We love Omega watches – be it a modern or vintage watch model, they’re always excellent quality and almost always worth repairing. We are very familiar with repairing Omega watches, such as our recent servicing of an Omega Speedmaster Chronograph and the repair of an Omega Constellation. Testament to this, Omega was in the top three brands we saw the most in our workshop last year, joining Tag Heuer and Rolex at the top of our list.
The History of the Omega De Ville
This watch is an Omega De Ville model. The De Ville range began in 1960 as a sub-category of the Seamaster collection. De Ville watches offered a more refined look than the sporty Seamaster models. In 1967, De Ville watches became a range in their own right, dropping the Omega Seamaster name. It remains to this day a core part of the Omega range of watches.
“Omega De Ville watches have embodied refined elegance since 1960, standing apart from the brand’s sportier models.”
Diagnosing the Issue
This De Ville is a quartz model, powered by the Omega calibre 1434 movement. This is a vintage quartz movement produced around 1990, so this watch is approximately 35 years old. The watch is not working on arrival despite a new battery having been fitted. Inspection and testing of the movement show the circuit is working, though the hands are not moving. This suggests something is blocking one of the wheels and preventing the transmission of power to the hands.
As we disassemble the movement, we find a couple of faults. Firstly, we find some damage to the yoke assembly – a part involved when setting the watch. This will need to be replaced. We also find some debris attached to the rotor. This is quite common as the rotor is a permanent magnet, so it tends to draw in any magnetic debris that may enter the case. These issues tend to crop up over time but are easily rectifiable with regular watch servicing.
Repair and Testing
We fully disassemble the movement and run all appropriate components through our Elma Solvex cleaning machine. Parts like the circuit do not go through the cleaning machine, as this would damage the sensitive electronics.
Once clean and dried, we begin assembly, rebuilding and oiling the movement as per the manufacturer’s technical documents. Once rebuilt, we test the movement with our Watch Master quartz testing machine. This allows us to check the power consumption and rate of the movement, alongside a few other tests. We find the watch to be running a little fast – gaining approximately one second a day. While this may not sound like much, it is for a quartz watch, especially one of good quality. While modern quartz movements cannot generally be adjusted for timekeeping, this vintage movement can – we can tweak the timekeeping using a part called the Trimmer. After a very slight, careful adjustment, we get the timekeeping down to gaining one second a month.
“A well-serviced vintage Omega quartz movement can still rival the precision of modern watches—this De Ville now gains just one second per month.”
Now we can reassemble the complete watch, ready to go on test before return to our client. It’s always a pleasure to work on Omega watches, and this one was no exception.
Summary
This Omega De Ville, powered by a vintage calibre 1434 quartz movement, arrived in our workshop non-functional despite a fresh battery. Our inspection revealed a damaged yoke assembly and magnetic debris on the rotor. After a full disassembly, cleaning, and repair, we carefully adjusted the timekeeping, bringing it to an impressive accuracy of one second per month. Now fully restored, this elegant timepiece is ready to be enjoyed once again.
Looking to Have Your Omega De Ville Serviced?
At W.E. Watch Repairs, we specialise in servicing both modern and vintage timepieces. If your Omega De Ville needs expert repairs, movement servicing, or precision tuning, our skilled watchmakers are here to help.
Take advantage of our Royal Mail Special Delivery FREEPOST service—your watch is fully insured for up to £20,000 throughout its journey, ensuring peace of mind from the moment it leaves your hands until it is safely returned.
Book your Omega De Ville for a service today and let us restore it to peak performance!