Omega Service Alternatives

[JohnGingerwood]

Can anyone recommend another service option other than omega? Full service, movement, replacement of worn parts and polishing. I have seen some omegas serviced by well trained independent watch makers and they look great and are cheaper and faster. Any recommendations? Thanks all!

[AEC]

Nesbit's in Seattle has serviced my Omega watches, and results are consistently excellent. I hesitate to send a contemporary Omega to anyone else (but I may let Archer in Canada do my Speedmaster Pro when the time comes). You can phone and speak with Jan Nesbit before shipping. They're Omega certified, full parts account, etc. As such, Nesbit's prices are exactly equal to Omega prices, but quality control, turn-around times, and communication/cooperation are all excellent. Warranty is 30 months, if memory serves me.

[RicZen]

Just got my speedie back from Nesbit's 3 weeks ago. Perfection. I will add a previous post from Omega service in Culver City. Nesbit's talked with me about what my main concerns were and addressed them with total satisfaction. The second hand is perfectly centered, the minute hand counter is perfectly centered, I can hack the watch and the finish is better than I had from Omega. I feel like family pride has graced my watch. While with Omega service I felt like a very well trained person rushed my watch through an assembly line. Previous post..
Hello all. I've had mine since 1999. For 16 years it ran +2 sec a day. I could pull out the crown and with slight reverse wind could stop (hack) the seconds back any day. I got a full service from Omega (Culver City) and the chrono stopped working first try. Sent it back. Then the large second hand would not reset to zero, slightly off. Then every time I used it, it would get further off center to like 7 seconds off of zero reset. So it went back to tighten the second hand. It ran +10 seconds a day. Also I could not stop the seconds hand with reverse pressure on the pulled out crown. I waited towards the end of the 2 year warranty and went to the watch shop to see if Omega would regulate it. They said it had a HIGH amplitude and should send it back to Omega under the warranty. Omega had it for weeks before getting it back to me. Still runs +10 sec a day for 3 years now. End of story.

I should add that after two years from Culver City I sent the watch in to be regulated. The watch store I went to said it had a high amplitude and would not regulate it but send it back to Culver City. It returned with no difference. At 3.4 years from my Omega full service It was running +15 seconds a day. So after only 3.4 years I had to send it to Nesbit's. Once again they are perfection.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by JohnGingerwood

Can anyone recommend another service option other than omega? Full service, movement, replacement of worn parts and polishing. I have seen some omegas serviced by well trained independent watch makers and they look great and are cheaper and faster. Any recommendations? Thanks all!

As others have said, Nesbit's in Seattle used to be an Omega Service Center until Swatch reorganized their own Centers.

If you are on the other side of the country, Rik Dietel in Florida at Time Care Inc, is a well regarded watchmaker.

If you are in the middle, Phillip Ridley at Ridley Watchmakers is in Arizona.

[JohnGingerwood]

Thanks everyone!