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Authenticity check for my vintage Omega. Is Omega enthusiast Ltd legit?

Davidt
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I agree with the logic. If you’re only buying one or two vintage watches and don’t have the time or desire to learn the minutiae yourself, paying a premium for dealer peace of mind is fine.

Just be aware that although Omega Enthusiast is generally solid, other dealers are much less so. I also don’t believe for a second that most trusted dealers are only charging a 500-1000 premium on a 5000-6000 watch. Maybe something very liquid like a modern sports Rolex, but not a niche piece like a gold Constellation.
 
masteroftime
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RoadRunner73 RoadRunner73
Desmond said in one of his essays on Connie hunt something like : "you'll have to buy a watch and buy a seller"
I am a lover of vintage watches, and I have spent a lot of time recently in reading and checking and reading and checking... enough I believe to identify the criterion of what will be MY (probably only ) Constellation, but I will probably never reach the required level of expertise needed to avoid being crooked by a "smart" seller.
So I need some solid confidence in the guy I'll buy the watch from, and paying an extra 500 or 1000 on a 5-6,000 $ legit watch seems reasonable to me in compared with finding out a few years later eventually that the watch I had bought is in fact not worth more than 2,000 maybe...

I also agree with this logic. That being said, I agree with David. The 10% to 20% markup you lay out is rarely the case in my experience when it comes to non Rolex or Patek watches. I see plenty of dealers easily charging a 50% markup and sometimes 100%+ markup.
 
RoadRunner73
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Right, thx for your comments back ; having said that, I would rather concentrate on European sourcing, as I am based in France, and I believe buying from any source located in the US or Canada would put a strong premium with regards to import duties, which I think cannot be avoided when it comes to sending a watch by parcel and the corresponding insurance that makes the content evident to the Customs.

So I tend to consider "Omega Enthusiast" rather as a "visual guideline" (unfortunately ?...)

I was lucky to identify the Davidoff Brothers in Geneva from whom I sourced my Moonwatch last year ; I am sure I must have paid a premium for that as compared to other comparable offers, but again, DB has won a great reputation on their expertise on Speedmasters over the years (Fratello, Speedy Tuesday, etc...) and I know the watch I bought is
a) fully legit
b) in stunning condition
c) origin has been confirmed since by means of the Extract of Archives I commissioned from Omega since.
So long term, my feeling is that this deal was a very good one for me, even if I have now to consider a service and its corresponding cost on a watch that has probably never seen one in 25 years.
 
Joe K.
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I would agree that buying the seller is important. However, without calling anyone out, some dealers will sugarcoat things to make a sale, so at the end of the day you need to be an informed buyer.

FWIW I agree that paying 10-20% to avoid a learning curve might be worth it. However, paying 3-4 times the actual value is silly . But to each their own.
Edited:
 
cristos71
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masteroftime masteroftime
I also agree with this logic. That being said, I agree with David. The 10% to 20% markup you lay out is rarely the case in my experience when it comes to non Rolex or Patek watches. I see plenty of dealers easily charging a 50% markup and sometimes 100%+ markup.

Most dealers selling a watch above 5k or so are IME looking for a around a 80-100% mark up on vintage pieces. Less of course for super well known/highly liquid models.

This is what I have observed anyway when seeing a followed watch pop up later on a dealers site.
 
kaplan
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I never got over him having the gall to do a video on how to open casebacks where he mentions he snapped off a crown using his own method

I'm also glad he doesn't buy watches I'm interested in, he's the buyer of most unique auctions online

I'm extremely jealous of his masonic SMDV, bought for $400 ish but I think it's easily worth $4000+ - F eBay's visibility issues
 
ae86guy
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Bought my 2639 from Omega Enthusiast. Can vouch for the authenticity of the pieces he sells. Yes, his prices are steep but you're paying for peace of mind that everything is correct and the fact that everything is freshly serviced has gotta be worth something. As a Canadian it also made sense to buy from him as I wouldn't need to pay customs/duties as I would need to with any international seller. Just don't expect to get rich if you intend to sell as the markup has already been paid (by you). If you are okay with this I think his watches are a solid option.

Another user posted a few Ebay listings of watches he clearly purchased, serviced, then "flipped" so to speak. If you look at the Ebay sale price, factor in the cost of his service, and then consider what he sells his watches for, it's not unreasonable at all IMO.

The CK2639 I purchased from him:
PXL_20221008_163835597.MP.jpg
 
bikerfox
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i've been watching omegaenthusiast's videos and find them very helpful.
 
bikerfox
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ae86guy ae86guy
Bought my 2639 from Omega Enthusiast. Can vouch for the authenticity of the pieces he sells. Yes, his prices are steep but you're paying for peace of mind that everything is correct and the fact that everything is freshly serviced has gotta be worth something. As a Canadian it also made sense to buy from him as I wouldn't need to pay customs/duties as I would need to with any international seller. Just don't expect to get rich if you intend to sell as the markup has already been paid (by you). If you are okay with this I think his watches are a solid option.

i noticed from omegaenthusiast's website that nearly all of his bands fit someone w/a 6" wrist, which is probably his size.
would one guess that most if not all of his bands could be lengthened to fit someone with larger wrists?
 
ae86guy
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bikerfox bikerfox
i noticed from omegaenthusiast's website that nearly all of his bands fit someone w/a 6" wrist, which is probably his size.
would one guess that most if not all of his bands could be lengthened to fit someone with larger wrists?

Yes I have tiny wrists but I have the strap on the smallest setting/hole. They would be fine for a normal range of wrists - what you would expect from most straps.
 
SC1
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bikerfox bikerfox
so, you are the owner of omegaenthusaistltd.com?

Seems unlikely, he posted saying he "Bought my 2639 from Omega Enthusiast... "
 
Davidt
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bikerfox bikerfox
i noticed from omegaenthusiast's website that nearly all of his bands fit someone w/a 6" wrist, which is probably his size.
would one guess that most if not all of his bands could be lengthened to fit someone with larger wrists?

Some bracelets such as the 1171 are fairly easy to resize and links aren’t too hard to come by. Others, such as the beads of rice bracelets are much harder to resize and links are harder to come by. It’s much, much easier to buy a bracelet that fits you in the first place than to try and fine and fit extra links.

I’d speculate that OE sources many of his watches from Japan (ever notice how Closer never seems to sell vintage Omegas with unusual dials?) where wrist sizes are generally 6” give or take.
 
MtV
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With the amount of watches he sells I’d be shocked if he didn’t have a few spare links available upon request.
 
Davidt
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MtV MtV
With the amount of watches he sells I’d be shocked if he didn’t have a few spare links available upon request.

Good point and if buying from OE I’m sure he could help. Different if you’re buying a shirt bracelet from most eBay sellers etc though.
 
MtV
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Davidt Davidt
Good point and if buying from OE I’m sure he could help. Different if you’re buying a shirt bracelet from most eBay sellers etc though.

Oh, 100%! Basically, all I'm saying is: If you consider one of his watches on a bracelet but it'd be too short for you, ask him about the necessary spare links instead of simply dismissing the offer as not suitable.
 
COYI
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I'd be surprised if he's not a member of this forum
 
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