'71 Speedy Service in Ireland?

legrandemac

Just wondering where can I get a 1971 861 Speedmaster pro serviced in Ireland at reasonable prices? The watch is in excellent condition so does not need an overhaul, in fact it just needs a new mainspring installed.

At the moment all I can see in terms of options is sending to the UK to Steve Burrage or Duncan @ genesis. I contacted Emily Nerney at watchrepairsireland and she says she doesn't work on vintage watches. Which is fair enough, but also I found it a little strange as the speedmaster pro is so common and is still made and still sold with all parts available from cousinsuk/ofrei and has much the same movement from back then as one bought yesterday. Also the website says she works on manualwind Chronos? I surely don't need a 'vintage' specific watchmaker as I'm not looking for restoration?

Any ideas, it would be great if somebody got a speedy or speedy based manual wind Pro/Mark/Flightmaster or other lemania based manual etc, serviced without sending overseas?

Bullseye1

From reading TZUK I believe this guy has a good rep. Here is his price list.
http://www.chealwatch.com/Omega_repairs.html

Watchfinder.co.uk are also authorised to service Omega.

legrandemac

Thanks bullseye. I forgot about watchfinder, I did read somewhere they became a big service agent recently. I had heard of cheal before, they don't get the best reviews on tzuk lately.

It's a shame that there is hardly anyone in the country here that will service (or is recommended for servicing) a common speedy.

Wibbs

legrandemac wrote: »

It's a shame that there is hardly anyone in the country here that will service (or is recommended for servicing) a common speedy.

+1. I'd love to send some of my stuff to someone like Emily at watchrepairsireland, because she and they get consistently glowing reports for jobs well done and something that is a real rarity in this country at good value for your hard earned to boot. I've recommended them to folks with new stuff more than once. If you have a watch that they can service then do it basically. You'll not regret it.

To be fair I can well understand the why's from their point of view when it comes to say someone's grandfathers 1930's oddball chrono movement that hasn't seen oil since the flood. A part could go south from sheer age and they're stuck looking for a replacement or having to make one up and too many customers would start bitching at that point. Crap like that they don't need, but with a fair amount of the more recent vintage stuff like your speedy the movements and parts are common and easily available and often still in production. Might be a nice little extra earner for them and I'd rather it went to them. Then again I'd say they've a waiting list so they're doin OK thanks very much.

CrowdedHouse

I know it's not what the OP asked but I think if I had a '71 Speedy there's only one place it would be going and that's back home.

Cyrus

Duncan at genesis watches gets rave reviews

93Cab

I met a guy called John Howell in Carrickmacross in Monaghan. I got him to fit a Yobokies sapphire crystal , customised face and hands to a Seiko Monster. His charge was incredibly reasonable. Turns out hes a Swiss trained horologist who taught at the Irish Swiss school of horology in Dublin. I asked him what would work on and he said anything!

legrandemac

Thanks for the update guys (I will look that John Howell up 93Cab, great info, he seems to be the guy who owns The Crock of Gold jewellery store in Carrickmacross?)

The reason why I'm not sending back to Omega in Bienne is this movement has been serviced about 5 years ago, and for some unfortunate reason the hairspring became undone from the balance recently, in theory this is not a massive fix and I could do without the huge service cost.

There are other options in the UK such as Duncan etc so they are always an option. I also hear you Wibbs on the servicing of vintage stuff, it must be a nightmare for them when something needs replacing and there are no parts available, and the watch is sitting there for months needing something that takes 5 mins to fix, but the part was last produced 20 years ago. I had just hoped Emily would make an exception in the case of a speedy but its understandable.

Thanks for the help guys

93Cab

Thats him! Crock of Gold 042-9661702.