zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I just picked up a Seamaster Quartz 2265.80 for
: a very good price. It was purchased new in
: 2003. All my experience thus far has been
: with autos, and I am familiar with the
: timelines for having them serviced,etc, but
: have no idea about the quartz models. Can
: someone smarten me up on what is done at
: servicing for quartz watches and when I may
: need to have this done? This is just over 4
: yrs old now, am I going to be due for a
: servicing in the near future?
: thanks friends

This depends entirely on whether you wear the watch around water or in the shower. If you shower with your watch on and/or wear it around water very frequently, you should have the seals and gaskets replaced and the watch pressure tested annually. Chlorine, salt water, and soaps are all enemies of the seals and gaskets, and the pressure testing ensures that your watch is water-tight once the caseback has been put back on.

If you never get your watches wet, you can get away with simple battery changes. The battery costs about $4, but you'll pay an extra $15 or so for the pressure check once the battery has been installed. Any competent local watchmaker can do this for you for a fraction of the cost that Omega charges. You'll also save on shipping costs as well.

When you get a complete servicing from Omega, they'll polish the watch to make it look like new, replace the seals, gaskets, crown, and battery, and then do a pressure check when the caseback is put back on. All of this will cost you about $150 or so, which, in my opinion, is a lot to spend on a quartz watch if you don't wear the watch around water. On the other hand, if you do get the watch wet on a regular or even semi-regular basis, it's better to be safe than sorry.

-John