Here is what I was told by my last remaining family member - not certain how reliable it is:

Both my parents are deceased [2005]. My father brought this home with him from Germany at the end of WWII, before he was deployed to the Korean War. My mother was not happy as they had just purchased a new home and she thought it was an excessive expense at the time. Supposedly, he spent close to $1,000 for it. I am suspect of the time and the cost.

He wore if as his every day watch until the time he died. The box I purchased on eBay and realize it is not the original as it was much smaller, but this is all I could find.

I took it to a jewelry store that sent it to a watchmaker and here is what they did: new crystal and gold washer - hands - face. I am very pleased with the outcome.

Inside back cover - several things I do not understand. These I understand - GX5250, E03703, 14k Gold-Filled. The other markings/engravings I assume are from servicing and repair?

Can anyone help me identify what the real information is on this watch?

 

seaNaster??? Definately a redial and not a good one. I am sorry to have to say. This greatly effects value, although I doubt a 14K gold filled Seamaster was ever worth a $1000, especially in the early 50's.

McK

 

When you say new face, do you mean new dial?

 

Story doesn't quite add up.

Serial number dates the watch to ca 1958, case reference is a US market watch, original price probably closer to $100.

 

Personally, I'd have left the hands, dial etc... on and just had it serviced. Would have retained its original value better and been "real"

 

New to this, so I am not certain what it is called. The area I filled in with pink is what was replaced. The original showed sort of freckled or blemishing from age.

 

Yea, that is a dial replacement. Generally not good. Did they save the old dial/did they return it to you?

 

That is the dial.

 

I said I was skeptical!

 

As collectors, what we care the most about is maintaining the original look of a watch. If something has been restored - for instance, the part of the dial on yours that has been repainted - we tend to value the watch lower, often losing interest. In your case, as you are probably not looking to sell the watch and furthermore like the work that has been done on it, you shouldn't care too much

The watch was originally sold in the USA - that model wasn't marketed elsewhere and the case has been produced in the US for Omega. The case is of the "Gold Filled" variety, which means that is a "base metal" case that has been been treated with a thin layer of gold, making it a cheaper model to buy than a solid gold one, but more expensive than one made purely out of steel.

 

I will have to check - I asked for all replaced parts to be returned. They told me that the dial was 'cleaned', if I understood correctly.

 

So I need not add it to my Insurance Rider along with my Corum $20 gold piece watch

 

They probably repainted it.

As collectors, we'd be furious and this would be a HUGE no-no. However, this is your family's watch, and if you plan to keep it then if it doesn't matter to you, then I wouldn't let it bother you.

 

I would suggest you take the watch back to whoever did the work immediately and get them to install the crystal properly - it is clearly not pressed into the case correctly:



Until that is fixed I would put the watch in the box and not wear it - if the crystal falls out while on your wrist you risk further damage to the hands or movement.

Cheers, Al

 

That movement which looks very nice is circa 1957 so rather later than the Korean War. It would likely have been less than $75 when new back then.