Omega Geneve Automatic watch help

poppasmurf_bewdley

I have an Omega Geneve Automatic watch which has been in the family for about 40 years, and has been used daily until recently.

The auto facility has been useless recently, so I have had to use the old fashioned way to wind it up.

However, on holiday, the winder gave up the ghost and just spins around fruitlessly.

I took the watch to my usual repairers, which is a jeweller who sends the watch off, asking for a repair and a general clean. The quote came back this week - a hefty £350.

I should add that there are no small neighbourhood watch repairers in this area, hence the above jeweller. Another jeweller wanted £100 to take the back off.

So, the question, anybody know a cheaper way of getting my Omega back in working order without spending a small fortune?

Jon_01

You really can't mess around with an Omega. It has to be done properly using Omega spares and a fully trained repairer. You really don't want some Johnny who happens to have the right tool to get the back off (pricey in itself for the genuine Omega tool) to 'try' to fix it and do more damage...
£350 doesn't sounds bad for a watch of that age and where spares aren't going to be cheap.

My first job out of school back in 1979!!! was training to repair all kinds of watch, it was years before they'd let anyone new even touch an Omega or Rolex. They're nothing like any other inside. . .

debitcardmayhem

I have to agree with jon01 , if done by Omega then you know it will probably last another 40 years, even if it needs repairing after 10 years it will have lasted for the equivalent of 10p per day. Compare that with phones/tablets etc

googler

When we got our bathroom refurbed a few years back, our plumber was charging an hourly rate of £24 per hour.

Let's assume more skill on the part of your watch repairer, and round that up to £30 per hour. (According to payscale.com, the average salary for a watch repairer is around £29k (about £14, 8 hours per day, 5 days per week), so the business rate will be well above £14 per hour for an above-average repairer.)

£350 = approx. 11 hours work at £30 per hour.

It really doesn't sound to me like it's a quick job of 20 minutes. Sounds like specific parts are required for replacement, too. On that basis, for a family heirloom such as this, you either consider paying a competent person what they ask right now, or you put it on the shelf until you can.

Then you need to consider; if you wait another few years, will the pool of people who can actually do this repair be even smaller? Is this a dying art, in other words?

RumRat

Here are the prices from Omega for complete service of your watch.
Seems the Jeweller is just charging you £20 for the postage...
https://www.omegawatches.com/customer-service/interventions-and-prices/main-steps-of-a-complete-service


Or.....Consider these.
https://jvwatchmakers.com/about/

Chino

Unless the watch has special sentimental value to you, it doesn't seem like it's going to be worth the expense of having it repaired/serviced.

For example, this working 1970s model is being offered on eBay for £200 + postage - currently with no bids, so it's probably worth a lot less:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-OMEGA-GENEVE-AUTOMATIC-MEN-S-WATCH/223350514174?hash=item3400ba61fe:g:-WkAAOSwa3FcRwBy:rk:8:pf:0

poppasmurf_bewdley

Chino wrote: »

Unless the watch has special sentimental value to you, it doesn't seem like it's going to be worth the expense of having it repaired/serviced.

For example, this working 1970s model is being offered on eBay for £200 + postage - currently with no bids, so it's probably worth a lot less:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-OMEGA-GENEVE-AUTOMATIC-MEN-S-WATCH/223350514174?hash=item3400ba61fe:g:-WkAAOSwa3FcRwBy:rk:8:pf:0

Ones similar to mine seem to be on there for £400-£500 so I think it's borderline. Maybe I'll just leave it in a draw and let my son decide when I've popped my clogs.

Robisere

I bought an Omega in Germany when serving in BAOR in the early 70's, so it would be of an age with your watch. I was washing and shaving in the 3rd story of the barracks, left it stupidly on the window sill and it fell out of the window. Below, my mate was waiting by my truck to take us on exercise. It hit the cab, bounced and hit the tarmac floor below. When I got to it, mate said it was till working, but it stopped soon after. I took it to a Dortmund Omega agency and was quoted silly money that I did not have.

Later my unit went to Ulster (The Troubles) and I eventually got around to a Belfast Omega agency, quoted more silly money. Then another mate said he knew a Guy... who apparently forced a Timex winder into the case. After home leave and a visit to an English agent, he informed me that these watches have a triple case construction and the watch was beyond repair. I got £20 for the parts. Lesson: do not take it anywhere else than an approved repairer.

If I were you, and the watch means more than just a watch, I would pay for the Omega repair.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Robisere wrote: »

I bought an Omega in Germany when serving in BAOR in the early 70's, so it would be of an age with your watch. I was washing and shaving in the 3rd story of the barracks, left it stupidly on the window sill and it fell out of the window. Below, my mate was waiting by my truck to take us on exercise. It hit the cab, bounced and hit the tarmac floor below. When I got to it, mate said it was till working, but it stopped soon after. I took it to a Dortmund Omega agency and was quoted silly money that I did not have.

Later my unit went to Ulster (The Troubles) and I eventually got around to a Belfast Omega agency, quoted more silly money. Then another mate said he knew a Guy... who apparently forced a Timex winder into the case. After home leave and a visit to an English agent, he informed me that these watches have a triple case construction and the watch was beyond repair. I got £20 for the parts. Lesson: do not take it anywhere else than an approved repairer.

If I were you, and the watch means more than just a watch, I would pay for the Omega repair.

What a coincidence. My late Father in Law bought the watch from a soldier on the French/German border who was trying to raise some money to get home, in approximately 1970.

that

Looking for new hobby?
Epping Forest Horology Centre run courses in clock and watch repair. You can find their website here – http://www.efhc.org.uk

The BHI (British Horological Institute) also run courses but I think you have to become a member to attend these – http://bhi.co.uk/training-education/short-courses/

As some people who own Rolex found that many thousands of the watches value resides in its face. So some watchmakers steal the genuine faces and put in a fake, and unless you are an expert very few owners are wiser. Rolex will not supply a replacement face, and the watch becomes nearly worthless.

For some things it is just worth paying for trust and stewardship of an approved dealer.

epninety

You can try this chap
No connection, just a satisfied customer.