Hi Folks... We ended up with this watch after we lost my wife's eldest sister a few years back and as much as I like this beastie I just don't wear watches and just feel this may be too valuable for just occasional wear... I own a few vintage instruments and stuff needs to get paid for... sad but true... still playing... Right, laid the honesty table out so if anyone can give me any idea on the age and model of this beastie we'd be most appreciative... we know nothing about it... we are aware that the owner used to have it serviced when she was more affluent but she fell on hard times so it has not had a service for about a decade... no paperwork has been retained... We have no paperwork with this watch in any way, shape or form... we know nothing about it... On looking at the inside of the case it may be older than we thought so might have been a gift or from her ex... Any other details needed please do ask... One specific question... Inside the back of the case it has some odd, very small notes, almost like an engineer and a "Kilroy woz ere" type of thing... very lightly scribed... can get close-ups of anything required as they are (originally) 20mb images... ATB Kenny
Very sorry to hear about your sister-in-law. Your watch is from circa 1961 if I'm reading the serial number on the movement correctly. It is an example of an Omega that was assembled in England using a good-quality Omega cal 552 movement and a local 9K gold case. I don't know that these English-cased watches were given specific reference numbers, although I suspect that there may be forum members who are more knowledgeable about these particular watches. As for the model, I guess you could call it a Seamaster, although I don't know if we can really be certain of that because I suspect that the dial has been repainted at some point. For that reason, and because of other condition issues, it's not particularly valuable to a collector, and the 9K gold case doesn't have a lot of scrap value. So if it's still running, and you'd like to wear it on special occasions, that might be a good use for it. The small hand engravings inside the case-back were made by watchmakers indicating when the watch was serviced. Often they are codes or job-numbers that are only understandable to the watchmaker.
I would keep it. Not that much value in these older omega watches and it might bear more emotional value than financial. And I would wear it more than less. It’s an classic.
The writing is probably from the previous servicing. Sometimes the watchmakers would put 'notes' in there. Probably best as a wearer.
I can’t see the serial but the P hallmark is from july 1964 to June 1965. The case was made and hallmarked in Birmingham. The case numbers formatted xxx.500x are typical of UK cased omegas, this one by Dennison (ALD). It’s a 34mm model, typical for a mans watch of the era. Here is another which looks pretty similar, but with the original fonts. There is a black dial 165.5003 on the site too. https://www.austinkaye.co.uk/vintag...gold-automatic-watch-original-omega-guarantee
Vintage Omega 27000 threads Modern Omega 7000 threads Probably more interest in these vintage Seamaster,s than anything else as everyone’s got one or two (or 8) These ARE the gateway into Speedmasters or Constellations
I find them interesting on their own, not as gateway to anything (which they may be). I currently have six.
Are these not worth few hundred bucks ? If so that’s what I mean, not worth thousands of dollars or what ? Not talking about vintage omega in general. That’s what I meant, not always worth selling an inherited watch for few hundred bucks but that is just my opinion.
Yeah and ? Did not say there is no interest here in vintage watches and believe me I have a lot more love for vintage watches that modern. I just meant that the watch might not be worth than few hundred bucks (meaning less than 1000) - I’ve sold inherited watch before because I did not use it and i regret it a lot.
If you're simply guessing what a watch is worth, it's not ideal giving advice to people seeking answers. As this is assayed at English 9ct it carries a premium over steel or gold plate/fill varieties. Still less than $1000 dollars but had it been 18ct it would be around $1000 or more in this condition.
By the way, i have a dennison cased 9ct seamaster, and these cases are really thick ( admittedly its from 1958), so i dont know if the 1960s versions were that weighty With better photos, i’d expect this to bring somewhere between $500- 750 in USA. Maybe more in UK, as there would be more interest in the case The 552 movement may also garner interest as used in other watches
