Crappy redial or just crappy photo? (Seamaster 166.010)

Was hoping I could humbly ask for some experienced eyes on this listing as I'm trying to get more confident disregarding frankenwatch listings. Things I've noticed are a non-original crown, lug polishing (?) and wonky dial script. Am I on the right track in my assessment? It's a bit hard to tell with pictures of this quality, particularly regarding the dial because while the width of the "Seamaster" script seems all over the place the hour markers also seem equally distorted.

It looks like the bezel could be cracked in a couple spots.

Tough to judge the dial based on the quality of these photos.

Yeah unfortunately the seller declined when I asked for additional photos, but thank you for your insight. It's definitely a pass for me regardless but is this what you're identifying as a cracked bezel? I hadn't actually noticed that at all until you pointed it out.

I came across this video which claims that some Seamaster references are more prone to cracking than others, particularly the 166.003, so that's something I'll be sure to keep an eye out for in the future.

Yes, those 2 circled areas are it.

A good rule is to avoid buying based on overexposed pictures, as they hide the true colour and a lot of details. For some obscure reason, Japanese sites love to over expose.

The distortion you mention is legit. The crystal has a shape and some indices might look distorted. This is why you need to have several pictures from different angles.

The different angles will also allow you to see what’s on the dial (=not great) vs. what’s on the crystal (=less an issue, as can be polished).

A mark that stays on the same spot from two distinct angles is on the dial.

See below a non exhaustive lost of things to check. They don’t all apply to this watch, this is more a general concept, as it seems you’re trying to sharpen your eyes:

On the dial:

• the scripts, and the serifs
• whether the dial has some texture (often a sign of redial)
• whether anything is misaligned or asymmetrical (crosshair, or omega symbol, or applied indices etc)
• whether the lines are straight and thin, indices parallel and same length
• whether there is some damage on the dial around the markers, especially on the crown side. Could mean some water intrusion in the past
• several angles will be important there to ensure you see all defects. At some angles, some disappear.
• length of the hands
• whether lume (if applicable) is consistent and still there
• for watches with subdials, whether you have some concentric rings (most often the case than not)

For the movement:

• whether there is some rotor rub (marks on the case back, which is the case here)
• whether the movt corresponds to the ref
• different colours between parts, swapped bridges etc.
• serial number vs. ref
• missing screws
• overall state of cleanliness

For the case:

• sharpness: for this you need to observe good examples and understand the key features to look for - and compare
• cracks / dings / dents etc.
• check bracelet/strap hole position and if they are still well centered and equidistant from the edges

The best thing to do when you compare is to search for the ref. on this forum and you will find various (often stunning) examples. This can set the bar for the condition. Then you compare side by side all of these elements.

Thanks for taking the time to write all that out, @theluckyluke. I appreciate the generosity, there's a lot of great details here I wasn't focusing on.

On the subject of "overall cleanliness," could I ask what you'd make of this black residue (maybe remnants of an old disintegrated gasket?) on cases and casebacks, all other things being even? I'm noticing it fairly frequently in the <$1,000 listings. My instinct is that even if it could be cleaned, it might be an indication that the rest of the watch wasn't well-maintained either and could be a red flag. Then again, these are 60 year old watches and if it could easily cleaned up in an ultrasonic cleaner or something, I don't want to pass up a nice watch for no reason.

In those photos I see lots of pitting corrosion which you won't be able to clean off.

If you want to wear the watch regularly, or a daily basis, then the best is to factor in a full service, especially for watches where there is no recent service history. That’s 300-400€ these days at an independent Omega certified watchmakers in my area. So not cheap vs. a watch at 1000€.

If you can buy a watch that’s already serviced, then that’s great, but ideally you want proof of the service, to understand exactly what’s been done. (and not just opened and closed at a watchmaker)

The larger issues like rotor rub etc. are best to fix early to avoid issues further down the line, which are more costly to fix if parts need replacement.

That said, it’s also a balance - it’s best to see how much you wear the watch before going into servicing, otherwise your wallet will suffer and you might struggle to recoup to cost if ever you want to resell later on.