My aging father recently gave me his mid-1960s Omega Constellation watch. It’s a nice looking device, but it has a couple problems I’d like to get fixed. For one, the crown has broken off, so you can’t set the time.* It is self-winding, so that isn’t a problem. Also, it runs slow by about five minutes a day, and the crystal is sort of clouded over. I’d like to get it fixed up to tip-top condition, but I don’t know the first thing about finding a competent, honest repair service for a fine timepiece, especially one that can give me an accurate estimate before I sink a ton of money into it.
There is a two-block stretch of Wabash street in Chicago (where I live) that is chock full of jewelers, but I don’t know if they are trustworthy or skilled in this particular watch. Should I send it to Omega? Is there some sort of certification that I should look for at a jeweler? Is there some objective rating scale? Any advice is appreciated.
*I did manage to set the time by letting it sit on a shelf until it wound down, noting the time on the face, and then waiting for the Earth to catch up to it before winding it up again.
There’s a separate listing for service centers. You’re going to have to ship it. https://www.omegawatches .com/en-us/customer-service/finding-a-service-centre/country/united-states
I think running coach’s advice is excellent, but I’ll share a story, for what it’s worth.
I once had a valuable old watch that needed repair. Not knowing where to go, I asked a jeweller if they could fix it. No, was the answer, but they knew who could. They gave me the number of a local watch repair place.
I checked Yelp and other review sites, and this place was highly recommended. So, I gave it a try. The place turned out to be only a watch and clock repair place–not a jeweller or a watch/clock retailer. The repairman sadly could do nothing–he could see the problem, but the watch was so old that the part that the watch needed was no longer available. At any rate, since he couldn’t do anything, he didn’t charge me anything.
Might something like this be an idea? Asking a jeweller for a recommended watch repair place that only does watch/clock repair? It may be faster than mailing your watch to Omega (my total time with the watch repairman was about ten minutes, and his place wasn’t far); and you don’t want to have to wait six to eight weeks only to be told, “We can do nothing.”
You’ve got a watch that a quick google seems to show is worth around $3,000-4,000, plus the sentimental value of being from your father. Ship it off to Omega for the complete service. It’ll be a few hundred, depending on what the case is made of, and if it’s a chronograph or not. They’ll disassemble it down to the gears, clean everything, replace worn parts, etc. Might even replace the broken crown for nothing extra.
Exactly what my kid did after I gave her my dad’s 60s Seamaster DeVille. She’s THRILLED with the results. It is her daily wearer.
Before I gave it to her, I spent a bit of my own at a local shop I had used before and respected, but it still didn’t keep perfect time. So I was wasting time and money, instead of doing what was the right thing to do.
Plus, Omega was able to tell her a bunch about the watch, like parts of it weren’t original, and gave her options for doing things different ways. (She chose to keep things as they were, the way it was when my dad had it.) Good luck finding a local shop to give that sort of service.
Thanks for the replies! The case is made of steel, and on the face it says “Chronometer Officially Certified.” There is no stopwatch function, just a date. My dad paid $94 for it in Amsterdam in 1967, according to the receipt.
I have the crown, detached from the stem, but I don’t suppose they would try to weld it back on.
I’m in Switzerland it still takes 6 weeks to get a proper watch service.
Do it with the manufacturer, or manufacturer approved repair center, if possible.
Odd thing, my husband both have Tag Heuers. We tried once to take it to the Tag Heuer store in downtown Luzern. Nope. They don’t handle repairs or battery replacements as they are only there to sell new watches to tourists. We had to go to a local jeweler, who does do the battery replacements. We always go to them, and I’ll go next week to get the battery replaced (25 CHF).
For major servicing (after 18 years for my watch, similar time for my husband’s), the jeweler sent it to the Tag Heuer repair center. It took the same time for us as my sister-in-law needed for her Tag Heuer to be serviced from Pennsylvania.
I had a similar issue with a TAG Heuer watch. I brought it to a local TAG store where they were able to send it off to be serviced. It took a couple months, which I think is pretty standard.
Tim, I have a pretty large watch collection that keeps growing. I’d recommend Forgotten Time in Arlington Heights. They have lots of experience with Omega.
A late 60ies Omega Constellation is nowhere near worth $3-4k … you can get nice exemplars for $3 digits all day
it is an extremely well done watch (Constellations were top of the line for Omega) and well worth have it serviced (it will serve you easily for another 50+ years) - as the dial says it has a cronometer certified movement in there (probably an Omega caliber 564, which - again - was top of the line, and still smokes 90% of mechanical movements being put into watches today!!!
Do NOT send it off to Omega USA or Switzerland or to other main-street shops. The “wrecking-crew” there will replace all somewhat patinated parts with completely new ones and slap you with a stupidly high bill on top of that. … you do not want that on your father’s heirloom!!!
go to Omegaforums, create an account, post pics of the watch and invoice, etc… make clear that you do NOT look to sell it and ask for the same advice about a watchmaker in your neck of the wood. Pls be kind and outgoing in your initial post, as there are a lot of “hit-and-run” posts there (found this watch in my father’s estate tell me all I need to know so I can sell it on XYZ). The more background information and pics you provide the more people might want to engage. Just like here, OFs.net is full of old, grumpy geezers - but well worth to hang out …
get into contact with a vintage-focussed-watchmaker (recommended on OFs.net) and make it clear that you just want it serviced, with minimal invasiveness. They will then just replace what needs to be replaced, and leave the rest alone. Be especially clear that you don’t want the watch polished!!! Just as an example: the watchglass will have a tiny Omega logo in the center, above the axle where the hands sit … It is of course desireable to have the original glass with that logo. The glass is actually plexi and can easily be buffed, instead of replaced. Polishing the case, however, takes material off and makes all sharp corners of a watch round, like a caramel in your mouth … it is frowned upon in vintage watches. so insist in no polishing.
that’s it in a nutshell… best of luck!
here are a couple of pics that should help you identify your model number (6 digits)
@MikeG - thanks for the tip about Forgotten Time! They look great on Yelp. Not exactly in my back yard but drive-able in under a day. Better than a slowboat to Switzerland.
@Al128 - Thanks for coming out of retirement to supply me with those detailed instructions! And I agree with your price assessment; a quick eBay search brought up lots of $500 to $1000 watches on the market. Mine is a “pie pan” version, caliber 561. The model number is 168.005. Those are both on the receipt as well as the warranty card. I can’t see any sign of the Omega logo on the crystal; I’m pretty sure it is not the original crystal.
I don’t plan to ever wear this watch, as it really isn’t my style. But I do want to get it fixed up, and probably give it to one of my nieces or nephews as a remembrance of their grandfather.
I am on the north side, about a mile north of the Loop. I would only go to Arlington Heights if I had a really good reason. This would qualify. Unless you know someplace in the city, like on Jeweler’s Row.
- but well worth to hang out …