So I recently acquired this seamaster 300, which to me looked like a 2913. The dial checks out based on the references I've seen here in OF, except for the seconds hand, which should either be a lollipop or just a thin un-lumed one. I thought that this may just be a service replacement so I took the chance and bought it.

When I got it, everything looked convincing, font was clear, caseback had the seahorse albeit very faded (Picture from the seller was much worse, undiscernable), even has a signed crystal! I got very excited as I know these are quite rare, and in this condition, so I bought a case wrench and opened it.

I found a Cal 503, serial number 1523xxxx, which dates it at 1956-57, and the case back is a 2914-2. So now I am very confused, as based on what I've researched the dial and bezel is from a 2913, and it didn't use a 503 movement. Was the movement just completely replaced? or is this just a frankenwatch?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

Perhaps you should contact Omega and order an extract of the archives.
It's a big risk to purchase a watch like that without seeing the movement first unless the price reflected the risk.

 

I am not an expert in these but it looks indeed like a franken.
Case seems to be a 2913 or 14755 indeed so as you said nothing to do with a 503 caliber
Bezel looks too good to be true so probably a later replacement
Dial is incorrect and really seems too small for the case
Hands are also wrong and nothing to do with the 2913 or a 14755 references (check here for correct examples)
Crown is an original flat foot which is correct for some references (unless your watch had a mercedes crown but I wonder how we could know where this watch is coming from)
Now it all depends on what you want to do with it, try to source the right parts (dial/hands/movement) which will be very costly and quite time consuming (but hey we like the hunt don't we ) or may be look for a more correct example
It also depends on how much you bought it for... hopefully no more than the sum of the (correct) parts...
if it's too high then ask the seller for a refund otherwise good luck for the hunt

 

I vote for fake (dial, hands, case and bezel ..)

 

I'm not an expert on the 2913 for sure but I just thought the dial immediately popped to me as suspect...hour markers should be smaller, and the paint looks just too darn new
Whipped up a quickie comparison pic

 

Definitely a fake dial and hands, also I've not seen any of these that came with a 503 movement. Can't be certain on the mid case and bezel, but based on the incorrect movement, the crystal and the inside of the caseback I'd try and get a refund if possible...

 

Now that you put it side by side, I see how embarrassingly wrong the dial is

 

(Luckily?)I just lost $250 on this . I think I'll just keep it as a reminder of my venture in fishing. Hopefully this will prevent any future bad buys .
Thanks to everyone who commented. Will keep reading in OF to save me from heartbreaks like this.

 

+1.
No franken, but fake to the bone besides that wrong movement.

 

My watchmaker calls this the "tuition fee".

 

That right there should have told you something. The real ones cost a few pennies more then $250

 

I wish my tuition fee had been $250

 

Can you return it?

 

Fake-o-rama!

 

I was betting on the seller not knowing what he was selling, he was mostly selling random antique furniture and trinkets. He just named it as an "Antique Watch". I really thought I had one of those legendary finds.

 

In today’s google-world, this is highly unlikely to happen anymore...

 

It does, in the <500$ thread, one lucky OF member showed his 14k Seamaster.

 

A bit different. One can easily think a solid gold Seamaster is simply plated and then $500 is reasonable.

Not so fir a Seamaster 300

 

It still happens - last year a guy in this country got a Seamaster 300 (the later version) at a flea market for, what, $20?

 

It sure does - this Centenary JUB was bought for $15 at a flea market:



After some work: