Hi, apologies if this has been posted before (I'm a newbie and this is my first post) but I just went to get my 10 year old Seamaster serviced in the Omega store on Regent Street and they wanted £410, which I thought was bit steep, plus the guy who "helped" me was pretty disinterested and disengaged.
I have recently had a Cartier serviced through the Cartier store on Sloane Street and my IWC by Mappin & Webb on Bond Street and I'm sure neither came close to this price.
Does anyone have any suggestions for reputable third parties I could use instead?
Thanks in advance.
I have used Duncan Potter at Genesis watchmakers for two different Omega Seamaster services.
Both have been returned with timekeeping at +/-2 secs per day, and are running superbly.
All seals are replaced, as are springbars.
Additional service costs are flagged prior to commencement.
Search here for Potter and Genesis, and the website is www.genesiswatchmaking.co.uk/
I don't know about price, but official Omega service seems pretty good these days; and you get an Omega guarantee. It's a real option.
Worth bearing in mind that was probably a base service price. If anything needs replacing they may end up quoting you more.
So thats £41 per year running costs. Not too bad and you get the manufacturer’s 2y guarantee with that as said above.
STS swiss time services. Afaik they service all omegas not sure if it will be less than your first quote though.
If the movement isn’t a co-axial it’s straightforward for any repairer. Co-axials can present more problems and parts availability then becomes an issue for independents who are not Omega accredited.
If Swatch Group hadn’t taken the stance they did over parts supply to wholesalers the options would be far greater and the cost approx half the figure Omega charge.........but rest assured this is all supposedly in the customer’s best interest.
Omega a credited repairers will charge a little less than Omega service centre and you have the advantage if speaking directly to the guy who does the work.
Paul
That’s one way to look at it........but in 2016 I was servicing and fully refinishing cal 1120 SMPs for around £160, I gave 1 year guarantee but virtually nothing ever came back with problems.Originally Posted by MartynJC (UK)
Swatch Group are getting exactly what they wanted by restricting parts supply, they’re killing the independent repair trade.
Owners can now look forward to paying extortionate amounts of money to get their watches serviced.......but you do get that nice red case when the watch is returned.
Paul
Ask Simon Freese:
http://www.simonfreesewatchmakers.com/
He used to be the service manager at STS and I'm not the only one on here who swears by his work. He's now set up on his own, give him a call.
"A man of little significance"
The £410 is the standard Omega price for a mechanical non precious metal watch - see below for what you get for that money. At least the AD isn't adding their margin
https://www.omegawatches.com/custome...mplete-service
It does seem a little steep, but as others have pointed out there are good independent options too
I've used STS and Genesis for services on my now 12 year old Seamaster. I will be using Genesis next time without a doubt.
Another shout for Duncan at Genesis, he's just done my Railmaster, great service and 2yr warranty, recommended plus he offers a 20% discount to TZ members.
Duncan also serviced my Speedmaster Professional and TAG Monaco in the past couple of years and I would highly recommend his services too.
Omega replace hands and the crown, whether they need it or not. Whilst this may give folks a warm feeling it's unnecessary in most cases. If hands aren't tarnished or the lume isn`t unstable they're fine to refit and reuse, but they have to be removed and refitted carefully to avoid marking. As for the crown, in the majority of cases the seals can be replaced easily so provided the crown's in good condition it doesn`t need replacement. In the case of a screw-down crown the wear and tear is generally on the pendant tube and that isn`t swapped a matter of routine.
Do the watches run any better after being serviced by Omega compared to an 'unworthy' independent?.......not in my experience.
For anyone who doesn`t feel happy sending a watch to a non-authorised independent, I would advise using an Omega accredited indy in preference to Omega Service Centre. I'm a strong believer in dealing with one individual rather than a faceless organisation, an individual will always go the extra mile to ensure a job's done correctly because his reputation depends on it.
Fast-forward 10 years and the manufacturer's service centres will be the only option...and prices will be adjusted accordingly!
Paul
For this sort of watch, I would feel very happy sending to an independent for a service Paul. Just putting info out there on the official Omega service and price
I would also recommend Simon. Worth giving him a call he’s very helpful.
I used STS to service my Seamaster a few months ago and found them excellent. Would happily use them again.
Well my Omega SMPc went in running poorly and after it came back from a full service by Omega it was still 8 or 9 secs fast per day. Make of that what you will.
The usual 'independents are best' stuff; maybe it's right, but Omega these days seem pretty sharp. Try selling an Omega with a manufacturers service guarantee....the market values them more highly.
Independents will, understandably, charge for expensive replacement parts, Omega doesnt. And Omega repolish the watch at no extra charge. So it's nor clear that the manufacturer is much more expensive.
It's just personal choice, but the arguments aren't all one-way. And choice is good.
Last edited by paskinner; 15th March 2018 at 14:25.
As is often the case, a mixture of fact and conjecture!
Omega accredited repairers can access all parts at far cheaper prices than the rest of us, it's only the non-accredited guys that get ripped off or starved of parts. Parts cost should not be a reason to use the service Centre instead of an accredited indy.
As for refinishing being free.......believe that if you wish but the cost is factored into the price you pay.
As for valuing service history, 'the market' places very limited value on any service history when selling, regardless of what you've been told. However, service history from an accredited Indy repairer should carry just as much clout as from a service centre.
What can`t be disputed is the warm feeling factor; some folks place a premium on knowing a watch has been to an official service centre and don`t mind paying for the warm feeling.
I`ve seen a few Omega SMPs that have been refinished at Omega Service Centre........I haven`t always been impressed!
Paul
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 15th March 2018 at 14:50.
Agree with this too. Great service, just had my watch back from him and couldn’t be happier.
Simple, it wasn`t regulated correctly. Amplitude and positional agreement were probably excellent but if the regulation isn`t correct the owner isn`t a happy chap. In my experience some watches take a few days to really settle down after servicing, I can`t offer a logical explanation why, possibly it's due to slight over-oiling or possibly the oil film on the faster moving parts needs to stabilise, but I`ve seen the rate alter slightly over a few days. The service Centres will use a cyclotester and make their regulations based on specific positions, I make my final adjustments based on actually wearing a watch for several hours, I have my own way of doing it that makes sense to me, and a watch doesn`t get sent out gaining 9 secs/day. My Rolex Explorer had been serviced by Rolex UK a couple of months prior to me buying, that gained around 9 secs/day till I regulated it myself. Conversely I had a couple of Rolex watches serviced by Bill Rice some years ago and both ran at around +1 sec/day. I`m a firm believer that one man taking full responsibility will invariably go the extra mile to get the best results, there's nowhere to hide if it isn`t right and it's surprising how that focuses the mind!
Paul
My 2254 SMP has been to Omega in Southampton twice. Once for full service and again for a new Bezel when I scratched it. Both times the service was superb and the watch came back literally looking new.
Cost a bit, but after 8 years of loyal service I thought it deserved a spa.
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