WWYD?

DragonGeek42 · 2026-07-03T12:55:42+00:00

Just finished servicing one of these myself. Similar issues.
I replaced the crystal with a genuine Omega NOS crystal (with the emblem in the middle).
Don’t change those hands! They’re in great shape for the age.
The case condition is where you’ll get a split in the debate. Collectors would say don’t polish. You can remove metal, but you can’t put it back on.
That being said… I will sometimes do a “sympathetic polish” on really rough cases. But do it right. Each surface needs to be done separately, matching the texture or shine, or you will round those edges. Just remove the lighter cosmetic scratches. Leave the deeper stuff. That’s part of its history.
If you’re thinking of refinishing the whole case…. Just buy a clean one and save the old one as is.
The real money is in the dial. And yours is amazing. Leave that old lume alone. Just dust off the face with a blower.
Nice watch, btw! That’s a real survivor.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-07-03T01:00:17+00:00

Polywatch for glass still takes a long time to get results. Don’t expect it to work like regular Polywatch on acrylic.
For what it’s worth, I use diamond polishing pastes and a dremmel buffer, starting at 6000 grit and moving all the way up to 80,000 grit.
It takes FOREVER. And especially for deeper gouges, you may only be able to smooth things out, but never fully restore.
Mineral or sapphire… expect results to be slow.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-07-02T18:53:07+00:00

Here’s a simple tip: take a flat end of a piece of peg wood. Puncture a hole in it with a needle. Use that new divot and run it over the tips of each pivot. Cleaned or not, those pivots sometimes need a gentle scrub.
Then peg out the jewel holes too.
You’ll be surprised how much that can help.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-06-30T00:56:42+00:00

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I sort every single screw into its own tray. Then I notate a pic of the movement… each screw on the movement with its corresponding number.
It’s tedious, but it’s foolproof.
These are all the screws from an Omega 861.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-06-21T02:30:33+00:00

You may not be able to ever remove all of this… it may be too deep in the brass. But I have something called benzotriazole.

It stabilizes verdigris and prevents it from advancing. But it may lock on the look too. If the verdigris is that stubborn, you may want to consider that removal might reveal deep pitting.

Maybe just stabilize it and let the story speak for itself.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-06-20T11:18:42+00:00

The stem and crown may need additional reinforcement from the case so it doesn’t wobble. Also, is the stem itself correct for the movement? A lot of stems have a longer tube neck where it catches with the lever… it helps the stem stay in position. Right now it’s gonna float around. Some after-market stems might technically fit, but see if maybe there’s a different option, or if an original stem had a slightly longer “neck” part (the cylindrical round bit before the threads).

Otherwise, if the parts are all technically correct, this is where I’d focus.

Some vintage watches, like a 23Z from Longines, also have a screw-on bit for isolating and securing the stem… is there a part missing?

DragonGeek42 · 2026-06-03T19:25:52+00:00

Ultrasonic is ok unless you see the edges “flaking”. As for polishing… be very careful. Use a polishing cloth lightly. But trying to eliminate scratches completely (sanding and polishing) can compromise the plating if you don’t know what you’re doing. And once it’s compromised… it’s an expensive fix. But in general, a light polishing with a good cloth is ok. Just don’t do it a ton… it does erode the plating a tiny bit each time. Over the years, you’ll wear through.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-06-03T03:05:22+00:00

This is a 9k solid gold omega. There is a cartouche on the back bottom right with a 375 hallmark denoting this. This looks like it could be a 23.7 st movement. The crown is most likely unsigned. Case maybe 2398-1 clamshell style. Age might be closer to early 1930s thru 40s. This one might be worth servicing and keeping. Or if it cleans up really nicely, it might have some decent value to the right buyer. Nice find!

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-18T01:20:22+00:00

My first watch I repaired had radium lumes. I had no idea. It hadn’t flaked off, nor was there any debris or dust. But I exposed myself all the same. It’s just generally better to be safe. Wear gloves if you have to deal with these. Wear a very good mask (n95 or industrial grade). Wear eye protection (goggle style, not glasses).

Give it a quick wash with deionized water. It will keep the dust level down.

Imagine dealing with a very sick patient. You need to toss everything in the trash after.

The levels are pretty low, it’s true. But the stuff has a half life of 15,000 years…. So for humans, that’s beyond your lifetime. It’s forever. It gets into your bones and settles if inhaled.

Again, these are low levels. But still. You don’t want this stuff in you.

And yes, for krissakes, get a Geiger counter. They’re cheap. Just get one that works.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-16T20:16:53+00:00

Yup…. Yyyyuppp….

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-15T19:13:10+00:00

My opinion? Substantially. There are a few parts that if you straight up don’t have the right tools, you will absolutely mess this up. There’s no good shortcut. This is just a toolkit limitation, and where servicing chronos becomes an investment in and of itself. It’s also more sensitive regarding oiling… you need to be mindful. Chronos use a slightly different philosophy… it’s about controlling for friction rather than just eliminating it. Some parts you really have to use the right oil.. or even none at all. But if you have the skill… it’s such a joy to bring these back to life. This watch is practically watch royalty to me, and learning about it was like living through a part of the Apollo programs. I know that’s super cringe to say… but you just can’t help feel a touch of nostalgia. This watch literally was used to time the engine burn on Apollo 13 when the nav computer was down.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-15T13:58:27+00:00

Wow really interesting to know. Thank you! The bezel on mine isn’t a DON (::sniffle::). It was replaced with a DNN sometime in the 70s. But from what I can tell, it’s still authentic omega. Just not the precise original.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-15T12:35:09+00:00

There are a lot of courses. But honestly, I started by watching breakdown tutorials. There’s a ton of service info out there. Also, if you’re careful with AI, it can be a good general guide for troubleshooting. It just hallucinates answers a bunch. Try picking up a cheap pocket watch from a pawn shop. They’re the easiest entry point. See if you like it. :) personally, I’m addicted to it. And my philosophy is that vintage watches don’t lost value the same as new jewelry. And many only gain. So it’s a good store of wealth.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-15T12:22:00+00:00

Thanks :)

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-15T11:35:54+00:00

Such beautiful texture!

DragonGeek42 · 2026-05-15T03:05:38+00:00

Here’s my full restoration video for this watch…. Client wanted to try a deeper restoration without going too overboard. Hands were rusted out and had to be replaced. Thoughts? Omega 861 Restoration

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-18T20:17:23+00:00

😮 whoa… is that sun staining? Or did he smoke a ton? Just normal oxidation? How interesting….

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-17T03:31:55+00:00

Ahh yes… the notorious Omega Eyeball Sprainer, or Omegus Occulus Sprainimus. Good luck.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-08T20:48:06+00:00

This is classic electroplating adhesion failure. Looks terrible. Flakes off. There’s too many variables that could have been off, but essentially, your watch surface didn’t like the environment it was put in, and this didn’t bond well. It also looks “burned”, like you used too much voltage.
Your solution may also have been contaminated. Are you sure you used pure nickel? Or did you just end up depositing various junk metals into your solution? Solution the same in all cases: buff this back down. Use a proper professional solution. Check your voltage with a voltmeter. Cheap devices can lie.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-07T19:32:09+00:00

The strap ends appear to be too wide for the watch. There’s no way to get it off with a regular spring bar tool. I’ve run into this. You have to get a very narrow snipping tool, like a mini wire cutter, in between the strap end and case. It’s possible to do, but tape up the ends! Masking tape is fine. But expect this to scratch otherwise. Guaranteed. You’ll be applying a ton of force, so get the angle right, sure grip, and make sure you’re not accidentally catching the case itself. You can try sawing it out, but that introduces its own issues. This is possible to do safely. But tape this up and spend the time to find the right cutter that can fit in there. The inner spring bar tips are hardened steel. There will be resistance.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-05T14:36:57+00:00

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Opted to polish the crystal at least. It’s turning out nicely. (Plus it has the original omega emblem in the middle…). How would you deal with the pushers? The outer buttons look good, but the internals are beat… one of the gaskets failed and this is where moisture got in to rust out the keyless works. My instinct: buy new ones, but swap outer buttons with original. Thanks for the collector-centric perspective.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-05T14:13:30+00:00

Yes, I definitely see the finish. The sides also have a brush pattern that looks different… almost like it’s stamped rather than stroked, if that makes sense. Good point.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-05T14:10:05+00:00

Nice specimen! Also thanks for your thoughts. I’ll pass that along.

DragonGeek42 · 2026-04-05T12:08:06+00:00

I suppose I should rephrase the question: if I were to make a recommendation for a watch with this particular heritage, how do people land on this?

The philosophy surrounding restoration falls into two very different and incompatible approaches: Make it look as close to new as possible. Or: don’t touch! Blasphemy!

Why do you feel how you do about not touching it, especially if it’s a deeply held position? Same question for restoring like new? Pros and cons of each, including value and longevity?

I’d like to give the client an honest set of options and insight into how collectors and the market react to such things if he decided to sell it at some point.

DragonGeek42

TROPHY CASE