zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I´ve understood from this forum and Omega
: resellers that the Seamaster 300M automatic
: needs maintenance approximately every 5
: years and it then needs to be sent to Omega
: who will take it apart, lubricate it etc.
: Since I want an Omega which should have the
: smallest amount possible of maintenance but
: still high quality I´m considering the
: quartz 300M (not for the higher precision
: though). Am I correct in that choice from a
: maintenance and quality perspective? Apart
: from the regular battery change and water
: proof check, what maintenance should I
: expect that a quart 300M would need? Also
: every 5 years, and do I then need to send it
: to Omega as well? Could I also expect from a
: quartz 300M that it would “last for a
: lifetime”?
: /Chris

This really depends on you and how you choose to take care of your watch. If you know how to change a battery yourself or know a competent jeweler, you can get away with routine battery changes for a few dollars. This is what most people typically do for low-end quartz watches (Timex, etc.).

On the other hand, if you send it to Omega, they will not only replace the battery, but they'll replace the gaskets, check for water tightness (pressure test), and completely disassemble the bracelet and polish it so that the watch will come back looking like new. I don't own any Omega quartz watches, but I would think that such a service would easily cost $100 or more. If you own an automatic, routine service costs in the $150-$200 range.

Basically, if you don't plan on diving with the watch and don't mind the scratches your watch will undoubtedly accumulate, you can get away with doing nothing more than changing the battery. Omega does recommend a full service at every OTHER battery change, so even following these service guidelines, you won't have to pay for routine servicing as often as you would for an automatic.

As for quality, Omega's Swiss quartz movement is certainly a top quality quartz movement. The watch's second hand will tick in four second intervals when the battery needs to be changed (this is the low battery indicator), so the watch won't just "die" on you like many cheaper quartz models will.