frost

It would help if you posted where you are.

New York, but I don't mind mailing it in the CONUS.

Gents,

Can anyone recommend a member who does repair on Omega Reps? I have something relatively simple that needs to be looked at. I suspect that I just need a stem replacement as the crown appears to be loose and not winding the watch correctly. I'd like a pro to give it a once over. Anyone recommended on the site here? Thanks.

Avoid the BP factory like the plague.

I've had nothing but problems with Omega reps from the BP factory. Snapped crowns, AR completely wiped off in a week, piece of junk off brand movement installed when I paid for a Swiss ETA w/ Omega engravings. Check out the movement I got instead of the Nickel Plated Swiss. BP Factory SUCKS:

I have it! Its a great watch and very accurate to the gen.

Any rumors of restock that you've heard?

Ugh! Checked with Andrew... apparently it's been out of stock for quite some time. According to him, it's a noob factory watch.

Gentlemen,

Just wondering if anyone had experience with this particular model Super Ocean:

http://www.ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16_144&products_id=10419

I'm not sure which factories are currently offering it. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Sorry to drag this thread back from the dead, but for the sake of others I wanted to explain that my problem was related to the rotor being screwed on too tight, I completely removed it, then replaced it. It does not take a lot to keep the rotor assembly in place. Perhaps 1.5 turns of the screw. I had tried tightening it at first only to make the situation worse.

Are there any reliable crowns out there aside from the gen? I've popped 2 out of 3 crowns on watches sourced from the BP factory.

Gents, first off thank you all for your replies. I sincerely appreciate everyone's input and attempts to further educate me. Clearly I have a lot to learn.

This is how the gen is designed. None of us can make you believe this is the case, but it's true. The retaining ring and crystal gasket are still inside the bezel assembly (the "bezel" itself is just the part with the teeth).

 

I don't see any "disaster" here: you have a $25 repair you need to make, replacing the rep crown with a TC crown and tube which is more accurate anyway. Fix the watch and enjoy it.

I over-reacted, and appreciate your input. I can't believe that's the design, but apparently it is. What's the best way to pick up a TC crown and tube for this particular model? Please forgive my ignorance.

I can put it back together for you. You mentioned 4 holes, were there springs in the holes, or did you lose them when you took it off. You have to remove the insert, seperate the retainer from the bezel. Then, Install your crystal and gasket. Here is what you need to know. The bezel goes on first. THEN press your retainer, with the lip up, on over the bezel. Before you put the bezel on, be sure your ball and springs are in place. Press the retainer down, cking the tightness of the bezel rotation and you press. When the bezel has the right amount of resistance to suit you, install the insert. Your done.

Matt, thank you for your reply. I didn't lose any of the springs when I opened it. I basically put them back in and pressed the piece I removed back on top. The bezel remains very difficult to rotate. Based on what you mention here, that can be adjusted. I've done some minor work before (removed and locktite'd pushers on an IWC 3777), so I'm not entirely useless (I hope). I'm going to try to attempt this myself. Any how-to's out there that you're familiar with?

Removing the bezel will all so remove the retaining ring... Thereby only leaving the crystal and the gasket; which will immediate fall off since there is no longer any compression. This is the same as gen. The challenge is putting it all back together.

I don't recall seeing any retaining ring or gasket. When I removed the bezel, the crystal came off with the bezel attached in one piece. The drill holes in the head look sloppy as hell to me. I don't have a disassembled gen for comparison, but I can't imagine that this assembly is authentic, or even remotely accurate.

Sorry to read about your bad luck. But you clearly don't know about what is and isn't true to gen. The BP bezel assembly is 100% the same. Only problem is most people (even watchmakers) don't know how the different parts interact and therefor have no clue how to assemble it. Popping the bezel off is 1 thing....

I appreciate your reply. What are your thoughts on the assembly of this piece? I don't claim to be any expert in the matter, but judging solely on the shoddy looking drill points, I'd say we've got a problem here. I assumed the glass wasn't supposed to come off with the bezel based on youtube videos I had found.

So I picked up a ceramic Submariner (No Date) from a TD not too long ago, and it was fine for a week or so before I started having problems, those being:

1. The crown clutch failed, and the watch no longer winds. I understand this is a very common failure in reps and most people replace the crown and tube. I'd have no problem with this if I were convinced that all other features of the watch were in order.

2. The bezel was extremely stiff when trying to turn. I found some information about removing and cleaning a dirty bezel. The watch I purchased from the TD was reported to be a 1:1 replica, completely compatible with genuine parts. After removing the bezel I quickly learned this was not the case. The bezel came off ALONG WITH THE CRYSTAL, and I found 4 sloppily drilled holes with spring / bolt assemblies.that kept it in place. There's NO WAY this is water resistant enough to wash your hands with it on.

The movement seems OK, as it's simple with no date function. Not sure what other flaws will present themselves. I have no choice but to send this back. Any comments? This is my 3rd watch from the "BP Factory" and all 3 have had major problems. Any comments?

If I were you I wouldn't bother replacing with another rep crown from the TD. Just get a gen crown..used in good condition is fine. You might be able to use the existing stem..although I'd just replace it at the same time. You can pick up a nice gen 703 crown for $60-80.

Replacing the crown on any (Rolex) rep should be a mandatory first mod.

I absolutely respect this opinion. The TD is sending a replacement crown. I don't wear this particular rep very often, as I have it bookmarked for casual wear. A little too ostentatious for the office (and most situations really). I mainly like the way it looks on a Bond strap. I'm primarily focused on getting it working and if I choose to invest more money in the rep later, I will. Thanks again for the advice.

Excellent, thanks guys. The rubber ball isn't cracking the back on this one, so I'm also going to need to pick up one of those case opener tools.

Thanks fellas. Frost, the HE valve does lock out about 1.5 turns so I suppose it could be functional but I can't guarantee it? It won't be going near the sea though

Mine doesn't budge. Hmm..

I had this as well. Took the back off and tightened all the bridge, rotor and [censored] screws which were loose. Works fine now

 

Loose screws were allowing the rotor to sit high and touch the case back when warm and expanded

 

S

Thanks for the reply. I'll give this a shot. Would you happen to have a recommended screwdriver set by the way? There are a ton of different options on Amazon and eBay, but I was curious if there was a "preferred" set?

Gents, I finally was able to open the watch and verify this was a crown / stem issue as described. I want to thank everyone here for all their input and assistance in resolving this. I had no idea the stem had such an intricate mechanism. I'll be contacting the TD and requesting replacement parts.

Is the 'He' valve functional? I believe the one I purchased is from the BP Factory (Trusty Time). The 'He' valve is more recessed and does not stick out as much. I believe it is supposed to stick out further (as per the gen).

I just received a Ceramic Planet Ocean from a TD last Friday (4/11). This is my 3rd watch from the same dealer, and the third watch that has had a problem. On this particular model, the glass back allows you to observe the movement and rotor. I started to notice that the watch began to stop while wearing it throughout the day. It manually winds fine. I took it off and started turning it in my hand, and noticed that the rotor would get "stuck" and not turn unless I shook the watch hard enough, or tapped on the back glass to get it to move. I also noticed that I can "unstick" the rotor if I unscrew the crown and gently nudge the winder, ever so slightly. Any ideas what might be wrong here? Things I should try?

Gents, thank you so much for help. I'll source the parts mentioned and let you know how it goes. I'm glad this forum has so many members willing to help out a rookie

The spring is weak in the crown. After unscrew it and it pops turn it in reverse and see if it will pop out a little. It should wind then. If not, the spring in the crown is bad

After following your instructions, this works, but it is VERY sensitive. After winding it backwards some, it will occasionally "catch" and I am able to wind it forward, but I have to do it very gently or it will slip again. Is there a long term solution to this problem? I'm currently having issues opening the case with the tools I have on hand, so I'm going to try duct tape as recommended on another forum, and if all else fails, I will purchase a proper tool to get it open. Not sure if there's something I can do once I'm inside. I appreciate any advice you can provide.

Yes. You have to do the mod and fix the pusher stems from inside with thread lock like Loctite. Otherwise sooner or later one or both of the pushers are gone. Even if you are lucky and find the fallen pusher again - the spring will be lost to 99,99% because it is very hard to see and find.

I appreciate the info. It sounds like this is something easy to mess up if you're not familiar with the procedure. Is this something I can ask the dealer/factory to do for me during assembly, or would I be better off paying someone here in the US to do? I'm all for doing things myself the majority of the time, but I'm also well aware of my limitations, so I'd want to make sure I got it right the first time around. Is there a "HOW TO" sitting around somewhere that someone took the time to make? (I'm assuming not, as something like that would be a sticky on most boards)

Again, I really appreciate the insight...

Just out of curiosity, where did you buy the rep from, and are all chrono pushers vulnerable to failure, regardless of the source? I'm considering picking up this rep, but obviously don't want it to turn it into a money pit.

http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/168829-fs-omega-planet-ocean-42mm-franken-w-eta-2892-chronometer-mvt/

 

Appreciated sir, and nice looking piece. Personally, I would be more inclined to splurge for a gen once the pricing enters that range.

Just out of curiosity, can anyone identify the movement pictured there?