Fake SM120- 36 bidders, £690- WTF??

I know the topic of fakes is generally verboten here, and this thread may skirt a fine line, but this shocked me today and I don’t know what it says about the vintage watch market.


The watch is a classic kit often discussed and crapped upon by members here, myself included. The seller was very forthcoming about how all the parts, aside of the movement, were newly sourced reproduction parts and not factory.
The sellers description here:

“
Omega seamaster 120. Condition is Used. Dispatched with Royal Mail 1st Class.

Please read my full description for a full and frank apraisal.

Omega 120 seamaster watch, constructed using a brand new case purchased from a reputable online seller who describes them as refurbished with an aftermarket bezel, my honest and experienced opinion will follow shortly so please read it.

A very good friend of mine asked me to buy this case and build an example so i did and this is the result.

The case is described as refurbished with an aftermarket bezel, Obviously all the parts in the kit are brand new, the case however is light and the bezel lightweight, but the result is pretty good once built, the inside of the case back is correctly marked, i have fitted a genuine Omega movement ring, which is much better than the one that comes in the kit.

I sourced and purchased a 25million serial number 601 genuine Omega movement, dating to circa 1965, stripped it down, changed the sweep pinion and put it back together. It is winding and working properly.

The lug width is 19mm so i have fitted a new strap made by a german company called meyhoffer.

I must say after being sceptical about building this watch the finished article is pretty good for what it is, allowing many more people to enjoy this type of watch for sensible money, i see a lot for sale described as genuine or aged to deceive which is wrong, that being said i know that Omega have serviced some of these, so please make your own mind up.

Thanks Roy”


Despite his very frank description about the dubious parts, there were 36 bidders on this watch and it went for real money.
I’m not sure if this is a statement about how we (collectors) may be the only people who care about authentic pieces and most watch buyers just want something that looks cool, or if the homage and microbrand market have made this kind of thing acceptable to the point where an outright fake is seen as just a faithful reproduction using an original movement.

Should I be outraged? Is this kind of thing acceptable now?

A Watchco is make wirh 100% authentic Omega parts, all of them- the movement is vintage but the rest are factory service parts. None of these parts, other than the movement and ring (seller got that) are made by Omega, they are all aftermarket kit parts.

Not a high horse man, just shocked that a repro (aside of movement) went for that kind of money with that many bidders. If it had gone for $300 (the value of the movement) that would be one thing, but £690 is real money for a fake and that’s what makes it interesting.

Already noted above that the WatchCo builds are 100% original Omega parts, just (mostly) service parts.

But this reinforces your other point, which I agree with entirely - the minute you start shoving Omega logos on non-Omega parts I think you're entering fake territory. I wouldn't be keen to have that in my collection, even if the movement is real.

The watch in question has been removed by eBay after I reported it, yes they will remove completed listings.

Please watch out for it to reappear so it can be reported again.

I appreciate you policing as usually Norman, but the implication that a not only known -but advertised as such fake- had so much interest and garnered a price that’s actually not far off from what real ones can fetch is startling. I paid $900 for mine a little over a year ago....granted I had to have it serviced, correct hands sources and correct factory crown acquired (after getting enough guff here about my service crown), but still- that not a huge divide in price from this fake.
It just made me realize that perhaps we really are the only ones who care and are totally out of touch. It’s a cool looking repro of an Omega that was orphaned long ago, and to speak to point Alexi made, these aren’t getting easier to find. In fact I would go so far as to say it’s easier to find a decent EW than a decent SM120.
We get new members here daily asking where they can buy a freshly dialed black SMDV like Don Draper’s and we all roll our eyes and say -ain’t gonna happen- but that is what the general market seems to expects of the vintage watch market (these gleaming contrivances) and walk off to eBay and spend $1.5k for them and celebrate their vintage find. All the while we mumble and grumble.

Haha. Exactly.

But sometimes OF forgets we're a very small percentage of omega buyers. And the standard over here is often very different then the general standard. Take for instance polished cases. Do you really think people outside OF like unpolished cases? No, they want shiny ones with crystal clear dials. Why do we see all these draper dials? Because they sell.

No they dont.

Judging by that one post alone, I would be very wary of buying anything at all from Alexei who clearly has very loose morals when it comes to fakes and who knows what else. High horse? Hardly, just common decency.

Fakes are a reality, with that I can agree with Alexi. It’s a topic nobody likes to talk about. We (as Omega police) are constantly playing whack-a-mole with them when people come here asking for advise. But it has always seemed as though they were traded in the shadows or replica forums...not out in the open like this. All 36 people who bid on that item knew exactly what they were getting and clearly had no problem with it- in fact were driving the price up trying to get it!
Take note of the seriel number on the movement, I have little doubt we will see this watch again listed as a genuine product in short order.....and that is the problem.

And to speak to the issue that most people can tell a fake- not with these- they are very close- it’s obvious to us because we have picked them apart and created threads on the topic. Two years ago I knew very little about the SM120. If I had seen this listed in an auction where it had been claimed to be real and didn’t do my homework (as most people don’t) I wouldn’t have known the difference.

FIFY....

Could not possibly like this post enough...

I can’t speak to any other posts from Alexi, but in this regard I get his point- fakes are out there and always have been and there are many who don’t care and are even fine with it- hence the point of this post. We can polish our laurels all we want but It seems we as collectors, may be in the minority when it comes to not only valuing originality, but demanding it....we are the 1%.
There does seem to be a new breed of collectors who have been priced out of the market but want the look and feel of vintage watches...so they turn to shit like this. There are whole forums dedicated to them!