1959 Seamaster pre-DeVille: Should I go for it ?

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Jusourig

·Jan 29, 2021

Hello everyone,

I started to get interested into watches few months back, and I found this Seamaster pre-DeVille on Chrono24 which I find quite nice, the crosshair dial works on me (but I don't think it is original though).
The strap is not original, but everything else seems original (as stated in the description)

According to the professional seller (a "Chrono24 Trusted Seller" from Switzerland), it's a pre-owned 1959 Seamaster, services 4 months ago, which he sells to 1,300 USD

I kinda think the price is very high for this watch when I looked around this forum, but I wanted some opinions from more expert people in this forum: does it worth it, or should I skip and continue to look ?

Thanks in advance for your help and advise!

 

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Edward53

·Jan 29, 2021

It certainly isn't cheap, but it appears to be in good condition and I can't see any indication that the crosshairs are not original. Also it has an unusual striped dial which adds to the value. You could do lots of research and wait for a cheaper one to turn up, or you could pay more for the privilege of not having to wait, it depends pn whether time or money matters more to you. Don't just take my word though, wait and see what others say.

 

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Hnansen

·Jan 29, 2021

Welcome on board! 😀

I would definitely skip it and continue your search. The case could be better and the dial - while uncommon - also has quite a bit of damage. Probably from water ingress.

1300 USD can buy you an example in excellent condition. Gold capped pre-De Villes and "regular" De Villes are very common and the dials are often without any patina due to the monocoque cases being quite good at resisting water. At least compared to other dress watches of the era.

 

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janice&fred

·Jan 29, 2021

I would also suggest not getting stuck in the deville category. Loads of vintage seamasters out there for around your budget.

 

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Edward53

·Jan 29, 2021

Hnansen

The case could be better and the dial - while uncommon - also has quite a bit of damage. Probably from water ingress.

Good spot, I missed that in the upper right quarter.

 

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omegastar

·Jan 29, 2021

If I remember correctly the first DeVille appeared in 1961...

 

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omegawatchlover

·Jan 30, 2021

janice&fred

I would also suggest not getting stuck in the deville category. Loads of vintage seamasters out there for around your budget.

Agreed! For $1300, you could even get 2 super nice seamaster. Just be patient on eBay, that's where I shop. And make sure you have a local watchmaker just in case the watch needs a service.

 

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SkunkPrince

·Jan 30, 2021

Boooooooooring.

Get a Dynamic Geneve. Now that will stand out!

 

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amcclell

·Jan 30, 2021

$1300 for a plain gold capped 5xx Seamaster is very expensive.

 

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Yomega

·Jan 31, 2021

The lugs though 😲 personally, it s what hurts my eyes the most looking at this piece.

If you are looking at a s de ville model in particular, this is how the lugs should look:

 

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Jusourig

·Jan 31, 2021

Wow, thanks for those advises !

It was the 1st time I had seriously considered buying a watch, and I got reassured by the professional answers from the seller.
I guess I will just wait for a better occasion.

Actually, I live in Cambodia, so my options are limited in the local market. I think the safest best is to look on secured platforms like Chrono24 (I never tried Ebay, not sure if we can call that a secured platform)

 

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Spruce

·Jan 31, 2021·Sunburst dial fan

Jusourig

Wow, thanks for those advises !

It was the 1st time I had seriously considered buying a watch, and I got reassured by the professional answers from the seller.
I guess I will just wait for a better occasion.

Actually, I live in Cambodia, so my options are limited in the local market. I think the safest best is to look on secured platforms like Chrono24 (I never tried Ebay, not sure if we can call that a secured platform)

I quite like eBay - but you need to be both careful and lucky. To be fair, you need both attributes on Chrono24 too. One of the big differences, in my experience, is that you will generally pay more on Chrono24.

For a start, continue to go through the OF threads, particularly

https://omegaforums.net/threads/learn-how-to-fish.52603/

and look regularly on the Private Sales on this Forum

 

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Jusourig

·Feb 21, 2021

I found this other one, a Seamaster 600, from the same seller for 1k$.
What do you think?

The case looks less polished. Not as nice as Yomega’s though. There’s some marks, notably on the 7.
The seller claims all parts are original...

Honestly, I am ok to pay a bit more on Chrono24 just for the assurance of dealing with professional sellers and the guarantees... well if the « more » is in the reasonable range

 

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krogerfoot

·Feb 21, 2021

Have you looked at the watches for sale on this forum? The Private Watch Sales section is a much more reputable place to buy than Chrono24, I would think. There are certainly plenty of fine vintage Omega pieces by members here at realistic prices.

 

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omegastar

·Feb 21, 2021

There is a big scratch between 7 and 8 O’clock markers, for 1.000$ I would expect perfection.
It looks more like an early Seamaster De Ville manual wind.
But it’s your money...