’s only once seen a workshop, and that was an Omega dealer in Australia.
    So there isn’t really any explanation for the scratches. I really can’t see an Omega certified repairer inflict this sort of damage.

  3. Bit of a strange one… I wonder if it was serviced by a less than careful watchmaker? Good value for the balance at only £28, i’d have thought that wought be much more expensive.

  4. Odd scratches.. especially those on the case-back and the scuffs to the balance! I suppose it must have had a knock or something in its life, run for a while with bits not quite in position and then been inadequately repaired?

    Still, as long as it is working now its all good 😉

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