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Can someone please help a beginner out?!

ChrisN
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As you're buying for an enthusiast and have a budget of $1500, the top of the line in the day was the Constellation and, with careful buying, you might get one in your price range and fully serviced. If not, keep a quarter of your budget back for a service/parts and be careful as many people say their watches are serviced when there is no real proof. There are many of these so, look at some images on google to see which model appears. Look for calibre 561 watches as they are in your era (sixties) and you'll find a lot.

Oddly, this one came up fairly close to the top and I bought it many years ago so, I've used it as an example. These are dog-leg lugs, pie pan dial and are some of the most desirable - this one is a fair example but, it'll give you an idea.

Good luck and if you find anything, post some pictures here so it can be reviewed.

Regards, Chris
 
gdupree
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ChrisN ChrisN
As you're buying for an enthusiast and have a budget of $1500, the top of the line in the day was the Constellation
That's a suggestion that tickles our fancies. That could possibly within your budget, but perhaps harder to find. But damn, that would be a fine gift indeed.

Here's one for sale now. And in stainless steel / white dial to boot...

FS 1964 OMEGA Constellation Ref. 168.005 - Pie-pan dial - SERVICED
591252-6dc982e674945df87ff0bfebe794a4bd.jpg
 
Davidt
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I’d say many of the late 50’s/60’s Seamasters / Constellations fit the bill here.

To narrow down to a particular model is really down to personal preference.

Personally I like the Seamaster DeVilles. They’re simple, elegant, good for casual wearing and have decent movements along with a unishell case that tends to stop people for hacking around inside as they aren’t as easy to open as a standard snap/screw back.

Just be aware many of these models are prone to redials and with your budget you can certainly afford an original in good condition, rather than an over polished, redial.
 
A
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gdupree gdupree
Alright. So you need a watch with these characteristics:

- Silver (stainless steel)
- Round
- White dial
- Automatic
- Early to mid 60s
- Under $1,500.

This we can help with. Is there a reason that you want a Deville specifically? Aesthetically, the Deville will look similar to many other Seamasters out there. But, Deville's are typically "Front loaders" (meaning you have to remove the watch's internals by removing the crystal on the front, instead of simply taking off the case back. The short of it: they're harder to open to get to the insides). So, unless you have a specific reason for a Deville, I suggest that you include standard Seamasters also, but only the ones that fall into the above criteria. Your budget should be more than enough. In fact, you may not need to spend but half of that. There don't seem to be a ton of examples for sale on the forum at the moment, but below is an example I found in our sales forum that could fit the bill. If you expand your search to Ebay, you will find endless hordes of them - but most (like, 90%+) have all been heavily polished and most have had their dials repainted. To us, this is our cue to run away, but as @Spacefruit kindly mentioned, this may be fine with you - and that's OK. But if the recipient of this gift has a collectors mind, or values originality as we do, then you may want to stay away from these.

We are good at helping out when there is something specific needed. But we are far worse when the inquiries are broad and lack definition. That being said, if you come to us with an example you found from ebay, we can quickly and easily vet the watch for you, and are almost always happy to do so. So feel free to do that... Just make sure you post the actual pictures here for us, not just the link to the auction. We're sticklers about that, I guess the extra click makes us feel unappreciated ;-)... Happy hunting.

1969 OMEGA Seamaster Automatic Ref. 166.010 - SERVICED
588603-44cadbf7172cf843b45e8a2df1cdc346.jpg
Appreciate the reply! I just know a Deville is on his list, so guess it makes me feel more confident in my selection! Is there any other characteristics of the “front loaders” that make them less desirable? I will definitely keep my eyes open on EBay as well. Aside from there and the auction site on here, are there any other credible sites you would recommend looking at?
 
Peemacgee
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If you look at retail prices, I’m guessing ‘he’ probably thinks that a 60’s Omega costs all of your budget and more.
In the Connie line - as the De Ville is the desired style, might I also suggest the round cased 168.010 (generally with a cal 564)
As above, it may take a while to find a good one but should be available well within your budget if you don’t go the retail route.
They come in dome dial (more De Ville-like) and pie pan.
CB3337A8-B7DB-4F2D-B8B8-F77D23C4B630.jpeg
 
jimmyd13
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A anon12345
Very nice! I really like the simplicity of this one and would be perfect but am unsure about the pie-pan dial
Nice to see this thread has solidified somewhat while I've been away.

There's something that you're forgetting in this quest: you are buying this as a gift. No matter what you choose, I promise you that the recipient will prize it because of that fact. The amount of thought you are obviously putting into the watch will make it special no matter what. So, don't be too worried about ticking every box you have on your list. While I apprediate and applaud the fact that you are trying to fulfill all the requirements you think the recipient has, I can promise you that whichever watch you settle on will be perfect.

Now, to the watch itself. The De Ville range, on the whole, was the entry level watch from Omega. Seamasters (along with other tool watches) were either mid-range or tailored to a specific job. The Constellations have always been Omegas top of the range offering. Many first time buyers opt for the De Villes thinking that they will cost less than other offerings and be a great place to start before moving up to Seamasters and similar. However, when you're buying vintage, the initial cost of any piece doesn't really bear on the current value nor other considerations such as service costs.

Frankly, I would strongly suggest you look at Seamasters having read your list of requirements above. You certainly have the budget to get a good, serviced, example.
 
MCC
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My advice before you buy any vintage watch is go and look at some "in the flesh" before you decide on the model you are interested in. Watches can look very nice in pictures but many vintage watches are much smaller than you might expect. So, make sure you are happy with the look and size a of a watch and then either wait for one to come up on Sales Corner or start trawling ebay for potential candidates.
 
ahsposo
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A anon12345
Very nice! I really like the simplicity of this one and would be perfect but am unsure about the pie-pan dial
Be sure about the pie pan dial. Very desirable. I have bought several pieces from this seller, BTW.
 
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