2531.80 “Bond” as first Omega?

Annapolis

I too am guessing you mean the 2531.80, but correct us if we're wrong!

It's an absolutely outstanding watch---at 41mm, the best size and form-factor the 300m diver has ever had, IMO. Nice and thin, too, with a substantial bracelet.

That said, do NOT buy one until you've done some homework---and better yet, uploaded detailed pics from the seller here, for us to review. This has to be one of the most commonly faked Omegas out there. The odds of buying a bogus one are relatively high.

Know that it's not a rare piece: there are many of them out there to be found. (On Chrono24---even after filtering to include only those that are actually "in stock," there are 73 ready to go.) That means you can take your time and find one that's authentic and in good condition---perhaps even with a recent service, which adds real value! Box and papers... for what? The watch will be way past the warranty period, so the papers aren't worth anything, nor is the box. Some folks seem to think that having these items makes the watch more likely to be authentic, but that's untrue: anyone can buy boxes and papers after the fact on eBay to make a "full set." For a rare, collectible watch, sure, it could be compelling to have those things, but this was a run-of-the-mill mass-produced Omega. I'd put way more emphasis on finding one in good condition and with a recent service. (Make sure it includes all the links you'll need to fit your wrist, too---always pays to read the fine print in the ad.)

Let us help you! What country are you located in? What's your budget?

Annapolis

Hard to tell from just the one picture, but the aftermarket bracelet doesn’t look like a great fit to me. What’s the asking price? Unless it’s super cheap (like $1k) to compensate for lacking the OEM bracelet, I’d probably keep looking. There are too many out there with the original bracelets to justify buying one without, unless you don’t care about the bracelet and the price is amazing.

If you do buy this, and then (as folks here are wont to do) you go to sell it down the road to upgrade to something new, know that not having the factory bracelet will make it significantly harder to sell for an attractive price. All the boxes and expired warranty cards in the world wont help with that.

This is a hard-learned lesson for me. My first modern Omega (bought right here on this forum) came on the original bracelet. Back then I hated bracelets—mounted the watch on leather. Sold the bracelet for a few hundred on eBay. Ended up selling the watch a while later and had a very difficult time getting anywhere close to what I hoped. Financially, I now know, I would have come off much better if I’d just kept the bracelet in a drawer and then retrieved it when I went to sell. Guessing a lot of folks here have similar stories.

…Also, is that bottom left lug all jacked-up? Or is that just some weirdness in the photo?

padders

You can’t really go wrong with either the 2531.80 Bond or if you so desire 3570.50 Speedy as a first go. Both are sublime. Which you choose is up to you. Both is better of course. The jump from 2531 Bond to 2254 Blake isn’t so large that I wouldn’t consider the latter if I really wanted one.

DenisChalandier

The papers are blanked. The after market bracelet is not fitting. The original bracelet is banged up.
Even if the price is good, it's not bad to anyway the best possible to find.

And papers do are useful. Help comforting a purchase and helps to sell the watch if needed (had value and confort lots of buyers). Buy a watch first obviously but not useless at all. Considering, the papers are not blanks but properly completed...

62caster

what do you think a fair deal would be?

tritto

I have a 2531.80 and it's a great watch. Right size, very comfortable, easy to get serviced (being 99% an ETA 2892). Compared to a current model co-axial Seamaster it is great value.