Advice needed on vintage SM300 dial

Revo · Sep 7, 2022

Hi All

A friend of a friend (yeah, I know!) inherited a 1960s SM300 (also: I know, I know!) However the dial on it is a later service replacement. He wants it all original. Does this look good to you? It's £2k -- presumably toppy otherwise it would have sold by now. Without straying into WTB territory does anyone here have one or know a source?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2849471238...zvIjs4CT3S&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Thanks all

janice&fred · Sep 7, 2022

i have no idea of the recent dial values but I bet the dial will look much better once in the watch and under the crystal. It looks the part of aged original. 👍

masteroftime · Sep 7, 2022

Looks good, but that price is pretty steep. Some will consider this blasphemy, but if you're going for a more vintage look, have you considered getting the service dial relumed? It would probably be much cheaper and probably still give you the look you want. Not my photo, but here is an example:

37050808-abe5-4ab7-9a2f-9a1fd136e890_1_201_a-jpeg.16441865-2.jpeg

watchlovr · Sep 8, 2022

The eBay dial you show is correct but a bit tired, certainly expensive.
I would also consider speaking to James Hyman for a vintage relume on the service dial, his work is second to none, he has lots of experience of ageing vintage style lume.
He’ll remove, relume and refit the dial for a few hundred £.
And match the hands if required.

Cuttysark · Sep 8, 2022

Hello, I confirm that is original. It's a rare dial, especially hard to find in good conditions. The one you posted is expensive. Unfortunately I don't have one in my stock 🙁

Revo · Sep 8, 2022

Thanks all. It's a 165.024 (cal. 552 no date) and he wants a tritium dial for it.

It's a bit of an odd one: his late father's watch, sent away for a service (or possibly services, plural) by Omega. It came back with a nasty replacement dial (but not the original one, or else it's been lost) and a new case (with the original one returned).

So this is what he has:

Revo · Sep 8, 2022

Am I right in thinking that the case it is now (an Omega replacement one) has a screw-down crown, whereas the earlier one with the "bakelite" (?) bezel is a Naiad?

My thinking is that he use the spare case and make up a second bitsa / franken watch, watchco style. Get a cal 552, use that horrible service replacement dial (get it relumed as others have suggested) et voila! A put-together SM300. What do you lot think?

JwRosenthal · Sep 8, 2022

Haven’t we seen this style odd-ball service dial before? I assume there was a period of time when the “correct” dials weren’t available and this is what Omega had made up. Will these ever be seen as historically relevant in the future? They are a part of the history of these watches.

watchlovr · Sep 8, 2022

Oh dear, it all looks dodgy to my eyes.
I’d not be in a hurry to spend any $$ on that.

edit. Too hasty, sorry but i HATE the new dial , not sure where id go with it now.
That dial looks terrible or fake to me, I’d not bother getting it relumed personally.

further edit . I think it’ll be a lot of trouble to make anything good out of what is there, how serious is he?

size11s · Sep 8, 2022

One of these dials sold recently at Sterling Vault auction house, they called it a 'Star Dial'??

Revo · Sep 8, 2022

size11s
One of these dials sold recently at Sterling Vault auction house, they called it a 'Star Dial'??

There's a name for everything, and if there isn't a canny seller will invent one so it becomes A Thing.

Looks like it's not tritium, so post 1998? Or maybe just not marked "T"?

And what do with the flaky bakelite bezel? Looks fragile; can it be stabilised with some lacquer or similar?

ImVho I think he should pick one of the cases (newer or original), find a nice classic "T" dial and return the watch to its former glory (or something like it). Then sell the other case along with that "star dial" (!) and see if someone will drop a cal. 552 into it. That should (might?) cover the cost of the dial (or maybe not?)

Out of interest is an empty SM300 case worth much? I'm guessing yes but I have no idea. I'm often surprised by how small things (a SM300 dial) can be worth more than big things (a loose cal 552).

Davidt · Sep 8, 2022

Was just about to Post the Sterling Vault one. I wonder if it actually sold. It’s been listed, and unsold at least once.

Wilko69 · Sep 8, 2022

Sterling Vault were also selling fake Omega Weems bezels, so I don’t expect much from them.

JwRosenthal · Sep 8, 2022

Revo
Out of interest is an empty SM300 case worth much?

Yes

watchlovr · Sep 8, 2022

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/38480619...FhUfm67SDm&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Buy this, vintage relume, hands matched. Use old case/bezel/movement/crown.

sell everything else.

boom

watchlovr · Sep 8, 2022

Just to show what James can do. This is a 2915 sandwich/notch dial and hand relume.

watchyouwant · Sep 8, 2022

the UK seller of the ebay dial just offered a big reduction. I`d offer him Pounds 1400 and see, what happens.... Good luck !

size11s · Sep 9, 2022

Confusingly, the seller of the dial in the OP, ukchrono, is in Finland...😕. They have some very overpriced SmithS listed too, so could well be open to reasonable offers.

Fallout Boy · Sep 9, 2022

watchyouwant
the UK seller of the ebay dial just offered a big reduction. I`d offer him Pounds 1400 and see, what happens.... Good luck !

Please don't redial (destroy) this one 😲

Revo · Sep 9, 2022

Fallout Boy
Please don't redial (destroy) this one 😲

Yeah, that's a given!

Advice needed on vintage SM300 dial

Revo

janice&fred

masteroftime

watchlovr

Cuttysark

Revo

Revo

JwRosenthal

watchlovr

size11s

Revo

Davidt

Wilko69

JwRosenthal

watchlovr

watchlovr

watchyouwant

size11s

Fallout Boy

Revo

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