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  1. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    I just bought a Circa 1970s ladies Omega DeVille automatic which appears to be in excellent condition. I received it yesterday and it was keeping good time. I left it on the desk overnight and I found that it had stopped moving for hours. Now it is working again as I wear it.

    Is this normal? How often do I need to wind it? Does it need to be serviced?

    Please excuse my ignorance on this matter,
    Mary
     
  2. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Aug 21, 2012

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    When you first pick up an automatic and put it on, it needs to be wound (about 40 turns) before you start wearing it. The auto winding system keeps it wound, it isn't meant to do the initial winding for you, so that may be it
     
  3. bob martian Aug 21, 2012

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    Mechanical watches have a limited power reserve, which may not of been completely full depending on how long the watch was worn. If you do not want the watch to ever run out of power, there are storage cases, called a watch winder, that keep the power reserve full.
     
  4. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    Learned something. Thank you folks! :)
     
  5. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Aug 21, 2012

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    Care to post a pic of the Geneve?
     
  6. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    It's a DeVille. The eBay photos are horrible. The watch looks a lot better. I'll take a photo and upload it for you to see.

    Being new at this, I am having a lot of questions.
     
  7. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    OK, I am uploading a photo I took of this watch, which I received yesterday. There is a tiny speck of dirt or dust between 11 & 12. It does bother me, but I am going to let it go.

    Your comments are welcome. Thanks! OmegaDeVille.jpg
     
  8. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Aug 21, 2012

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    Very nice, these smaller size pieces you don't see all that much these days
     
  9. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    The inside of the back says "Lunette Plaque or G(?) 20 microns. Fond Acier Inoxydable. 551.038"

    I know "microns" has something to do with gold content and 551.038 has something to with the age. Overall, what is the significance of these inscriptions?

    Dsio, I do love these watches, especially when they are in such good condition. They evoke nostalgia, don't they?
     
  10. ulackfocus Aug 21, 2012

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    Plaque means plated. G is gold. The plating is 20 microns thick on top of stainless steel (acier inoxydable). 551.038 is the reference number of the watch.
     
  11. cicindela Steve @ ΩF Staff Member Aug 21, 2012

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    Unusal and nice looking, I really like it , good find Mary. :thumbsup:
    [​IMG]
     
  12. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    The amazing thing is that it's not expensive. I got it for $245. Don't you think it is a "steal"? I took a look at today's new Omegas, the prices are so very high!
     
  13. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Aug 21, 2012

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    Ladies watches are always much lower in value, there are a lot of them and the market isn't that big, particularly for vintage, most women prefer quartz battery watches.
     
  14. bob martian Aug 21, 2012

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    I think most women prefer the mens vintage watches. I know that what my wife wears. The vintage ladies are small, and big watches are in right now.
     
  15. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Aug 21, 2012

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    A 34.5mm Stainless Constellation piepan on a girl with a beads of rice bracelet looks amazing, its hard to go past that into something new
     
  16. N2FHL Omega Qualified Watchmaker Aug 21, 2012

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    I think Mary is probably just ahead of her time in fashion. Watches have gotten so big that there is no place else to go. Soon they'll have to go the other direction to be "new and different". I don't know that the women will ever appreciate the automatics though. They change their watches too frequently to keep them running and don't want to fool around with them. They are used to being able to just put them on.
     
  17. Mary255 Aug 21, 2012

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    << I think Mary is probably just ahead of her time in fashion. >>

    Hahahaha!
     
  18. ulackfocus Aug 21, 2012

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    Style always comes back around every 20 or 30 years, right?