Fake vs Real seamaster 1950

Redial for sure, font is crude, poor minute marks,sub-dial has been polished away at bottom. Case has soft edges.
Movement looks to be omega, but can't say what state it is in by looking at it.
Melt value might be your best option given price of gold.

With a snap back case like this it never was a Seamaster.

Indeed, not a Seamaster.
https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/watch-omega-tresor-omega-ot-2659

But the case has a fair amount of gold, and scrap 18k is currently selling for about $55/gm where I live.

As stated above, melt value plus maybe $100USD for the movement and hands if you get lucky.

Now, if you like it, and wear it (after a service) and you can still pay the mortgage and feed the kids, I guess it is an ok buy.

Weigh it, remove a bit for the movement and dial, then multiply by the gold price.
Even at the current high spot for gold, I think you might’ve paid about double it’s value.

Happens to most of us when we first start out. Don’t worry about it. It’s part of learning.

The good news:

It is Omega, not fake
It is solid 18K gold case
Has bumper movement cal 342

Bad news:

Redial (which you knew or suspected already)
Condition is not good due to polishing
It is not a Seamaster- but a Tresor

It is not worthless, and you can wear and enjoy it (does it run?) So I would do so, and search for another over time, but research a reference you like and educate yourself so you don't make similar mistake. And I suggest posting pictures and info on future prospective purchases here before pulling the trigger. Many others have paid much higher noob tax- dont feel bad about it!

There are some of us who do like the well loved beaters and edges of the field. The low end of things. I personally like rusty incomplete movements. These in a way are more expensive that complete examples. They do tend to relate character and emotion. If nothing else the hunt for the missing needed parts, or restoring something beyond help.

Given the price of gold (which is not really my color) I decided not to get involved in gold cases, settling for the plated ones. So the value is often what gives the emotion to the owner.

I call my remains of good watches ratwatches, A variation of a term that seems to come from a class of automobile collectors who have rusty junkers called ratrods. This is were performance and functionality outweigh the looks and aesthetics.

I started this some 30+ years ago, so acquired a bit of watchmaking skills, then took a decade or two with other interests. pipe organs which are even more worthless. Not everyone can self service, a watch. It does help in these cases since one does not have to wait for a watchmaker.

Sometimes I think too many place the emphasis on the financial value, more than the emotional value.

And It could be worse, you could collect boats or vintage aircraft. (even models of those.)

And it opens up the door to the three most fundamental things in collecting research, research, and research. There is no better research anchor than to get something to compare against.

I don't know how much your case weighs.