Community Stories

1981 SN

Malekof
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Hi OF member after reading a lot of post i Made my choice. Before Going deeply vintage i décided to order my birth watch directly from the 80’s
So i began my research on chrono 24 and i found this Watch from november 81. It’s almost a week watch and only few days between her and me. Mint condition but too expansive.

upload_2019-5-3_22-27-41.jpeg


So i decided to wait and later i found a watch with a fair price, the announce said Circa 82.
I ask for the serial number. Bingo it starts with 4525. Finally after all those research i found it.

I ordered the watch.

Then i found this Extract of archive :
upload_2019-5-3_22-31-10.jpeg


Less than 2 thousand serial and more than 8 month between those 2 speedys.

I don’t understand.

Do you think the 4525 is a 1980 watch?
Why this différence?

Thanks
 
padders
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Those 2 extract above are consistent with a watch which may have only been selling at a rate of a couple of thousand a year. Not sure why you would expect them to be closer in date. In any case at various times Omega serials aren’t strictly sequential since it appears movements may have been used up randomly within a small batch.
Edited:
 
Malekof
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Because i thought it was a continuous production.
When i réceive the watch i’ll order an Extract to be sure.
 
eugeneandresson
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...and they were making other series of watches at the same time too, all with SN's in the range. It would be odd if Omega (or any manufacturer for that matter) gave two different watches the same SN...

FWIW : these are the extracts I have on record for that period (the second one appears to be in these records) ... note the non-continuous nature of the SN's to extract dates...(*** denotes a date decrease for a SN increase ... I guess most folk here would attribute that to the random bin theory OR the archivists putting a 'sold date' instead of 'production date' on the extract)...also worth mentioning that this period in time was near the end of the quartz crisis...

44123186 - 1983/06/14
44819404 - 1980/4/1 ***
44819485 - 1979/2/21 ***
44821751 - 1980/12/1
45249528 - 1982/3/1
45250500 - 1982/04/27
45581155 - 1981/03/27 ***
45582006 - 1981/7/7
45582508 - 1981/7/15
45582610 - 1981/9/22
45583301 - 1981/11/11
45585356 - 1982/1/20
45585796 - 1982/1/26
 
Malekof
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Thanks Eugene according to your Extract the seller is right the watch should be a 1982.
I am disapointing Omega SN is a complete mess.
By the way you got a new serial to complète your 81/82 list
 
eugeneandresson
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Malekof Malekof
By the way you got a new serial to complète your 81/82 list

Already recorded 👍 It will never be complete...

Malekof Malekof
I am disapointing Omega SN is a complete mess.

It is what it is...and we do what we can with it...
 
eugeneandresson
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Malekof Malekof
The lume is bleached so you think it can change (darken).

Lume is not bleached, the pictures are just very bright...at least to my eyes. If you look at the second to last pic, the chrono hand is white, and the lume in the diamond tip is offwhite...that matches the plots. I would not change anything...except maybe getting the chrono hand lume stabilized...it looks like it has a crack. But maybe someone already did that...

Malekof Malekof
What do you think about the brown color between the case and the bezel is it corrosion.

Or wrist cheese.
 
Malekof
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Thanks Eugene. Do you think lume will darken?
Thé watch is almost 40 years old and the lume is still off white.
 
eugeneandresson
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Malekof Malekof
Do you think lume will darken?

I don't think anyone here can give a definite answer...so, perhaps. But I wouldn't hold my breath...it might take a while.
 
Malekof
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I’am happy because it is in very good condition (except the crack on the second hand), and all is correct for the period (even the end link).
But i don’t know if I like this factory finish.
The watch run strong at +1s/day
What do you think OF members.
 
OmegaFan503
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Congrats! That is a lovely watch.

BTW, I was in a similar situation too. Not sure if I am ready for vintage speedy. Then, I came across this one from the 90's.

I really like how the dial and lume has aged so I picked it up.
 
IMG_20190531_173932.jpg IMG_20190526_180550.jpg
whyboddau
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Malekof Malekof
Thanks Eugene. Do you think lume will darken?
Thé watch is almost 40 years old and the lume is still off white.
Lume seems to be finicky. I suppose climates exposure, temperature and humidity play a role in the “aging” process. Some day there has to be a published study on tritium aging!
 
Malekof
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whyboddau whyboddau
Lume seems to be finicky. I suppose climates exposure, temperature and humidity play a role in the “aging” process. Some day there has to be a published study on tritium aging!

Hi whyboddau what means finicky?
 
Malekof
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OmegaFan503 OmegaFan503
Congrats! That is a lovely watch.

BTW, I was in a similar situation too. Not sure if I am ready for vintage speedy. Then, I came across this one from the 90's.

I really like how the dial and lume has aged so I picked it up.

Very nice one.
90’s lume age very well with pumpkin color.
80’s seems to be more green/yellow
 
Foo2rama
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Malekof Malekof
Hi whyboddau what means finicky?
Depending on conditions it can change in different ways. I’ve seen early to mid 70’s pieces go moss (bad) and dark, warm brown, light green, or green/Amber depending on light.
 
whyboddau
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55192069-E637-4328-82FD-8253572E21B7.jpeg
Foo2rama Foo2rama
Depending on conditions it can change in different ways. I’ve seen early to mid 70’s pieces go moss (bad) and dark, warm brown, light green, or green/Amber depending on light.
Thanks foo2rama. Malekof, by finicky, I meant that the lume “doesn’t make up its mind”. Tritium paint differed decade to decade and likely had different manufacturers. As stated above, there is a range of colors possible. I’m partial to the light green patina found on examples from the 70s. Mine pictured is from ‘74.
 
Foo2rama
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whyboddau whyboddau
55192069-E637-4328-82FD-8253572E21B7.jpeg

Thanks foo2rama. Malekof, by finicky, I meant that the lume “doesn’t make up its mind”. Tritium paint differed decade to decade and likely had different manufacturers. As stated above, there is a range of colors possible. I’m partial to the light green patina found on examples from the 70s. Mine pictured is from ‘74.
looks almost exactly like my 76 😀

Which are from the same product if run, so not a huge surprise😀
 
whyboddau
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Foo2rama Foo2rama
looks almost exactly like my 76 😀

Which are from the same product if run, so not a huge surprise😀
Sweet!
 
VetPsychWars
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Special edition Speedmasters can also have serials in weird sequences. My 57 Replica from 1996ish has a movement with a 77MM serial number.

Tom
 
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