Mods to the beloved SMP

[bosk]

Omega SMPs are one of my favorite watches and so I decided to mod my Bond limited edition watch (with an almost perfect case) to an electric blue SMP. Plans were to add a gen tube and crown (the gen has a tube with internal threads), change the bezel from blue to silver with a transplant, and add a chief DAR sapphire crystal that lacked the coke bottle effect. The goal was to make an almost perfect SMP electric blue rep.

First...photos of the components.

The flaws of my rep crown are evident...the end is not tapered like the gen and bevel edges are not nearly as well defined. So the caseback comes off and the stem in removed.

Notice that this version of the SMP has a tube with internal threads too unlike normal SMP rep. Below is a pic of the my bond rep and the normal SMP rep tube. However, this rep bond tube would not fit the gen crown so its replacement was absolutely necessary.

Next, movement was removed, the crystal was pushed out with a press, and the bezel insert was removed. Note that the easiest way to remove the bezel insert (without damage to your existing insert) is to remove crystal first and just push from under the underside of the case.

Just grab a pair of needle nose pliers and pull on the old tube. It will pop out with some effort...this method destroys the old tube. The gen tube was a perfect fit for the case....I just pressed it in using a small piece of wood and some larger pliers.

Now, I tried to switch bezels and ran in to the first major problem...the bezel insert for all other rep SMPs and a few after market bezel inserts would not fit this bond case

All the other bezels were slightly larger. So the old bezel goes back in and plans of the perfect electric blue SMP dies.

Second major problem comes up when I try to re-insert the new chief DAR crystal. The first 30 minutes to trying got nowhere. I measured the old and new crystals and they were the same diameter. I attempted put the old crystal back in the case but that was unsuccessful as well. Part of the problem was I was using a press with nylon dies (which flexed a bit as I applied pressure). Now back to trying again with the new DAR crystal...the fit was so tight that crystal would be inserted at angel. I applied some grease to the crystal washer but still had alot of problems. After another 3 hrs....I finally had success...slowly applied even pressure. The DAR crystal survived the process with a few minor scratches but I was fairly rough with it. I have no plans of EVER removing this crystal again!

Movement comes back in and the stem was switched to the gen crown. It ended up being too short so a new longer ETA stem was used. Everything assebmled nicely after this point.

I had another good crystal (no coke bottle effect) that was DAR'd in Chief's latest April run and that went into my electric blue SMP (which already had a DAR'd coke bottle crystal). Note that this crystal went right in with out any problems.

Before with coke bottle DAR crystal:

After with a good DAR crystal.

A huge improvement! and much more like the gen pictured below:

Now for the finished bond pics.

group photo...gen is on the right and the only one with a reflection on the crystal

U gotta love the chief DAR process...thanks again Chief!

some random photos:

Flaws left on the finished bond 007 rep are the bezel insert pearl and the helium valve crown.

-bosk

[b16a2]

Excellent work there! I wish they still sold this case set, the He valve and the crown guards are really good. The CG's are slightly too big allowing them to be shaped, whereas the new ones are too shallow which doesn't allow for modding

[SportsterRider]

Looks great!

I wish I could get my hands on a case like that! I've got a genuine 1120 sitting here with nothing worthy to put it in.

[marrickvilleboy]

hey looking good!

I have the same 007 SMP as you, i modded the [censored] out of it. I also had the electric blue but sold it to an eager customer.

love the genuine SMP.

[bosk]

hey looking good!

I have the same 007 SMP as you, i modded the [censored] out of it. I also had the electric blue but sold it to an eager customer.

love the genuine SMP.

Once Ofrei restocks the tubes again, I plan on modding the electric blue too. I may attempt a crown guard reshaping at that point with some filing (the guards are large enough to allow some reshaping).

The 007 case is wasted on the 007 dial (I never really liked it) and I have a gen blue SMP dial sitting in an ETA movement with gen hands as a spare, but have a rep and gen of the same watch is redundant, IMO.

thanks every1 for the comments.

-bosk

[Wayward]

Pity about the insert not fitting...could have been a beautiful 2255.80!

[Omega007]

Looking good.

I'm currently modding my new SMP.

Do you know the Ofrei part numbers for the crown and tube at all ?

Edited April 21, 2009 by Omega007

[bosk]

Looking good.

I'm currently modding my new SMP.

Do you know the Ofrei part numbers for the crown and tube at all ?

check this post in darkside...it has all the #'s u need.

http://replica-watch.info/forum/viewtopic....f=6&t=33679

Omega Case Tube 090ST1231

For case numbers 168.1611, 168.1613, 168.1614, 168.1615, 168.1617, 168.1618, 168.1621, 168.1622, 168.1623 (not TS case, use 090ST1232), 168.1624, 168.1625, 168.1626, 168.1627, 168.1628, 169.1522, 169.1523, 169.1524, 196.1525

OME-090ST1231

$8.60

OME-069ST42147

Genuine Omega Screwdown Crown 42147

Case numbers 168.1502, 168.1503, 168.1602, 168.1603, 168.1611, 168.1613, 168.1614, 168.1615, 168.1617, 168.1622, 168.1623, 168.1630, 168.1631, 168.1632, 168.1633, 168.1634, 168.1635, 168.1637, 168.1638, 168.1640, 168.1641, 168.1642, 168.1643, 168.1645, 168.1656, 168.1657, 196.1502, 196.1503, 196.1504, 196.1505, 196.1507, 196.1508, 196.1522, 196.1523, 196.1524, 196.1525, 196.1526, 196.1536, 196.1640, 196.1641, 169.1536 model numbers 2531.80.00, 2551.80.00, 2254.50.00 2541.80.00 and others.

OME-069ST42147

$42.00

[Romel]

Great work there.

Double AR looks good, I would like to buy a spare saphire crystal so I can send to Chief.

Can anyone give me suggestioms on how to go about buying one?

Thanks