Check with a local reputable watch repair shop first, a little homework can save you some money.

 

^Excellent advice.

If you don't know one, check your local cultural magazine for it's annual "best of" local vendors issue. Or you might try Yelp.

After you've exhausted that route, you might consider your local GP dealer, but that shop is likely to be more expensive.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'd gone into a store that specializes in automatic watches and they directed me to the one jeweler that's the authorized representative for GP. Obviously, I could try another reputable jeweler.

 

If you like the watch and want to keep it, I recommend service from the GP authorized rep. Your post should be a sticky for everyone who is inclined to buy "vintage" automatic watches. The requirement for regular, usually costly, service seems seldom to appear in posts by those who recommend a version of "Dad's Old Omega." Ownership of any mechanical automatic is an expensive process, not a bargain event. One of my Rolexes just returned from being serviced, so I am feeling the burn.

 

If you like the watch and want to keep it, I recommend service from the GP authorized rep. Your post should be a sticky for everyone who is inclined to buy "vintage" automatic watches. The requirement for regular, usually costly, service seems seldom to appear in posts by those who recommend a version of "Dad's Old Omega." Ownership of any mechanical automatic is an expensive process, not a bargain event. One of my Rolexes just returned from being serviced, so I am feeling the burn.

I have a Rolex to send for service - after the holidays. I'm sure it will hurt.

 

I have a Rolex to send for service - after the holidays. I'm sure it will hurt.

Just don't foolishly waste any money on food for a few months, and you'll manage nicely.

 

I have just recently had a Tag Heuer serviced for the second time in 25 years. Given that I've spent around $500 in those two services, the yearly cost is not too bad.

 

Just don't foolishly waste any money on food for a few months, and you'll manage nicely.

Hmmm - Food, watch, suits, shoes - decisions, decisions.......

 

I would absolutely have the watch serviced at an authorized dealer. The watch is a piece of art with moving parts that need regular maintenance. The value of the repaired GP will far exceed the price you paid and the cost of repair.

There are two schools of thought regarding regular maintenance for an automatic watch. One school feels "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The other school (which I subscribe to) understands that mechanical parts need maintenance. There are gears and lubrication. Without proper lubrication, these gears can and will wear out. Then you aren't simply incurring the cost of a maintenance service, but will also incur the cost if replacing parts.

Please use a watchmaker that has the skill and knowledge for this type of quality watch, or simply have an authorized dealer send it to GP for repairs. You won't be sorry, these are not disposable watches.

 

I guess there are two ways of doing this, both excellently described and advocated here. If I had purchased the watch new, then I'd spring for AD..there's a reason they're authorized, they have the knowledge and parts to fix your time piece correctly, and they're backed by the full faith of the manufacturer. That said, there are many non AD watch makers that possess skills that are equal to or better than the skills of the AD...AD isn't a panacea, it's just a way of assuring that certain basic requirements are met to better assure experience with the piece and the standards of the company. You spent $750 thru eBay to purchase a watch in a foreign country, which tells me your OK with accepting risk to save some money. Find a reputable watchmaker (not AD) and have the watch serviced there.

 

Every AD in this area sends watches to this old Italian guy on a side street. Montreal has a lot of side streets. Find the old watchmaker.

 

I would only go the AD / manufacturer route if the movement in question was an in-house design for which parts could not be easily obtained outside of that stream. To say they view repairs as a bountiful profit center would be a collosal understatement.

Given that the OP's watch dates back to 1991, it probably contains a generic ETA-based movement for which parts are widely available and in respect of which pretty much every watchmaker is very familiar. I would not drop $500 servicing an ETA movement.

 

If the manufacturer does repairs, I would send it to them. Otherwise, an authorized repair service may be the best choice.

Also, a fine watch should probably be serviced / cleaned periodically.

Good luck!

 

IIRC, the GP90 used a modified ETA movement (2892, maybe?) that was embellished by GP. If you can find out specifics about which movement and what, specifically, went wrong (mechanical parts wear out and break all the time), you can order parts very cheaply from places like Otto Frei. A little internet research and watching some watch tinkering videos can save you a bundle if you're willing to get your hands dirty.

This weekend I had to move around some furniture and my beater Seiko 5 took a pounding on a few door frames and started running ridiculously fast. I put it to my ear and knew what the problem was. A loop of the hairspring had caught itself over the regulator. I gave it a few good whacks on the case, opposite the crown until it "sounded" right and it's been running fine since. Saved me $100 on a new watch. Not that you should mistreat your GP that way, but it might be something easily diagnosed if you open the caseback and take a peek.

 

I continue to be bemused by people who prefer mechanical watch movements to quartz. It seems analogous, to me, of requiring that one's transport be drawn by horse.

Each to his own, obviously.

 

I continue to be bemused by people who prefer mechanical watch movements to quartz. It seems analogous, to me, of requiring that one's transport be drawn by horse.

Each to his own, obviously.

I also prefer laces to velcro. Go figure.

 

I continue to be bemused by people who prefer mechanical watch movements to quartz. It seems analogous, to me, of requiring that one's transport be drawn by horse.

Each to his own, obviously.

2 horses please, a gentleman is always in need of a spare.

 

I gave it a few good whacks on the case, opposite the crown until it "sounded" right and it's been running fine since.

I believe that's known as the Fonzarelli method. :icon_smile_big:

 

I continue to be bemused by people who prefer mechanical watch movements to quartz. It seems analogous, to me, of requiring that one's transport be drawn by horse.

Each to his own, obviously.

Since the 1960's, I have stayed with Rolexes, and paid the occasional factory service charge, because they work, and an early Seiko quartz dive watch died off a remote coast in Australia, where service was a several hundred kilometers away. In the past few years, however, I have bought a few Casio G-Shock solar watches and Citizen Eco-Drives. Both models have performed without fail on hard summit climbs, during cold, back country ski trips and for routine ranch work. For most leisure wear either will do, and the G-Shocks have useful feature sets. There are a couple of Casio models subdued enough to wear in town. The last time I put on a Rolex Date-Just was for a business luncheon two months ago. Solar is the technology of the future. Battery quartz can join mechanical watches and horses...but I'll keep my Rolexes and horses for when nothing else will do.

 

Yes, this sort of watch is indeed a white elephant. My friend is a sucker for Omegas and reports substantial savings by using repair of local renown. It seems that factory repair is akin to taking your car to the dealership for an oil change in that it will cost inexplicably more and they will tack on every extraneous precautionary expense possible.
I'd cut my losses and sell, but that's just me.

 

Most expensive(relative term) mechanical watches will have a modified ETA movement inside or their own in-house movement. Many experienced watch repair stores will be able to handle any repairs, but if they can't and you take it to an authorized dealer you may find that they won't touch the watch. This assumes the previous repair contains generic parts. I would suggest finding out what is the movement inside, be it modified or in- house. If it is just a standard ETA, then find a reputable jeweler and you will be fine.

 

Thanks for all the replies thus far.

Having read and pondered all the comments, I've decided to at least take the watch to a watchmaker. I haven't decided whether it will be the GP dealer (lucky me there's one of those in Montréal) or some other reputable jeweller. I'll get a quote on repairs and decide from there.

Hardline, I'm not that handy a fellow. I only need to look at a hammer and that causes damage to my fingers and walls, without touching the nail. You get the idea. Plus the fact the back of the watch is actually fixed with screws. I wouldn't know where to start...

If I let it go, I may suddenly go from horse to spacship as I've discovered that Citizen Eco-Drive have a neat "atomic radio controlled" function. That sounds space age... But I'm not there yet.

 

Thanks for all the replies thus far.

Having read and pondered all the comments, I've decided to at least take the watch to a watchmaker. I haven't decided whether it will be the GP dealer (lucky me there's one of those in Montréal) or some other reputable jeweller. I'll get a quote on repairs and decide from there.

Hardline, I'm not that handy a fellow. I only need to look at a hammer and that causes damage to my fingers and walls, without touching the nail. You get the idea. Plus the fact the back of the watch is actually fixed with screws. I wouldn't know where to start...

If I let it go, I may suddenly go from horse to spacship as I've discovered that Citizen Eco-Drive have a neat "atomic radio controlled" function. That sounds space age... But I'm not there yet.

Good plan. Let's hope for the best.

 

Thanks for all the replies thus far.

Having read and pondered all the comments, I've decided to at least take the watch to a watchmaker. I haven't decided whether it will be the GP dealer (lucky me there's one of those in Montréal) or some other reputable jeweller. I'll get a quote on repairs and decide from there.

Hardline, I'm not that handy a fellow. I only need to look at a hammer and that causes damage to my fingers and walls, without touching the nail. You get the idea. Plus the fact the back of the watch is actually fixed with screws. I wouldn't know where to start...

If I let it go, I may suddenly go from horse to spacship as I've discovered that Citizen Eco-Drive have a neat "atomic radio controlled" function. That sounds space age... But I'm not there yet.

When you ask for quotes, ask also how long the proposed work will last before the next scheduled routine maintenance. Modern lubricants have extended traditional maintenance cycles of mechanical watches, and you may receive different answers depending upon which lubricant is used. As for "atomic" timekeeping, that is just a tiny receiver in some solar watches that picks up a time of day signal from one of several transmitters worldwide. It is nice, but solar watches are so accurate that it is hardly needed. Take a look at some of the Citizen Eco-Drives - many appear civilized enough for city wear. Not "Dad's old Omega" but it is not as accurate and probably needs routine, expensive service anyway. Good luck, and let us know your decision and its outcome.

 

If you want accuracy, buy a framed photo - don't waste your dough on a Monet. Same goes for mechanical horology.

I would not recommend perusing Otto Frei to service a GP as an amateur first try, even if it is an ETA movement. But since it is, it could feasibly be serviced by any experienced watchmaker. Whether or not it is substantially cheaper than sending it for factory service is another matter. I suggest factory service, or sell it on eBay to someone who will care enough to maintain it in the future.