Installing a Gen Bond SMP insert on a Rep SMP Chrono

[-EZ-]

The SMP Chrono is easily one of the best reps out there, but it has 2 basic flaws: Pearl (size, placement, color), and the datewheel.

Mine already has an ETA datewheel, but the pearl always bothered me. Fortunately I was able to give a recent watch tragedy a happy ending.

After a couple hours of American-style tackle football, I noticed that somehow the gen bezel on my rep Bond SMP had bent. After I took it home and gave it an examination, it was clear it had not only bent but rotated, and the retaining ring was hopelessly jammed up inside. I did what I could, but it could not be saved. However, I was left with a virtually unscathed insert.

Since the Bond bezel was useless now, how about putting the insert to use? The SMP and SMP Chrono bezels are not interchangeable, so it wasn’t clear if this would work.

After popping the bezel off the chrono, I discovered that the gen Bond insert was a perfect fit. I had to grind down the tab on the back in order for it to sit at the proper height, but after that and a bit of metal epoxy, everything was looking good.

This watch is now pretty darn accurate.

Trashed gen bezel next to its chrono cousin (it got more pronounced after being pried off). Even a hardly noticeable bend will lock it up and prevent rotating. Notice how much thicker the chrono bezel is.

Rep left, gen right

Pearl comparison

Insert with tab ground down.

The final product (datewheel centers irl, must be the angle or something)

Thanks for reading!

 

[takashi]

Looks good indeed... The first time I heard that the bezel can be bent. Even with forces, I haven't had any experiences to bend it easily :lol:

Well... I will stick to my rep insert. The gen bezel is expensive IMHO.

 

[-EZ-]

Looks good indeed... The first time I heard that the bezel can be bent. Even with forces, I haven't had any experiences to bend it easily :lol:

Well... I will stick to my rep insert. The gen bezel is expensive IMHO.

It does take a lot of force to bend it, but unfortunately it's possible. I have read about a lot of people that slam the bezel into something on accident and pop the insert, which is partly why there are so many aftermarket replacement inserts on the bay.

The gen bezel is too expensive. If only Omega would sell the insert separately!

 

[evo5555]

nice job..

 

[NuTymer]

that's a sweet looking mod. nice transition from a loss to a gain!
for the bent bezel, have you tried heating it up and then attempting to bend it back to correct shape?

 

[-EZ-]

that's a sweet looking mod. nice transition from a loss to a gain!
for the bent bezel, have you tried heating it up and then attempting to bend it back to correct shape?

Thanks! I did try bending the bezel back, but found it impossible to return it back to a perfectly even, flat state. You can have somewhat of a bend and still get the bezel to stay on the case, but the way the retaining ring sits in its groove allows for very little play if you want it to rotate. I simply can't live with a Bond SMP with a frozen bezel. I never tried heating it up and bending it tho.