3 digits of a serial number etched out, why?

Posts

2,640

Likes

3,093

kaplan

·Nov 5, 2023

Hi everyone,

I opened a watch for the first time today and saw that the 5th, 6th and 7th digits of the serial are unmistakeably carved/etched to not be readable, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 8th digits are intact, it's done very precisely and each digit is individually etched carved

Why could this be?

Bought this from an estate auction, maybe there's a reason there, to avoid tracking/responsibility etc.?

Regards

 

Posts

3,194

Likes

33,322

Duracuir1

·Nov 5, 2023·Never Used A Kodak

During my policing career I learned that serial numbers on stolen firearms could often be recovered despite being scratched or filed off by criminals.

The criminals usually tried to file off the entire number though. Maybe the watch criminals are lazy. (Lazier).

What brand watch is it?

 

Posts

6,304

Likes

9,741

Peemacgee

·Nov 5, 2023·Purrrr-veyor of luxury cat box loungers

There are couple of threads on this topic for Omega watches

https://omegaforums.net/threads/constellation-with-drilled-out-serial.70091/

 

Posts

2,640

Likes

3,093

kaplan

·Nov 5, 2023

Duracuir1

During my policing career I learned that serial numbers on stolen firearms could often be recovered despite being scratched or filed off by criminals.

The criminals usually tried to file off the entire number though. Maybe the watch criminals are lazy. (Lazier).

What brand watch is it?

Omega, I suspect it could be done here too

Peemacgee

There are couple of threads on this topic for Omega watches

https://omegaforums.net/threads/constellation-with-drilled-out-serial.70091/

Wow! A year match as the story here but admittedly it's 1 am here and I wasn't able to read the entire story yet 😀 https://omegaforums.net/threads/thoughts-on-seamster-cal-562.7835/ The circular carving style is the same as the scanned story photos X350 shared

 

Posts

3,194

Likes

33,322

Duracuir1

·Nov 5, 2023·Never Used A Kodak

kaplan

Omega, I suspect it could be done here too



Wow! A year match as the story here but admittedly it's 1 am here and I wasn't able to read the entire story yet 😀 https://omegaforums.net/threads/thoughts-on-seamster-cal-562.7835/ The circular carving style is the same as the scanned story photos X350 shared

Yes that seems like a good morning read for tomorrow! And not criminal.

 

Posts

13,696

Likes

53,498

Larry S

·Nov 5, 2023·Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.

That was an interesting bunny hole to drop down. I still don't completely understand the reason for drilling out the SN's (to avoid having them seized as contraband? ) ...Regardless, we collectors don't take these to Onega anyway and Omega has forgotten. Guess the best thing is to save the article as part of the watch provenance.

 

Posts

3,014

Likes

6,421

SOG53

·Nov 5, 2023

From the article it suggests the reason was to avoid detection by the dealers he bought the watches from in Europe. Which makes sense. Doesn’t seem like the current unknowing collector who acquires one of these has any moral dilemma, IMO.