Rejuvenating my 1999 Omega Seamaster 300m Diver
Some may see this as heresy, but I recently serviced my Seamaster (with my local watch guy NOT Omega), and I thought, bugger it, I'll get a new, original bezel fitted while the watch is in pieces.
And you know what? I'm so glad I did. It's one thing to look at a faded bezel (and that's 20+ years of fading on a 1999 model, not any artificial fading nonsense), and think it's added some character...
... and it's another thing to see a refreshed bezel, next to the old one, sitting on a cleaned and very lightly polished watch. I've basically brought it back to what it would have looked like, sitting in an AD, in 1999.
As I've seen so few before and after style shots online, here are a couple.
I've loved watches all my life, going back to the 1980s. Current watchbox: Seiko, Bulova, and Casio.
Coincidently I am about to service my Seamaster 300 from 2002, identical to yours. Personally I wouldn’t change anything, just service the mechanicals. The watch was my wedding watch so changing it around wouldn’t sit well with me. But that’s my own reason for it. It does look good though with a new bezel!
Coincidently I am about to service my Seamaster 300 from 2002, identical to yours. Personally I wouldn’t change anything, just service the mechanicals. The watch was my wedding watch so changing it around wouldn’t sit well with me. But that’s my own reason for it. It does look good though with a new bezel!
I completely understand that; every piece of that watch was there on the wedding day and to remove part of it would be to remove part of the day, and what has come after for you since. Totally understand that way of thinking. I'm not in that position with my watch, so although the bezel was aged, and I actually didn't mind the look, going back to near factory fresh was easy, and has been incredibly exciting.
This is great to see, and very interesting. It sheds some light on why it’s hard to find vintage pieces that haven’t been serviced in a similar, sympathetic way: it really does look like new!
An advantage to using a local guy is that you've still got your original faded bezel if you ever decide you want the original weathered look... but the new bezel looks fantastic and the watch looks new, so enjoy!
The new bezel looks great. Did you go for a ceramic in the new one or is it like for like with the original?
I think you’ve got the best of both worlds there. You can now enjoy it like new again and if you ever decide to sell you still have the original.
The new bezel looks great. Did you go for a ceramic in the new one or is it like for like with the original?
I think you’ve got the best of both worlds there. You can now enjoy it like new again and if you ever decide to sell you still have the original.
Original aluminium for the new one. It wouldn’t feel right to me if it had something else. As much as I like ceramic bezels conceptually. And for sure, I can always go back. Although honestly, looking at it like a new watch now, I’m not sure I’ll ever have that feeling :)