How do you clean an Omega strap?
Opitas
London, EnglandPosts: 11MI6 Agent
I've had my TND model Omega for a while now and I notice that the strap has a bit of dark fluff and stuff in between some of the links. Do any of you fellow owners have any good tips for cleaning the strap without scratching it up or tarnishing it?
Comments
apparently the seamaster professional needs a service every 5 years to replace dried oils and parts. imo, do it, its worth it.
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i've been quoted between £210 and 4-8 weeks and £135 and 4 weeks max. i also have a friend of a friend who's getting it alot cheaper for me in a few weeks.
mine hasn't been serviced yet, but its overdue and my seamy's started to loose time slightly.
from what i've been told, the service should renew your watch to original condition, and it does.
now i'm no major horologist here, but take it from me, watches are not simple things. when it comes to something as delicate and gorgeous as the omega seamaster, its worth every penny to get it serviced by omega themselves. it keeps the warrenty in check, your watch comes back gleaming and looking new, and it keeps perfect time for the next 5 year at least.
if you attempt to get it done by anyone else, i'd assume it'd be a risky business.
one thing that does spring to mind though is you don't say whether your seamy is a quartz or the professional model.
i'd assume the quartz would be a cheaper service as the professional is a self winder chronometer with a more complex movement.
hope my rambling helps. -{
MG
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First: find another dealer
Servicing will cost you a pretty penny, but a regularly serviced and well looked after Omega will last you a lifetime.
basically, when it comes to any expensive watch, get it serviced, when required, by the manufacturer themselves. don't risk taking it anywhere else.
and for christ's sake, don't even think about
a) servicing it yourself
b) buying or getting it serviced from anyone on the internet
like YouKnowTheName states, a well looked after omega will last you forever, so treat it to a service by omega themselves.
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http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj258/monza860/
i'll be taking my omega, in its oringial box, with all the cards, booklets etc that came with it. my local high street dealer will then send everything off to switzerland for the watch to get serviced.
i've been told that when its there, it'll get total and utterly taken apart. all the gaskets and oils get replaced, broken or worn parts get replaced too (at a possible extra cost) and everything gets cleaned.
the watch is then reassembled, and then tested to ensure it remains acturate. they do this by testing it over 1 week and check to see if it losses any time. i think from memory a chronometer is only allowed to loose 1 second in a week or something like that for it to be officially classed as a chronometer. then the warrenty cards are stamped, everything packaged back up and sent back to my local dealer.
i'm using a local dealer as;
- they are responsible for it after i hand it over. if it goes missing or gets damaged, its up to them to fix it.
- they act as middle man, and so all i have to do it wait for it to come back. no chasing around and waiting for replies, i just leave it with them.
- no worrying about butterfingers mr DHL to drop or loose my watch.
@monza;
if your omega isn't ready for its service, but you'd like it cleaned, i suggest taking it to your local dealer for exterior cleaning only. if you know a reputable horologist, go to them, but steer well clear of side street shops selling fossil watches etc.
obviosuly, at 1.5 years old, your omega aint due for a while, so i wouldn't shell out for a full service just yet.
as an after thought, if you want to clean your seamy yourself;
DO NOT USE ANYTHING SOLVENT BASED
ahem, sorry for the caps. but its very very important.
omega even state that after using you seamy in salt water, you should wash it off in drinking water as even salt water can degrade gaskets and seals. imagine what solvents would do.
if you wanna scrub it clean, i'd say use clean tap water, a few cotton buds and a few cocktail sticks to get in the fiddly bits.
but if in doubt, don't do anyting and take it to someone who knows what they're doing.
evenin,
MG
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To clean off dirt on the clasp I use alcohol on a q-tip. For scuff marks on the clasp I use a 3M scouring pad and brush gently in one direction repeatedly (many people on Omega forums swear by this as an effective DIY remedy).
There are lots of good advises though I am afraid, some of them make me worry.
basics:
Normally, watches and water don't go together very well. If a minimum amount of water gets inside of the watch, the movement and the dial / hands get seriously damaged. To prevent water leakage, waterresistant watches are using rubber seals. The gaskets are usually in the crown (often 2 or 3), the tubus, in the bottom and around the crystal (mostly not rubber, they are a special plastic).
These rubber seals are doing their job only, when they are flexible and elastic and therefore, they are coated with a thin layer of silicone grease.
If the silicone grease is being washed off, the rubber ages very fast and does not keep its elaticity to keep the watch waterresistant.
This is a short summary, in real life, things are a bit more complicated, there are more factors, which influence the waterresistance.
So, why do I mention this, as the topic is about cleaning a bracelet:
The best way to clean a metal bracelet is to clean in in an ultrasonic cleaner. Most watchmakers and jewellery stores have one, some low-power models can be found for home use for around 20-50 US$.
The problem with these cleaners is, that one should clean the bracelet only. I have seen shop ladies, who threw complete watches into the ultrasonic fluid - something, which I can't really recommend!
So, it is important, that the bracelet is being removed from the watch before cleaning it.
Then you can use the mentioned ultrasonic, you can also use a glass with a denture cleaning tablet.
You can also use an old toothbrush plus warm water and some fluid soap, everything works fine.
All mentioned methods will affect rubber seals in a bad way, so, taking off the bracelets is the key or find another method to prevent that alcohol/soap or other harmful fluids get in touch with the gaskets and wash the silicone coating off!
I honestly don't recommend taking any waterresistant watch into the shower (as most of the people are using kind of soap, which washes off the silicone grease on the gaskets), though I am aware, that for some people, this works well for years, but for some people it does not.
Even well-maintained rubber seals don't last forever, so, you should check the waterresistance of your watch regularly and replace the gaskets regularly.
The outer cleaning should be done as often as possible, service of the mechanical movements should be done every 5 years or so, regardless, if it's being worn 24/7 or only once in that time.
hope, that this was not too boring, any questions left, I am trying to reply.
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Mechanical Chronometer watches have an accuracy of <6 seconds/a DAY (again for nitpickers: It's a bit more complicated as the chronometer measures depend on the diameter of the movement, certain positions and temperatures, so the <6 second info is a simple guideline).
Most of them are better, especially when the oils are fresh.
So even a chronometer may win 40 seconds in a week.
A quartz watch usually has an accuracy of < 5 seconds/MONTH.
For a service of your watch, the watch store only needs your watch, the box and paperwork is not recquired.
If a watchmaker is well-trained and gets the spare parts (which is getting more and more rare in these days) there is nothing against him doing it in his workshop.
Infact many of the bigger companies send their watches to the national service centers of the manufacturer (in this case Omega UK). They are usually not shipped out to Switzerland for such a thing.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
has been written with a good reason...
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you should buy a dog - by the way.
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To remove scratches, the mentioned 3M sanding cloth is perfect!
As much as I hate to disagree with Asp9mm and his eternal wisdom: Ultrasonic is better than the brush as with the Ultrasonic, inner parts of the bracelet links (such as the famous pin and barrells) are cleaned - a toothbrush can't reach there
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
And of course, everyones got an ultrasonic hanging about the house 8-)
And we have been talking about the best way and not the best accessible way...
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
DG
"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
DG, and now you will tell me, that the colour of the Omega clasp is NOT blue
Seriously guys, the toothbrush does not scratch, unless you are using sand with it...
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
However, before that I used to wear it in the shower (I can confirm it cleans up nicely) and the sauna, as well as diving with it regularly with no ill effects. In fact the complete reverse - my dive computer packed up on a dive and so I had to resort to my watch instead
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Yep, heard that too. I don't, for the most part, wear my watches in the shower. However, I don't think an occasional shower will hurt it. The caution about the seals always made me wonder about snorkeling in warm tropical waters though. To me a dive watch should be a utilitarian object without restrictions.
DG
"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.