Gen Seamaster 120

[glippy01]

Hello all I'm in need. I recently aquired a gen circa 1966 Seamaster 120 head. It belongs to my dad but he had it thrown in a drawer for over twenty years. I remember him owning it since 1968. Long story short, it runs but it needs a bezel, correct crown, dial, and band (18 mm). My intention is to restore this once fine watch but I need help in scourcing the needed parts at a reasonable price. Omega wants way too much. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. I attached three pics. One is the after or what it should look like and two are from the actual watch.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/2783/img2142y.jpg
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/9452/img2143y.jpg
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/3613/st165027.jpg

 

[guanaco]

www.ofrei.com

However, let me tell you vintage watches look great all scratched, with faded bezels, brown markers, etc. It gives it character and much more appeal! You can buff some of the scratches with a cape cod cloth or send it to a watch-smith to have it polished [should not be expensive] - The movement, however, will need to be serviced, a local watch-smith will also be able to service it at a fraction of what Omega charges.

 

[glippy01]

Thanks for the advice Guanaco.

 

[levelmanroger]

I would not mess with the dial. Many vintage gen pieces lose some of their value when the dial is restored or replaced. The aged look of the face gives some assurance that it is a gen and not a replica (if you look on eBay you will find many Omegas with "restored" dials that were obviously never Omegas until they "restored" the dial).

The crystal and case just need a good polish - any decent local watch smith can do this inexspensively if you don't want to tackle it yourself (see my sig below to find one).
Have the movement serviced before you run it. Period.

The bezel for this will be the hard piece to find. I would make sure you can source that before spending much on the restoration. Other than that, the crown is of little concern unless you are selling it.

Nice watch. Good luck with your search!

 

[JellyJoe]

vintage watches look great all scratched, with faded bezels, brown markers, etc. It gives it character and much more appeal! You can buff some of the scratches with a cape cod cloth or send it to a watch-smith to have it polished [should not be expensive] - The movement, however, will need to be serviced, a local watch-smith will also be able to service it at a fraction of what Omega charges.

+1
Just find a bezel with insert and keep all the vintage parts, it will look much cooler.
I ain't sure about the crown tho. Has it been replaced?

 

[glippy01]

The crown is definately not correct for the age or style. Thanks for your advice guys. I think the vintage look on a watch is like wrinkles on a face they tell a story.

 

[renson]

How is your progress? I have owned one of these watches in the past. The bezel is nearly impossible to find. It looks like you have the original there. A NOS will cost nearly what the watch is worth. Ofrei.com will get you the original crown for about $35 + shipping. The movement is straight forward, easy to service and quite robust. If it is running and keeping time, don't worry about it.

 

[glippy01]

Progress is slow. I bid on an Ebay auction for a 1968 120 with all the parts I need that was not running. But I lost it because even in the poor shape it was in it went for over $800.00 USD. I will keep updating as I go but thanks for the info about the crown.