I see the insert can be separated from the rest of the bezel without a problem yet Omega will only supply the complete unit for £250. This has put me off buying another of these otherwise great watches.
I see the insert can be separated from the rest of the bezel without a problem yet Omega will only supply the complete unit for £250. This has put me off buying another of these otherwise great watches.
I'm fairly sure that that seller is bry, formerly of this parish.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Here's my favourite How-to bezel removing video ... it's easy ... !
For that I can't blame him. Omega charges EUR 350 / GBP 250 for a new bezel if you want your scratched $1 alu inlay to be replaced - thats laughable.
Im still undecided what is worse, a scratched inlay or an aftermarket one. Oh well, as I think about it... I'd go with the aftermarket solution, and buy myself a nice Seiko X-Turtle for the rest of the money. :)
Last edited by JMH; 19th December 2015 at 15:39.
That's Bry's creation, he makes some wonderful tools.
The fact that the bezel insert isn`t supplied separately is crazy. Once the bezel's removed it's fairly easy to press the insert out with the right diameter dies and a press. They snap out nicely and snap back in nicely (provided nothing's damaged) and don`t need adhesive etc.
Usually the bezel itself can be refinished to an acceptable standard, but once the insert's marked there's nothing that can be done to improve it if the damage has broken through to the aluminium.
I`ve tried aftermarket inserts (blue Bond) and I wasn`t impressed; the colour was way off and the finish seemed likely to flake easily. On the plus side, the fit was excellent. At around £15 from Cousins they're cheap enough, but ideally Omega would make a genuine replacement available in the same way Rolex do.
When removing the bezel it is essential to rotate at the same time as pulling. The tool I use is aluminium and it grips the bezel tightly. I usually end up clamping the case in a wooden clamp placed in a vice, and even then they can be stubborn to remove.
Definitely not wise to try using a metal knife to get one off, it's likely to end badly.
Paul