Buying advice 300m quartz (2561.80)

Hi,
I’m in the market for a vintage Seamaster 300m quartz ref. 2561.80 and looking for some buying advice.

How reliable are these quartz movements, anything to look out for in particular?

Also, I notice that many watches selling online has a discrepancy in colour between the lume on the dial and lume on the hands. Is this an indication of replacements or damage, or is it a natural cause of time and age?

I’ll be very grateful for any additional buying advice as I’m new to omega in general and this watch in particular.

Thanks 😀

image for reference and attention only 😀

Hi Beccs

I've had my 2561.80 for a long time, though I wasn't the original owner. For the first few years of production, Omega used dials with tritium lume, which yellows over time and is by now no longer effective in the dark. They then switched to dials with superluminova which remains more white and continues to function well . The mismatch on the tritium models you may be seeing isn't necessarily due to replacement hands, as the hands generally didn't age the same way as the dial; in fact I believe mine is fairly typical of how the hands go more of a greeny tint.

Photos tend to exaggerate the extent of the yellowing of the dial in terms of how noticeable in general use, but unless you particularly like the aged patina look, I would recommend finding a superluminova version.

I haven't had any particular issues with mine over the years and it remains reliable and accurate. Other watches have come and gone in time but this one has been a constant and no plans on that changing.

In terms of buying advice, there shouldn't be too many pitfalls beyond obviously condition vs price. Apart from that, sometimes there are examples that have an aftermarket bezel insert which can usually be spotted easily by the lume pip at the top being too raised up vs the original. One other thing would be to check bracelet length and also whether the half links are still there, they came with 2 of them originally. There's no micro adjustment on the clasp so they can be useful for getting the best fit. If the price is right then you can always order replacement links but factor that in to the cost as they're not entirely inexpensive.

Best of luck with it, I think it's a great choice and they remain relatively good value, although prices are creeping up.

Thanks a lot, bulldog77! Very helpful advice😀

…and a great watch you have there!