dbutlerman Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 I've started a new project and it turns out that there were several other similar builds in progress before I started. So here's my story: I got the hankering to get a Vintage Seamaster 300, and after looking at some of the originals (1960's), I decided to see if there were any NOS parts available. After a quick look at some of our normal parts houses I noticed that all of the parts were available for a complete watch. So I ordered everything, case, dial, hands, datewheel, case screws, case clamps, etc... After ordering I received an email stating that the case was out of stock. Dang! Oh well, there are other parts houses to order from, so I placed another order. Dang! Backorder number 2. At this point I figured I'd just wait and see what happened. Maybe it will only be a week or 2. I still needed to get a donor watch for a movement, and wasn't sure how long that'd take, so I wasn't too worried about the backorder. While I was hunting for the donor with an Omega 565 movement, my first order of parts arrived: Awesome! The lume on the dial is just as bright as my Franken PO. Which is bright! Very exciting. But back to work. I needed a movement, after perusing eBay for a week or so, I found a decent donor from Singapore: It was a little dirty, but I planned on it going off my watchmaker and getting a thorough servicing... Donor watch arrived fast, something like 3 days from Singapore! I love EMS shipping (I talked the shipper into upgrading the shipping at no charge! )! I took the donor and the parts I had down to my watchmaker for the servicing...now I just had to wait for the case. I called the parts houses where the case was on back order and found out that both of the big boys (you know who they are, they rhyme with Smotto Phrei, and DousinsUk), had been out of stock for more than a month and had no ETA on when they'd be getting a shipment in. Uh Oh...I have all the parts and no case. This could be a problem! While hunting for the case I got a call from the watchmaker. Uh Oh. Turns out that the rotor was slightly warped and was dragging on the main plate. I told him I'd start hunting down a replacement rotor. I found one and called to tell my watchmaker that I had, but in the 15 minutes it took to track down a NOS rotor, he had gone to work and straightened out the rotor..no more dragging! Whew! Disaster ($100 replacement) averted! After some further research, I decided to call WatchCo in the Land of Oz. From their website I knew that they were at once the Omega parts supplier for Down Under and that they may have the case (even though it wasn't listed on their website). I started calling them the Thursday prior to Easter, but couldn't get anybody in their office. So I called again on Friday, nothing. Turns out the Aussies get Good Friday off. No prob. I'll call them on Monday. Dang. Anzac day! They were off again. Tuesday? Nope - everybody took a long weekend! Dang. I hate being patient! Wednesday? SUCCESS! I got through, and they have cases! AWESOME. So, I've been watching tracking, and look what arrived this morning: Sweet minty NOS Goodness! My watchmaker is closed today, but tomorrow he's getting the case and the last of the small parts (case clamps and screws). Hopefully we'll have this baby together by the end of the week! All in, I am at about $1400, which is still about $700 less than what WatchCo gets for a full watch. So, not too bad, not too bad at all! I'll keep y'all posted when it get's wrapped up. You other guys out there build process, feel free to post your stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Awesome db2! Glad it is all coming together for you! I was amazed to find out there were at least three of us doing this .....at the same time! I was first inspired to build one of these by a thread over at RG where I met LHOOQ and saw what he had built (along with a few others). When I found out there was a VN case for sale, I decided to take the plunge. The Viet Nam case set that came from LHOOQ My parts from cousins And finally the donor Omega watch with cal 565 I found a watchmaker in Arizona that loves and works mostly on Omega watches, and sent the whole mess to him. He had completed the service of the movement and assembled the watch last friday and called me to say it was rockin along great and would ship it back to me today, so I should have mine back midweek! Can't wait to get it and I can't wait to see db2's and any others being completed! ETA: The watchmaker told me he was really impressed when I told him the parts came from the Philippines, Israel, UK and America! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Awwww Sweeeet!!!! Looking great! Can't wait to see the finished beauty. It will be a very nice compliment to your Franken PO! Is that a NOS bracelet too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 This bracelet is from my Speedmaster, I have a NOS on backorder right now. I was just going to buy a clasp for the Speedmaster to turn it into a Seamaster, but It was only like a $100 more to get a NOS bracelet, and then I still have a spare for the Speedmaster... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefcook Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 As DB2 and I were in discussion about our ongoing Seamaster 300 builds I'll just chime in and give you some pics of my project: The movement is a cal. 565 not sourced from the usual suspects but from a a real Seamaster 300 sold in 1969 in France according to Omega's vintage watch archive in Biel (Switzerland), which conveniently is just one and a half ours from where I spend 65% of my time (the rest is Westcoast US). So this is not a Franken using genuine spare parts, it is a full genuine Seamaster 300 which will be serviceable at Omega at any time as the movement number belongs to a Seamaster 300. It basically is a full restoration of a destroyed Seamaster 300. The movement got a full overhaul including replacement of some parts. I do all work on my watches myself if time allows. Between school and university I spent four years with watchmaking training and working as a watchmaker for a company producing movement plates for some of the big names in watchmaking. First was of course careful disassembly, cleaning and inspection of all parts (date mechanism and balance already reassembled): After careful inspection I decided that pallet, escape wheel, friction spring, seconds wheel, the Incabloc jewels and springs, click spring (not pictured) and the main spring needed replacement: After spending in total about 335 USD on genuine Omega movement spare parts and assembly with new dial and hands (both Superluminova) it looked like this: Together with it's newer genuine brother Planet Ocean: And with the rest of the parts waiting for final assembly: The case is the only missing part. According to EMS tracking it should be here within the next few days In total I spent about 1700 USD so far, not including my work and not including the movement. In total it will come out somewhere around $2k, but it will be a perfectly restored genuine Seamaster 300 with movement number and Omega archive extract dating it to 1969 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Very nice chefcook! I am jealous of your watch!... and even more jealous of your skills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchurch Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Very nice. Looks like a very cool build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 some very nice SM300s there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 some very nice SM300s there At least some very nice SM300 parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice Nice Nice, reading all the vintage 300 projects with great enthusiasm. Hopefully I will be able to start a project after some time! Great work guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 You guys are killing me with these builds! Awesome! I was all set on doing a 1665 but now I am thinking again.....too many dang watches that I like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Awesome, guys! I guess it's time to start one of these... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSRep Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hey DB2!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah so this is what you what you have up your sleeve (Mondays wristie thread) Cant wait to see the final result. Gathering parts is so much fun...........expensive, but fun and worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Awesome, guys! I guess it's time to start one of these... Count me in! And I need to say here and now, without all the help, time, and emails I would have never been able to muddle through this by myself Martin! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hey DB2!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah so this is what you what you have up your sleeve (Mondays wristie thread) Cant wait to see the final result. Gathering parts is so much fun...........expensive, but fun and worth it! You got it! Hopefully I'll be able to give a full wristy soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelizer Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Really impressive gents! All hail the SM300! Can't wait to see the end results of these fine NOS gems.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photon Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Very nice project. Cannot wait to see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Well I just picked mine up from the watchmaker. I can't do a good photoshoot at the moment, but here's a quick wristie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesrobbie Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Fantastic! Can't wait form the other guys to post their finished projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 I still haven't had a chance to shoot any decent pics, but here are a couple of quick close-ups. I am hoping to take some better ones when I get home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Awesome! db2! That crystal even looks really clear and nice! How do you like the way it wears and feels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Thanks woof! It took me a little while to get it wearing comfortably. It was a combination of removing links and moving the quick adjust pins in and out until it was there, but now it wears really nice. And is keeping really good time. +~2 seconds/day. Not bad at all! I am keeping a log so we'll see if there is any fluctuation! Any word on yours? Hopefully it'll arrive today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 here's mine.. on a horrible speedy rep bracelet....just a quick couple pics until I have time to take some better ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Sweet! Looks good man! I kinda like it on the speedy bracelet! I saw another one on a Speedy before and liked it! When did it come in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Thanks woof! It took me a little while to get it wearing comfortably. It was a combination of removing links and moving the quick adjust pins in and out until it was there, but now it wears really nice. And is keeping really good time. +~2 seconds/day. Not bad at all! I am keeping a log so we'll see if there is any fluctuation! Any word on yours? Hopefully it'll arrive today! I just got it..like an hour ago! I'm still hunting the gen 1171. I may go Nato or mesh for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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