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Destroyed genuine Omega Seamaster Bond restoration; story and pic heavy

NaviChief

I'm Pretty Popular
30/8/06
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*many pics at the end*


I’d like to share a genuine Seamaster 2531.80 that I’ve rescued from oblivion. I wanted to share it here first, because I never would have been able to make it to this point without everything I learned about watches from the rep forums, and from working on reps to build my skills.


When I bought it, this was the condition:


-it was missing the bezel assembly

-the hands looked like they had been rubbed in dirt and then deep fried

-the case has been scratched to hell, mostly by someone trying to pry off the bezel and using the lugs as a vulcrum

-it was then completely over-polished

-the crystal had been replaced by an incorrect type

-the movement was way out of beat and time

-the case gasket was dry and worn; I had to chisel it out piece by piece

-the crystal gasket was cracked, missing a hunk and probably the wrong size

-the caseback had deep scratches from slippage of a tool


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Clearly someone even more of an amatuer than me had tried their best to destroy it. I wonder what the condition was before they got ahold of it. I like to imagine it was lost at sea, spent years on the bottom, washed ashore and baked in the sun for some more time, and then found it’s way to the original “watchmaker”.


I was fresh out of challenges, so I picked it up. I’ve got a franken closed factory Seamaster already, but I’ve come to realize that there is something very different about owning the real thing. The Seamaster is an icon, so it was worthwhile to me to try.


The case and movement serials match and date it to 1996. I was able to get the movement back into beat, and once that was correct, the timing could be fixed...to a lovely +3s chronometer spec. With the beat right on; the hand starts up easily with a couple winds or a gentle shake. So far so good! The movement will need a service sooner than later, but I wanted to see what the final product would look like first.


The case had to rebrushed to match the original mix of brushed and polish. I’ve rebrushed enough things now to where I’m pretty good at it, but certainly not as good as a full restoration by Omega. The hardest part was the small area on the inner part of the lugs. It was made harder by how worn that area is from the previous polish job. I used a mix of a fine sanding sponge block, scotch brite pad, and 0000 steel wool to finish.


The person I bought it from provided new hands and a crystal, so I had to source the bezel assembly. Luckily Pap is a great source for our community, and he provided two bezels, gaskets, and some extras. Otherwise Swatch has made it nearly impossible to buy Omega parts, and when you do find them, the price is going to be outrageous. A very big thank you to Pap for both your knowledge and parts!


My next decision is probably going to be the most divisive with people. The original dial is a tritium version in good shape. Very usable, but my closed factory Seamaster has the same thing, and I’ve been wearing that for years. I wanted a different look, and I wanted something with working lume. I’ve had a semi-beat up genuine 007 40th anniversary dial in my parts bin. I liked the idea of giving it a second life in a similarly beat up case. The applied metal hour markers, 007 logo and subtle background give a really neat look in person. The pictures make it look more dramatic than on the wrist. The lume matches the hands and pip perfectly. I agonized over this a bit, and mocked up the watch with both dials...but ultimately decided to go with the 007 for awhile. I will likely switch back to the original dial when it is serviced.


From Pap I had two bezels. A fairly spotless bezel insert, and one with a great natural fade. I really didn’t know which way I wanted to go, and again, I mocked it up with both. Ultimately the blue/grey fade was so unique and cool looking, that I went with it. I’m willing to bet that no 40th anniversary model has been worn enough to have a faded bezel like that. Most are probably safe queens. The bezel should match the aged tritium patina when I put the original dial back on.


So here it is! I’m pleased with it. It is certainly not NOS condition, but it has a second life now. It is nothing if not unique among the millions of Bond Seamasters out there. I’ll try it out on a number of different straps, and I’ve got a genuine Bond bracelet to put it on. For now, it's the season for NATOs!


The biggest moment of relief is when the whole thing comes together and you test the keyless works out for the first time after re-inserting the stem. I always give a nice deep breath out. When I was done with it, it finally occurred to me that it was the most valuable watch I’ve ever worked on. Overall I’m proud of it, and it was a great experience. I plan to get many years of enjoyment out of it.


Thanks for going through the long read. I hope you found it interesting. Let me know what you think, good or bad. Thank you to all that I’ve learned from over the years on these forums.


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And it’s brother, the “all genuine except case and movement” franken closed factory rep:





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Sedonut

Banned member, the goat does not approve
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31/7/17
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Very cool. Enjoyed hearing about the process.
 

capice

I'm Pretty Popular
12/12/07
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great job, would be nice to see some pics of the restoration in progress
 
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Mr. Pap

Section Moderator
Section Moderator
5/6/08
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Great story and even greater project! Love the SMP, you just can't go wrong with it...

Wear it proudly!
 

Sir Savien

You're Saying I Can Sell?
11/1/19
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Really mice, well done.

What kind of strap is that grey One with dark blue sides? Would like that in my grey dial 2019 SMP.
 
Last edited:

NaviChief

I'm Pretty Popular
30/8/06
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