Omega

The winding crown on my watch broke (guess I'm too strong or too stupid), anyway, took it to the authorized dealer and they quote me the service. Around $400.

Is this reasonable?  What exactly is done on a service?  They told me that they needed to change the helium relief valve also in order to ensure the water tightness.  Isn't just the gasket change enough? Should I expect a change of this part in every service?

thanks

 

 

 

I like Omegas and have owned (and sold) several of them, and I'm a 'gray' kind of guy, so as far as warranties and all that, I don't worry (I usually sell them before they get too old!).  I currently have a SM AT with the 2500C movement and I've had it for about a month and it's working fine.  My question: what kind of SM diver's watch?  Age?  Movement?  Is it under warranty?  And that He release valve is more show than usefulness: the Rolex Submariner doesn't have one (I may be mistaken on that), and the SDDS (Sea Dweller) has a nice one built right into the side of the case, no unscrewing the He crown.  I think Doxa is the same way.  And be careful with those screw-down crowns, Omega's is a bit more sensitive (spelled: cheaply made) compared to Rolex's.  You get what you pay for!  Enjoy!   =:^D

i love Omega's, more the vintages, but Omegas none the less. i used to have them serviced at their UK vintage service centre which is actually a privately owned company. average cost is £200-£400 which i think is a ridiculous price, the only advantage being a 2 year Omega warranty. i now use a watchmaker who used to work for them and he charges £80-150 with a 1 year personal guarantee. the top price included a full case finish and movement for a chronograph.

as for Omega's He valves. i dont like them at all. every other dive watch that uses one has it flush to the case and it works automatically.

just my 2 cents worth.

Graham

...for your support on that opinion.  I've only had Omega's recently (over the past 2 or 3 years) and, as I mentioned, I buy, wear for a while, and then sell them and chose my next 'victim' (whatever).  I've had Seiko's serviced at the facility in New Jersey (I live in Colorado), and they do a good job on those, but I have yet to experience any servicing on an Omega, perhaps someday.  I had a Speedy (7750 movement) adjusted to within COSC specs (was -15 seconds/day) by a local watchmaker, and I was pretty happy with that.

Maybe you'll want to buy a new SM via le gris market, or stick with an AD.  Or there's always Rolex....

There are other places who can work on this watch and give you good service.
I have a Planet Ocean and love the watch.

Well, I really don't have much choice, I live in Guatemala and trust me, if I send the Omega to a non dealer, I might finish with a Casio movement on it.  there is only one authorized dealer here, there was another that used to be, but it was a family bussiness. They had a quarrel and the guy who left the company that used to be the dealer, open his own and took the dealership from their family.  He now distributes Philipe Patek and other fine watches, so I guess my Omega might be safe.  The only problem is the price.  So being in a dead end street, I just wanted to know if the price was in the average charged (even if it's to much) and if the He valve was a necesary replacement for the service.  I guess I'll use the valve, when somebody kills me here and thows me to the depths of the sea.

Thanks

 

I do have friends from there (Los Angeles has a huge Central American population- good pupusas, too!)
I think we are spoiled with a lot of resources here. Good luck.