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OmegaConstellation
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OmegaConstellation Member

OmegaConstellation

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Hi guys/gals,

I've recieved my grandfather's old watch as a gift and I'm looking to restore it to the best of my newbie abilities! So far I've conquered certain hurdles but this has stopped me dead in my tracks...

His watch face sadly has seen its days, and it shows with the lacquer condition. There's obvious damage on the centre portion of the pie pan, and similarly down at the bottom of the face. What caused this and is it possible to fix/restore this? I'm trying to keep the watch as original as I can so any help or advice would be extremely helpful! I'm looking to surprise him on the restoration job I did!

 

Also, does anyone know where I can find a gold plated Omega 2852 crown...

 

Thank you from this horology rookie!

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watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

Posted
Posted

Hello and welcome to the forum,   Anything can be repaired /restored at a pricem, So it depends on what you envisage regarding costs.  Dial restoration can cost upwards of £100 depending of the dial etc.  The problen was most likley moisture ingression attacking the finish,  For the crown There are material houses from which to source parts for example  Cousins UK,  H.S.Walsh, Gleave and Co, A.G.Thomas  on the UK and  Jules Borel, Esslingers in the states, whether you will obtaine the Genuine article (expensive) or a generic crown time will tell. The gen one has the omega logo embossed on it the generic does not.  What is the condition the the watch case and band/strap like.   pictures would be appreciated for members to asses and advise.

OmegaConstellation Member

OmegaConstellation

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  On 12/28/2021 at 11:52 AM, watchweasol said:

Hello and welcome to the forum,   Anything can be repaired /restored at a pricem, So it depends on what you envisage regarding costs.  Dial restoration can cost upwards of £100 depending of the dial etc.  The problen was most likley moisture ingression attacking the finish,  For the crown There are material houses from which to source parts for example  Cousins UK,  H.S.Walsh, Gleave and Co, A.G.Thomas  on the UK and  Jules Borel, Esslingers in the states, whether you will obtaine the Genuine article (expensive) or a generic crown time will tell. The gen one has the omega logo embossed on it the generic does not.  What is the condition the the watch case and band/strap like.   pictures would be appreciated for members to asses and advise

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Thank you for your assessment! I was hoping it wasn't moisture ingression but I guess I can't run away from the truth grr. I was hoping I could fix up the face personally but sounds like that should be left to the professionals The rest of the movement is in what you can say... working order...definitely needing a deeper clean. Case body/case back are refurbishable so I'm not too worried about that moving forward. Strap wise, my grandfather sadly broke the original so I'm looking into a dark brown or black leather strap to take its place. In my opinion I think either option would fit the watch nicely, especially if I'm wearing the piece casually. Thank you for your advise on the crown, I'll definitely be spending the next few days scrounging around. 

Hopefully these further pictures can allow for a deeper idea of what I'm dealing with.

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

Posted
Posted
  On 12/28/2021 at 12:19 PM, OmegaConstellation said:

The rest of the movement is in what you can say... working order.

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That a mechanical mov.t runs doesn't necessarily mean that is in good health. At least it should be tested on the timegrapher to looks at certain basic parameters.

 

  On 12/28/2021 at 12:19 PM, OmegaConstellation said:

Definitely needing a deeper clean.

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Are you thinking of doing that yourself? That would be definitely a bad idea for a beginner. The watch you have is quite valuable and worth the cost of service by a reputable watchmaker. Any of the normal mistakes and damage made by beginners could be disastrous. 

  • Like 2
OmegaConstellation Member

OmegaConstellation

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  On 12/28/2021 at 12:30 PM, jdm said:

That a mechanical mov.t runs doesn't necessarily mean that is in good health. At least it should be tested on the timegrapher to looks at certain basic parameters.

 

Are you thinking of doing that yourself? That would be definitely a bad idea for a beginner. The watch you have is quite valuable and worth the cost of service by a reputable watchmaker. Any of the normal mistakes and damage made by beginners could be disastrous. 

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Oh if I do a deeper clean I'm taking it in to a professional, I'm not brave enough to decipher the innards of a watch like this. My goal was just to clean it up the best I could without any exterior help, then move to more serious decisions if I decided so. It started as a small project but now it seems like it's blooming into uncharted territory for me. I still don't have any idea of what a watch like this may actually cost, there's a slew of numbers out there accounting for condition and such. 

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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

Posted
Posted (edited)

As far as the state of the dial is concerned I would leave it well alone.

Your options are basically refinish it, replace it, or live with it.

If you refinish it you will dramatically devalue the watch. Collectors rate originality very highly, and that means an original untouched dial, even if it shows its age, is highly valued.

If the dial as it is offends you then you could track down a replacement in better condition, but that would be very expensive.

Personally I would have no problem with the dial as it is as it is still clean and perfectly readable; I would chalk it up to showing the history of the watch, but we all have different tastes and it may not suit you, but, which ever route you take, changing or modifying the dial will cost you dearly.

Edited by Marc
typos and formating
  • Like 2
watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

Posted
Posted

I would definitley endorse Marc's opinion as I share the same sentiments regarding originality and the fact thst a restored dil whilst looking the part de values the watch.  The watch has lived and picked up a few scars just like us. Clean it all up fit the good quality brpwn strap and the crown .   good luck.

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OmegaConstellation Member

OmegaConstellation

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  On 12/28/2021 at 1:04 PM, Marc said:

As far as the state of the dial is concerned I would leaver it well alone. Your options are basically refinish it, replace it, or live with it. If you refinish it you will dramatically devalue the watch. Collectors rate originality very highly, and that means an original untouched dial, even if it shows its age, is highly valued. If the dial as it is offends you then you could track down a replacement in better condition, but that would be very expensive. Personally I would have no problem with the dial as it is as it is still clean and perfectly readable; I would chalk it up to showing the history of the watch, but we all have different tastes and it maay not suit you, but, which ever route you take, changing or modifying the dial will cost you dearly.

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Thanks for your input! You are 100% right, there is a special quality that the damage represents. And yes it still is perfectly readable. To be honest, when I first recieved the watch I thought the squiggles collected on the middle of the pie pan were actually intentional! I thought they were "constellations," like the ones we would see in night sky. But further research taught me that the constellation line of watch's were designed after a plane instead...

I do love the watch in its current state, it's just the areas around the rim of the face has similar damage that can definitely pull at the eyes. If THAT damage wasn't there, cleaning up the face wouldn't have even crossed my mind. As for value wise, again you are right originality is key in this world. But this watch has to much sentimental value and I won't be parting ways with it anytime soon. I'll only be losing it when I give it to my son when the right time comes. It's just that gosh darn damage on the bottom...

OmegaConstellation Member

OmegaConstellation

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  On 12/28/2021 at 1:29 PM, watchweasol said:

I would definitley endorse Marc's opinion as I share the same sentiments regarding originality and the fact thst a restored dil whilst looking the part de values the watch.  The watch has lived and picked up a few scars just like us. Clean it all up fit the good quality brpwn strap and the crown .   good luck.

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History on the wrist. It's becoming clear that the consensus is to leave the face alone and move forward. Thank you for voicing your opinion because I have too many of my own swirling in my head. This is such welcoming community and I'm glad I came here for advise!

  • Like 1
jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

Posted
Posted
  On 12/28/2021 at 12:48 PM, OmegaConstellation said:

I still don't have any idea of what a watch like this may actually cost

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Easily upward of 3,000 Euro if good looking and serviced. Inside the case back is the reference number, enter that on Chono24.com and compare to similar pieces.

Unfortunately the dial is too damaged to make it very desirable, and the missing crown is also a big issue. So it can happen that even a valuable model can't sell decently, either before or after restauration.

OmegaConstellation Member

OmegaConstellation

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  • Author
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  On 12/28/2021 at 2:34 PM, jdm said:

Easily upward of 3,000 Euro if good looking and serviced. Inside the case back is the reference number, enter that on Chono24.com and compare to similar pieces.

Unfortunately the dial is too damaged to make it very desirable, and the missing crown is also a big issue. So it can happen that even a valuable model can't sell decently, either before or after restauration.

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I'll be sure to do that ref. number check. Thank you for your insight!

Plato WRT Addict

Plato

Posted
Posted
  On 12/28/2021 at 11:18 AM, OmegaConstellation said:

His watch face sadly has seen its days, and it shows with the lacquer condition.

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I personally quite like the look of the dial. It shows age and is still perfectly legible. It can be 'fixed' to look like a newer watch but why bother?! 

  • Like 1
clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

Posted
Posted

Agree with Plato the dial looks good. I did have a Longines dial refurbished a few months ago and it was £150. The customer was very happy to pay this + my fee as the dial was in poor condition see pics.

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