Hi all, I've been looking for an everyday watch for about 3 years now off an on. I've discovered vintage Omegas is about the last 6 months and really enjoy the style of the seamasters from about WWII to the mid 60's.

I primarily look on ebay, and while I'm not educated/purist enough to know which dials and hands should go with which movements, I really just want to make sure I'm buying something that is reasonable, is reliable/works and if I ran into someone with knowledge of vintage watches wouldn't be laughed at.

I've found a few:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271354110519Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network - more military (I know the band is crap) calibre 601

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350962176489Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network - dressier, calibre 613, not crazy about the date function

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271215113151Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network - similar style face, auto calibre 552

They all ship from India, is that a big no no, or have people here had luck buying from abroad?
Any help is appreciated, thanks for reading.

 

All are redials, most have corroded cases, movements have been cleaned to the point that the coppery finish has been removed leaving dull brass.

Personally, I wouldn't touch them.

There are other watches out there, it may take time to nail one but don't rush in.

It took me about six months to find my Seamaster 600.

 

Man, you n00bs have a knack for spotting the redials.

Look through the WRUW thread and our sales forum to see good original examples.

 

Ha, I feared as much. Although after so much time looking, I just want something to wear...

*walks back to drawing board*

 

Patience, have you or franken end up with you will.

 

Well i think an hour is patience enough. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this one here. It's the band that caught my eye. It's definitely... "original"...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251407407004Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

You do realize that humor, particularly sarcasm, doesn't come across in type, right?

The dial is original and that certainly is the correct crown, but somebody took an axe to the caseback.

 

Oh, and thanks for setting your own avatar. I would have totally gone 'cheesy' if I picked one - literally.

 

Reading and learning... check.

I do have a question regarding buying from a ΩF member, though... I'm competing 100% of the time with people who know xxx times as much as I do. How do I recognize the great deals? Because they're sold by the time I see them. As for the rest, they are offered to discriminating knowledgeable buyers who have chosen not to buy. I know it's not that simple but when I see a watch that's been for sale for months that isn't exactly confidence building. The level of criticism is pretty low from the peanut gallery as well.

Am I just being an ass?

 

I love horseradish.

 

You are ahead of the game because the "for sale" section is dominated by collectors that know exactly what the market value is and ask appropriately.
If you want to exploit the unknowing and score big, ...... ebay + knowledge + balls = score !
If you want an honest watch with an honest description at an honest price, ...... "For Sale" + $$ = Solid collectible with Good Resale and Growth Potential".

You aren't being an ass, we all look for the scores!
If it's been for sale for months, you can assume it's not a fire sale.
If you want to recognize a treasure flying by at the speed of sound, you better know your treasures !!
Don't be like a noob stock picker looking for a home run all the time, hit good singles and doubles and watch the score add up !!

(This advice from Dave Kingman)

 

You could always shoot a PM (start a conversation by clicking on their avatar picture) to an experienced member. They'll vet the watch, but most times anything offered here is a pretty good piece to begin with. The only thing up in the air is price. Watches in the UK and Australia seem to fetch about 10% to 25% more than in the US depending on the model.

Also, you might never see some on the sales forum. The real good ones go ultra-privately, so if you see something you like and are prepared to make a move on it, shoot a message to the owner that you're interested. There might be a waiting list, or you might score immediately. Recently a watch or two has left my collection because I was considering moving it on and somebody was in the right place at the right time.

We try not to criticize a listing unless it's BLATANTLY misdescribed, as in calling it "original" when it isn't, or some shenanigans are afoot. A watch might be unsold because the price is a little high too, and maybe a reasonable offer to the seller who'd hoped to have it sold long ago gets them to sell. Again, no harm in asking an experienced member about a listing here, another sales site, or on eBay.

Would you like to join the club? We're currently accepting applications. Asshole is my native tongue.

It's not just for breakfast anymore.

 

Personally I do not think you can get great deals from forums. You get great deals from eBay listings with poor pictures and you take a gamble or that the seller does not know what he has.
You get GREAT watches from forums not great deals. Why? Those who sell on forums are usually collectors and dealers. They know the market value of their stuff. And I will not write off those old listings.

 

Thank you all for the confidence builders. I have my eye on three or four (here). I'm not quite ready but I'm gonna keep it in the family.

 

Few more auctions:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130478264765Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network - I really like this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181289742304Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

What have we missed out on? Premptive dibs!

 

I bought a watch in FS that's already listed 10 months and turn out a winner after a touch of service.
Popular model with low price in FS will fly within minutes, not even hours.
Less popular model will have longer listing time, especially with high price