Considering my first ever vintage watch

Luke12 · Oct 28, 2021

Hello Omega Forums. I am new to the forum. I am considering my first ever vintage watch from a listing on this forum and thought I might ask you all what you think of this listing. I've been researching vintage Omegas and Longines but I admit I am a bit overwhelmed. For example, I've heard for vintage Omegas it is best to stay away from 1010 based movements. But I don't know anything about vintage Longines movements. The seller is asking about the same amount as a new Conquest Heritage. I prefer the vintage look of this one and the lack of a date window. The two factors that would lead me toward buying a new Heritage instead are the risks of buying a lemon, which is why I am asking you fine folks, and servicing costs. How much can I expect to service this thing anyway?

Thank you very much. Here is the listing. I hope it is not bad form to post listings from this forum here to ask the community.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/fur...-gilt-dial-longines-conquest-9002-ref.136047/

Spruce · Oct 28, 2021

Hi Luke, and welcome to the forum,

To make it easier for other posters I attach a photo of the watch in your link.

I can assist you with a number of things.

First, @seekingseaquest is a member of this forum and, as such, has both posted and sold a number of watches. You’ll be able to access posts from buyers and form your own assessment of him from their views. Apart from being well regarded, he wouldn’t be able to get away with posting 'lemons' on OF, even if he had a mind to - which I’m confident he hasn’t.

Second, I can tell you that I’ve purchased two or three watches from Phil and have been very pleased with the condition of the watches. Coincidentally, I posted a photo of this one, yesterday in WRUW, and acknowledged my purchase from @seekingseaquest in the post

https://omegaforums.net/threads/wruw-today.567/page-8909#post-1877624

Third, new Conquest Heritage watches are nice, and I have two

but you have to appreciate that collectors like collecting older, rarer watches and these can be harder to find and because they are rare, the good ones are sold at a premium.

Fourth, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Omega 1*** movements but they appeared in the 70s and many collectors on OF like the earlier watches with 50s and 60s cases and movements - and, as I said above, collectors are like this.

So, it’s up to you. There are lemons about, there are unscrupulous sellers who redial watches or create ‘frankenwatches' from genuine parts from different watches but you won’t find them selling them on OF.

Larry S · Oct 28, 2021

This watch is lovely and the caseback cloisonné is there as well. I’d budget $250-350 for a movement only service. To reiterate, OF is one of the safest places to buy and sell. No one is going to get away with being a jerk here. You can also check seller references. It’s perfectly ok to discuss / critique listings btw. The line is crossed when that happens on the listing itself especially with respect to price.

Luke12 · Oct 28, 2021

Thank you for your responses, Spruce and Larry. I'm really impressed by how helpful the members of this community are. And you all have great taste.

Dan S · Oct 28, 2021

I would have absolutely no hesitation buying a watch from @seekingseaquest. He has an amazing collection and a strong reputation as a seller as well. I'm sure he will describe his watch accurately and answer any questions you might have. Prices of vintage watches can be either less or more than new watches, depending on desirability and condition.

The choice between new and vintage is really a personal one, and you will only know if you like vintage watches by trying. You need to hold some in your hands, wear them regularly, and eventually you will know. Photos are not enough. Personally, I think that re-issues often look nice, but they always leave me a bit cold, and I would always prefer to have the actual vintage version. But that's just my preference.

A service could run you anywhere from $150-$500 defending on where you live, who you take it to, and what needs to be done. New collectors sometimes don't have an existing relationship with a watchmaker, so service/repairs can be more difficult and/or expensive to arrange. But really, costs are impossible to predict, you just have to take your chances. Some vintage watches need very little help, and others develop problems that need to be addressed. Some watches will run well for many years with without a service. Or you could buy a watch that is running fantastic, and two months later it could develop an expensive problem. Or you can have the watch serviced, and next year it might still need expensive repairs. Or not. You are buying something old, so you need to be prepared to invest in repairs and maintenance as needed.

Luke12 · Oct 28, 2021

Thanks Dan. Your response about servicing helps me a lot.

Let me clarify I never meant to imply anything bad about the seller. I meant to ask for advice for a newbie such as advice I have heard previously like "A newbie should avoid 1010 movements in vintage Omegas and stick to 500 based movements instead". I shouldn't have used the term 'lemon'.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 28, 2021

I wouldn't hesitate to buy that Conquest. It looks like a nice example and the price isn't bad at all. I'd budget about $250 for a service, maybe a bit more or less depending on where you live.

Syrte · Oct 29, 2021

Welcome to the forum, I see the watch is sold and have to congratulate buyer and seller— and maybe @Luke12 is the buyer?

I too would buy from @seekingseaquest in a heart beat, however may I sound a note of caution about sweeping statements that all sellers on OF can all be trusted always?

While this is a uniquely safe community, and I would consider 99.9% of listings here to be super safe, i’m sorry to report that in general and over the years I’ve seen many instances of reputable, respected and well established sellers being less than transparent, not on OF specifically but even on OF and other forums.
Thankfully OF is very well policed, with a majority of very good « citizens » but there may be more than meets the eye, and also instances when someone makes an honest mistake.

For a new member who hasn’t interacted with members and don’t know exactly who’s who, my advice to all newcomers and novices would be: no matter who’s selling or where, ALWAYS do your homework and your due diligence, politely and nicely but without fail.
And if necessary do exactly as @Luke12 did here, post publicly to get feedback on a specific listing or seller.

That being said we are indeed lucky to have such a good and well run membership. 👍

Luke12 · Oct 29, 2021

Thanks for the clarification Syrte. Yes I purchased the watch and I can't wait for it to arrive. I was planning on posting a picture of it once it arrives.

Luke12 · Nov 3, 2021

I've received it! Couldn't be happier. Thanks to the seller and everyone who interacted with this thread. I've left positive feedback for the seller in the feedback forum. I'm not very good at lighting in photos or maybe the vintage crystal is contributing to that. I love how the vintage 35mm size fits on my 6.0" wrist.

Considering my first ever vintage watch

Luke12

Spruce

Larry S

Luke12

Dan S

Luke12

Waltesefalcon

Syrte

Luke12

Luke12

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