I haven't been a member here at all long, but am really enjoying the reading and that euphoric experience of being on a near vertical learning curve.

I don't have a lot of money to spend on watches, but there are a few out there I'd like. And, I wondered if people here could comment on something I am thinking of doing.

There are a number of Seamasters on the eBay for around the 450-600USD mark. Dinged up cases, slightly patinated dials, but haven't been buffed or reno'd in any way .. at least as far as an uneducated eye can see.

I am not after an original, pristine, unaltered watch. Just something that is frank about its origins, age and experience, which has a sound mechanism and which may (well, will ) need some attention - maybe to the extent of 400 -500USD. I am hoping to get a daily wearer out of the process. If it works, then I can look at other pieces I am interested in and see what can be done to help them back into the world - but no facelifts.

So, does picking up a watch with a tatty looking case and fixing her up sound like sane and viable action for a noob; or, am I just walking into a shed of pratfalls, traps and calamities? And, if OK, what I suppose I am asking is are there lower thresholds of scruffiness and upper thresholds of cost that I shouldn't cross.

Thanks ever so much for your help.

 

Buy the best you can afford- condition, condition, condition.
This took me a long time to figure out. I have lots of project watches that turned out well, and far more that were heartbreaking, bank-breaking and still in parts.

Best advise- either love it for what it is- warts and all, or go for the best. But only the very skilled and resourced can turn a pile of shit into gold.

 

Been there done that, as James said, buy the best you can afford and if you can't afford something nice, then wait until you can.

If you haven't read this do:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/learn-how-to-fish.52603/

 

Ultimately I think you will be disappointed. Does it have to be Omega? There are lots of other brands that have similar looks to Omega but because they have a different name on them are cheaper. If it is Omega you are after and Price is a big factor, F300s and megahertz watches are a reasonable option but can be expensive to fix if they need to be fixed. I think what you are suggesting will end up with either a reasonably sized repair bill or a tatty watch.

 

For an entry level piece like those you are describing, you're not saving much money (if any) by buying a lesser example and the "fixing it up".

 

Hi Alfy. Apart from all the valuable tips given by the experts, I just wanted to say two things:

1) It might be a good idea to hang around for a while and wait for a watch in this price category to show up here in the sales section of OF. In the mean time, you get to read the current threads and learn more.

2) Cool profile picture. Last summer I visited our common friend in Vienna... Wanted to pass by and leave him a rose.



Welcome and best wishes,

Rudi

 

Depending on what it is you actually want, you might have a look at 60s/70s Omega Geneve watches, ideally with a calibre 601 movement. You should find a nice looking one with a great movement and easily serviced for about £80.

 

Welcome to the fun of vintage watches. I'm only slighter higher on the learning curve than you. One thing that caught my attention about your post is "tatty looking case." If by this you mean dirty, that is one thing, but damaged or over-polished is quite another. From my experience, it seems the longer you're in the game, the more case condition matters. A patina on the dial is one thing, but a jacked-up case may lose some appeal over time.

 

If you want to dip your toes into vintage, and it doesn’t have to be Omega- linger over at the bargain thread. Lots of fun cheap thrills to be had and you can get a sense of what vintage is all about for less than Omega money.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/rec...-deals-on-ebay-other-auctions.113139/page-235

 

Fixing up a "tatty looking case" may not be easy nor inexpensive. Most surface scratches or swirls can be polished up and improved if not completely removed. Dents and dings, if present and any pitting in a case can be repaired but require laser welding. I have seen plenty of banged up watches that were just polished to make them shiny but that doesn't really make them look better. The condition may be consistent with the age of the piece. If you are buying a watch that has been worn consistently whether it's a year old or 10 years old there will be some marks on the watch and condition determines the price. In my opinion look at the condition compared to the age and decide if you can accept the price and the condition.

 

Thanks so much for all these pointers.

Here's an example of what I have been looking at as something with a dinged case for around the 550USD mark. I wouldn't really know even if it is an original item or a bitsa

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/OMEGA-Seama...l-Hand-Winding-Mens-Watch-564727/254822665460Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

If that is a 60-year old watch, I am happy with that degree of roughness - at least the way it appears there. Most of the watches I have owned have ended up looking a bit like that. The question is then, what is the reason for that price. Is it the case damage, or is something perhaps being left unsaid about the watch's provenance or the function of its mechanism and serviceability?

 

I’m not impressed with that watch. I can’t swear that the dial is original, but that case is pretty beat up.

I suggest patience. As much as you want to get something now, you are very vulnerable to falling for a watch you won’t care for in six months, when you’ll know more.

Rather than risk your money on eBay initially, I suggest you find something listed in the private sales forum here. This is a much safer environment for your early purchases. In the last six months, there have been a number of desirable vintage Omegas for sale in or near to your price range.

And yes, buy the best you can afford. Everyone here has made these mistakes when we were starting out.

 

Thanks for your sanity, lillatroll.

I am getting the impression that, perhaps like a lot of people who don't know much yet about the field, I'd like to own a 1960s hand-wound Seamaster partly because of recognition, partly the paradigmatic looks and partly the cost - maybe less because of James Bond. But also partly because I know what I am like as a gatherer of things, and see a proper interest in watches as a financially exhausting pursuit. Getting a good one might limit the number of overall purchases.

Don't get me wrong. There is a metric tonne of other watches, both in this range and the 300 dollar range that I'd like. Only the other day, for instance, I had to literally walk out of the room in order to stop myself clicking Pay Now on a dignified-looking old Oris with a crescent moon date-pointer.

@Rudi99 --- yes, for some reason I was cycling endlessly through the symphonies of our mutal acquaintance, ringing the changes over and over on my Tidal account. Nice thought; the roses.

@JwRosenthal - thanks for the link to the bargains thread.

 

It’s easy for those of us who have been collecting for a while to say “be patient grasshopper”- we remember not long ago when flawless 600cal Seamasters were $400- not anymore. It’s got to be tough to come to this hobby now and read the stories of the bargains of yore only to realize you came late to the party. I too have to work within a budget and couldn’t afford half of my watches if I were to try and replace them now.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that bitter experience tells us how what may seem a bargain initially can quickly become a money pit. Scratched/cracked crystals, dna covered funk and replacement crowns can be easily resolved- that’s about seeing a diamond in the rough- those are the joys of bargain hunting. But dial damage, moisture ingress, over polishing, missing or mismatched parts- these are all issues that can’t be easily resolved- so better to pay more upfront for a better example than throw good money after bad. We are just try it to save you from yourself.

 

don’t donate your money for this example

many reasons plus manipulated pix to obscure obvious case mangling in the past.

 

You are succeeding

 

A word of advice: avoid the Green Seamasters, usually a redial.

 

I see what you did there ...

 

Some of these fake dials are really well done with such fun colors. I have actually asked I could buy just a dial (they had a TV blue dial what my wife would have loved) but said they only do them for watches they currently have. if only they could use their powers for good and not evil.

 

You are too eager to pull the trigger and your budget is too low. Garbage is garbage and $500 is still money. If you really want a keeper, increase your budget and leverage the expertise here.