This is another one of Anders’ watches, which he picked up on eBay. On first sight, it doesn’t look too bad, but if you look closer at the pushers, one is deformed, and you can’t press in the reset pusher. The chronograph also won’t start and stop.
A fair amount of rust, and somebody tried in vain before me to fix this watch.
You can see the bent pusher screw here. Somebody must have really wanted to reset that chronograph π
The Omega calibre 860 only has a minute recorder, and no hour recorder, so the bottom plate is very simple indeed.
I start taking apart the chronograph. Lots of scratches everywhere.On the central chronograph recorder, the advance mechanism for the minute recorder is completely rusted and needs replacing.
No wonder that I couldn’t pick up a signal with the timegrapher. Somebody has knackered the hairspring. The shark-fin shaped loop shouldn’t be there at all!
After a lot of cleaning, I start putting the movement together with a new mainspring.
I reshape the hairpsring, and put the base movement back together.
For a first attempt, that’s looking a lot better.
Now I can start on the chronograph. I have spare parts from the Lemania 873 movement I did earlier, but not everything fits of course.
The central chronograph arbor is of a different length, so I have to swap parts around.
Now I have to turn a punch for the chronograph bridge part that holds the arbor on which the spring lever sits that keeps the minute recorder in position, as that’s deformed on the Omega bridge, but is intact on the Lemania bridge.
Now I can use the punch in my staking set.
With lots of other bits that have to be sorted out (the second hand arbor broke off, and I have to shorten the third wheel of the Lemania movement, and find another sub-second hand, as the original has the broken bit stuck in it which doesn’t want to come out, broken springs, etc.) I finally have a working chronograph movement again. Two days work!
The case gets a new pusher, and I’m finally done.
I need pusher screw for Omega case 145.017.
Tank you, best regards,
Hat’s off to you watchguy! I stumbled across your website whilst looking for a watch for my 21st (next week). The work and consideration you put into each repair blows my mind! Wishing you much success in 2014 and keep up the good work mate π
Reggie
I guess the bite at 10:30 is where the previous ‘fixer’ took an axe to it …
Nice work Christian, looks great!
Thanks again Christian. A real rescue mission!
The calibre 860 Omega (Lemania) movement is a seldom sight. “Only” 10.000 where made of this version with 2 sub registers. The 861 3 register version has so far been produced in way over 300.000 in comparison. The 861 is still in production today.
Omega only (according to their database) used the 860 in this DeVille reference 145.017 watch, no other watches is known to use it.
Looking at the pictures I canΒ΄t wait to get it home!
Another great feat! THANKS!
A lot of work… but it is a stunning looking piece, so worth it I would say π