I love it when I know the history behind a watch. I bought this from a US Navy diver who bought the watch in 1970. He used daily until retirement and it shows. The only thing not original is the 1171 bracelet, which he replaced when the old bracelet broke. I ordered the extract from Omega, which confirms production date, etc
Nice watch and a killer patina. Can you tell us a little more about the watch and its duty. Where was it used, for what purpose? I think a tropic or italian strap would fit it also quite nice. Kind regrads, Manuel
Thanks All I know is that it was used as a daily work watch for more than 20+ years, until the original owner retired due to health issues. As a Navy Diver the owner was deployed all over the world, but I don't know specifics. When I got the watch it had a layer of dirt and grime so thick I had to break it off with a tooth pick. Other than that nothing was done to the watch. I'll probably have the movement serviced at some point, but thats it.
Wait – I know that guy! He sold me an identical 300 and told me the same story! (Just kidding – very nice acquisition!)
You do have a point. In the world of military watch collecting it's always good if you can get a personal item to go along with the watch like a picture in uniform, etc. In this case it was not an option.
Indeed, when I bought my Canadian Navy issued Tudor Submariner from a ship's diver, I asked him if he had photos of him wearing the watch - he didn't. But he have photos of him in uniform that he sent me, plus he did offer to write me a letter that he signed giving me details of when he was issued the watch, where he used it, etc. He also gave me a couple of his patches for ship's diver and underwater photographer... Hopefully a nice package that will help if I ever decide to sell it. That SM300 is very nice BTW...there's nothing like a proper issued watch IMO. Cheers and congrats. Al
Lovely piece there Joe! Completely in agreement with Al, knowing the provenance brings out added (sentimental) value to the watch. And of course, pics or extracts help the story grow.
Sweet watch. Congrats on the acquisition. Nice that it has the true screw-down crown rather than the leak-prone Naiad crown.
Lovely watch, but is it really possible to use a watch for 20 years and have a bezel as perfect as that ( no cracks, chips, or discolouration etc)?
A close examination of the bezel does show dings and scratches that don't show in the picture. There is also the chip at the 15 minute marker and some discoloration of numerals, but other than that the bezel is in remarkable shape. Since I have no indications to the contrary, I have to take the seller at his word. Here are another 3 military diver watches that saw extensive use over many years. At least 2 of the 3 have bezels in pretty good shape, so I guess it is possible.