1975/6 Omega Automatic (De Ville?)

[nabeshin]

This is the only Omega I own. I think it is simply an Omega Automatic, but it looks a lot like a De Ville. This watch is from about 1975 and was a gift to my grandfather, it is inscribed with a date on the back. I later inherited the watch without a band and bought a leather band for it.






He wore the watch all the time and it certainly looks well used. The glass (sapphire?) is scratched and chipped. The metal case is also well worn with some dents, dings, and scratches. It looks as if someone at some point had tried to open the back up without the correct tools. As I said the watch was given to me without a band. I assume that the original one broke or was too far gone to save.

My grandfather died in 1991, so he wore the watch for only about 15 years. It spent the next 13 years sitting in a jewelry box until my grandmother died in 2004. I was never set to receive the watch, but when my mother found the watch among my grandmother's junk, she said that I could have the watch.


It looses about an hour a day unless I've been wearing it for several days on my other wrist, then it seems to be as accurate as my '99 Swatch Irony Aluminum.

Is a long wind-up to full accuracy normal for automatic mechanical watches?

If anyone knows anything about my Omega, I'd be pleased to hear it.

[ulackfocus]

First - PLEASE STOP WINDING IT UNTIL YOU HAVE IT SERVICED!!! The lubricants are dried up and you will damage the watch! You don't want an heirloom ruined as there's only 1 'grandpa's watch' in the world.

Okay, your watch probably has a movement from the 1000 series, maybe a caliber 1002, 1010, or 1012. They crystal isn't sapphire; it's hesalite - an acrylic/plastic compound that can be poished to remove the scratches. If the chips are too deep, $35 should cover a replacement but it will cost a few bucks more to have it installed. Best to do that at the same time you have it serviced to save on the labor cost of disassembling the watch twice. The cosmetic issues on the case could be handled at this time too if you want.

It's a nice piece and should last your lifetime and more if properly cared for.

[nabeshin]

Thanks for the information.

So this watch is simply an Omega Automatic?

How much would service be for it?

Is it necessary to have it serviced at an Omega dealer? The nearest is an hour away, but there is a local watch shop I take my Swatch for new batteries and cleaning. I've also had the glass buffed once and was told that on this model Swatch, it can only be buffed twice and the glass is not replaceable.

What kind of service interval do watches need anyway?

I apparently have a lot to learn.

[ulackfocus]

So this watch is simply an Omega Automatic?

Yes, a generic Omega - which is still a very good watch.

How much would service be for it?

$130 - $200 depending on parts and how much a watchmaker's hourly rate is.

Is it necessary to have it serviced at an Omega dealer? The nearest is an hour away, but there is a local watch shop I take my Swatch for new batteries and cleaning.

No, any decent watchmaker can handle the job. Ask the local guy for an estimate.

I've also had the glass buffed once and was told that on this model Swatch, it can only be buffed twice and the glass is not replaceable.

It's possible that it's wearing thin. Nothing wrong with getting an OEM crystal. It's considered a normal maintenance item, like changing tires on your car.

What kind of service interval do watches need anyway?

4 - 8 years, and I'd say 7 is safe nowadays.

I apparently have a lot to learn.

No worries! We all did at some point.

[nabeshin]

I stopped by the only watch shop in town that will do mechanical watches. He quoted me $125 for the service which would include taking the watch apart to clean, re-lube it, and replace the case back gasket. Watch lube turns to a gelatinous gunk after 20 years, it seems. I wanted to leave the scratches in the glass (he said it was sapphire) because I like the used appearance of it.

I did not go ahead with the service because the money can better be used elsewhere right now. And with the nature of my job, and my lack of anywhere nice to go out and wear it, getting it service just to sit in a drawer seems like a waste. Unless if by not servicing it, the watch will somehow become unserviceable in the future.

[ulackfocus]

$125 is pretty reasonable. As long as you don't use the watch until you have it serviced it will be fine.