2017-What Omega did you buy for under $500?

davidswiss

Please explain.

Mtnmansa

Long story-short!
1999, 23yr old kid in Cape Town, South Africa. Just started collecting watches,like crazy! and could only afford basket cases or thereabouts.
Came across Omega Mark II Telestop for R400 (ZAR) equivalent to about $80 at the time, I think, BUT with prototype case #145.0037.
All original, on a full 1162 bracelet, crystal was a bit marked up(still have it and the gasket ). In hindsight should've left it the way I found it.
I spent 2 mornings a week at the Omega workshop being taught and messing around with my watches, and brought it to the watchmaker.
Once we figured it out, prototype of 12, he asked Omega to send archived info, to complete the watch. I was like a dog with a bone.

The 'Telestop' unit was recreated by my father who was a toolmaker in the engineering business, which is why the large threaded screw, and cables are of different colors than original. I still have a copy (attached) of one the pages of archived prototype information that Omega sent,
PS. They all went back with the watch.
Then came what to do with it.
The watchmaker would go to Switzerland every 2 years and and strangely coincided when the finishing of the Telestop. I couldn't wear it, use it, and frankly never fell in love with the Mk II. So I figured it should go back to Omega. I didn't know about the museum. He took it on his trip and returned it.
Moved to California on '03 and sold about 57 watches mostly interesting Omega's to Cliff Helander on TZ, needed to buy a house.
Didn't enjoy the internet based watch collecting scene so I gave it up.
In 2015, bought a NOS Alaska Project, and enthusiasticly got back into watches and came across a guy in Sacramento trying to re-create a Telestop from very little info on the internet. I told him about mine, and sent him the pic, He then told me about the Telestop in the museum and there it is.

davidswiss

That is a great story. I hope Omega have name checked you as the donor.

N Navydiver

I just picked up this one for $240.00 in an auctionThe casing stamp is C2577-2 it has some other numbers hand engraved into the inside back. It's a 12,000,000 serial number, with a 351 movement. My first Omega, so don't know much more about it. Are the hand engraved numbers relevant? They look to be C12 616 with 430 underneath, have to get the light just right to read them. The strap is not original so what strap would it have had?

mikechi22

'66 Constellation, 168.005, cal. 561.

ahsposo

Seamaster 2577-6 cal 354

$360

Syrte

Under 500 really?


Beautiful !!

ConElPueblo

Wrong seconds hand, but you did good 😀

kreyke

Nice two tone dial for $250!

Tom Dick

Well, I picked this blancpain/ Waltham bathyscaphe up with terrible replacement bezel for £48 including import duty! And now thanks to the power of the forum have the original bezel is en route (which sadly didn't cost me £48) but still brought the package in under the threshold for this thread

N Navydiver

Thanks, should it be same pattern as the hands? Can't figure out what the engraved numbers mean, there is also a date above the 'stainless steel' engraving.

ConElPueblo

And...

I was pretty excited about these two, but it turns out that I have to move them on as soon as I get them 🙁
It's not all bad though, as the funds will go to pay for a really nice impulse buy. But still...

Let me know if anyone is in the market for any of them.

Vintagewtchzilla

To make worse they did thissssss to 16 endlinks