Omega Chronomètre 30T2rg Restoration

. . . after a long stint with the watchmaker and a blessedly short one with the strap-maker.  You might recall my initial post which described the joy of acquiring it; let's just say there were some pitfalls and unpleasant surprises along the way.  The first issue, a non-original buckle, was immediately obvious, but as I was to learn to my chagrin, there's not much in the way of remedy when purchasing from an on-line auction.  Fortunately, I was able to find a vintage gold-filled signed Omega buckle without too much effort or expense.

I dropped the Chronomètre off for service a week after receiving it.  My initial sense was that the watch was in original condition, and I left instructions that it was not to be polished.  Needless to say, I was taken aback when I retrieved the watch a few weeks ago as it had been polished, and a good portion of the brushing on the side of the case had consequently disappeared.  The case was re-brushed along the sides . . . 
  

. . . but the section between the lugs remained polished.  I've seen photos of this model with brushing between the lugs, so I can only presume the case had previously been polished.  The final result was an overall improvement, with delicate brushing on the sides of the case and the lugs (there had been none on the lugs before).  Edges are still sharp, although perhaps not as crisp as before. 

    

My jeweler noted the case was of unusual construction, with less metal than typical.  These are delicate cases with thin walls, and could easily be damaged by less than careful handling.  He also relayed the watchmaker's opinion that the movement had been stressed, and took an extraordinary amount of effort to rejuvenate. 

Even after all these travails, though, I'm pleased with the final result . . .

   

. . . which consumed considerable resources, time, and effort. 

Finally, a 30T2rg . . .

Cordially, Art

[photos credits: Attila Aszodi]

This message has been edited by Dr No on 2011-05-24 07:16:06