: I've got a Bond Ti Chronograph 2298.80 coming.
: It may need a service...I'll know better
: when it gets here. If it does, where should
: I send it? Bienne or Omega USA? When I send
: it for service, will they replace faded
: hands included in the price of the service?
: The bezel has two very small nicks (I could
: see them in the photos). Will they do
: anything about that? New bezel, perhaps? Or
: will that be extra? What's Ti bezel cost?
: Also, apparently there's some kind of small
: flaw on either the top or inside the crystal
: (seller says inside but I don't know how
: that's possible). Will they replace/polish
: the crystal included in the service or would
: that be exra? As you can see, despite owning
: three, soon four, Omegas, I know nothing
: about getting them serviced.
The replacement of hands, bezel, and crystal will not be included in the price of a regular servicing. Omega will, however, polish the bezel as part of the routine servicing, which will hopefully remove the nicks. If the nicks are on the blue aluminum insert, you'll have to buy a whole new bezel, since Omega won't sell you just the insert. A new Ti bezel costs about $190. Omega will not try to polish out any crystal scratches since the crystal is sapphire. You'll probably end up paying about $150 or more for a new crystal. If the flaw turns out to be just a piece of dust attached to the crystal, then you have nothing to worry about. A full set of new hands will cost about $70. The routine servicing will include:
1) Complete cleaning of the movement, including the replacement of all worn parts and the application of fresh lubricants.
2) Replacement of the crown, seals, and gaskets.
3) Disassembly of the bracelet and a complete factory polishing.
4) Pressure check to ensure water resistance after the watch has been re-assembled.
5) Factory regulation of the watch to within COSC specs of -4 to +6 sec/day.
6) Final visual and technical inspection of the watch prior to it being returned to you.
Omega USA charges about $450 for a full servicing on a chronograph, but Omega Bienne is closer to $350 (keep in mind your shipping costs will be higher, though). I've had problems with Omega USA so I can't recommend them, and since it sounds like your watch may need a lot of work I'd definitely suggest sending it to Bienne where all of the parts you need will be available. When I needed a new bezel for my Bond SMP, it was on backorder from Omega USA, so there's always a chance that they won't have the part you need in stock.
Good luck,
John
