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First Vintage Omega Buying Advice: Shopping Tips

first omega omega vintage
babaky
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Hi All

So I have decided to purchase a vintage Omega, because they are just so elegant and the history so interesting and well documented.
I had decided on a to purchase a Ck2652, with a clean dial, Pie pan, preferably Waffle, 352 or 354. I have come very close to buying one and having got a lot of help from one of the members here, decided not to go for that particular watch, as the Dial was not perfect and the hands corroded, and no service history.
In looking around I have come across this black face Seamaster, Reference number 14390-8-SC, Caliber 284, Last serviced 05/08/2025. I am afraid, I have not done my research on the seamaster but it looks so good that I thought I would get an opinion here before going further. My questions are
is this a redial, as the dial is so clean, t
he case looks quite sharp to me ( complete Novice),
the price is 1600 euros, does this sound reasonable
Thanks in advance
Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 21.26.39.webp Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 21.27.21.webp Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 21.28.05.webp
Regards Babak
 
SOG53
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Hello and welcome
Black shiny dials on Internet 99% redials. This looks like redial but dial photo is so blurry can’t really assess it well.
Some sellers do this deliberately.
Text is white which is not good
Case polished particularly back
Need magnified focused photos of dial
 
babaky
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SOG53 SOG53
Hello and welcome
Black shiny dials on Internet 99% redials. This looks like redial but dial photo is so blurry can’t really assess it well.
Some sellers do this deliberately.
Text is white which is not good
Case polished particularly back
Need magnified focused photos of dial
Thanks for that, The dial looks so good in the low depth of field photos, that it raised suspicion. I presume the white writings would become milky or cream with age?
 
MtV
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It’s a redial. Few other issues but that alone rules it out. Price would be rather high even if this was original.
 
babaky
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MtV MtV
It’s a redial. Few other issues but that alone rules it out. Price would be rather high even if this was original.
Thank you.
 
SOG53
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Still blurry. But not one to buy.
Look at Private Watch Sales here on OF and follow the Recommended Eday listings thread to see vetted listings. But you’re better off buying here from OF collectors.
Take your time.
 
babaky
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Thanks have been looking here every day for the past few days, but looking around meantime, just being impatient I guess.
 
padders
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See the curved pits and the end of the major indices? Those used to have lume, the reason they don't anymore was because the dial was repainted. This is one to avoid and to be honest you will up your chances of something original if you just avoid anything black dialled for the reasons stated above by SOG
 
SOG53
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There’s a beautiful black gilt dial Constellation FS 14393 on Priivate Watches have a look to see what original black dial looks like
(No relation to sale but you can’t go wrong with seller)
 
babaky
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SOG53 SOG53
There’s a beautiful black gilt dial Constellation FS 14393 on Priivate Watches have a look to see what original black dial looks like
(No relation to sale but you can’t go wrong with seller)
Yes have seen that a lot of patina. I have a hard time accepting a dial with patina like that, But I guess that is the norm with the age.
 
padders
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original, lack of patina, cheap - pick any two. By which I mean you can have original but lived in and you can have redialled and cheap or you can pay through the nose for an original minter but you can't have all 3. Well not without super amounts of hard work or sheer dumb luck.
 
gbesq
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padders padders
original, lack of patina, cheap - pick any two. By which I mean you can have original but lived in and you can have redialled and cheap or you can pay through the nose for an original minter but you can't have all 3. Well not without super amounts of hard work or sheer dumb luck.
What padders said.
 
padders
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Not the same model I know, this is 14700, mine is auto and slightly later, but the case style is pretty much the same. It still bears the original Radium Lume. Some would say it has way too much patina, but it isn't unattractive (to me) and it wasn't silly money. The black dial has patinated to a gold undertone, perhaps the brass underneath showing through. This is an example of points 1 and 3 in my list above:

IMG_2583.webp IMG_2584.webp
Edited:
 
babaky
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padders padders
Not the same model I konw, mine is auto and slightly later, but the case style is pretty much the same. This is mine. Some would say it has way too much patina, but it isn't unattractive (to me) and it wasn't silly money. The black dial has patinated to a gold undertone, perhaps the brass underneath showing through. This is an example of points 1 and 3 in my list above:

IMG_2583.webp
That is lovely, and the patina in this case works well.
 
gbesq
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And here are a few of mine. Original, no patina, and definitely NOT cheap.
IMG_1325.webp IMG_1320.webp IMG_1318.webp IMG_1314.webp
 
padders
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babaky babaky
I had also seen this on ebay, but the dial says chronometer and not chronometre as it is pre 1958. is that correct?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/178245258176?_skw=omega+2652&itmmeta=01KYG34FYB2EDMSWJN11JN51G8&hash=item29803ecbc0:g:50oAAeSwMBhqLJyG&itmprp=enc:AQALAAAA8GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xAfxKja96pOEUnhqBHj0QcBP9E8RmdT2Fu3u/xnJhSlWNwn/5H0tSq60zhsArN5rHrDRuffNxVxZtZvkRcoCE4jDmi6YDBpIwKtcaMgaPNSXyEhLAV1Q/8Q39X9XzKO1WxTqwUSHcAFQgH5O87yFxmr787nXKPG3KYCiel+9b9MBPc50bKGnmtw6YRXTEKlKGC641tAl5SYJv+bKkV8hgrYECv7kiiMVLReheB6Qf4tNzUNlICDy/1hSMC2FJiOXvqQmBSl/9XhYA/oIWKsI4PwZT4afS7i/GJVOOoE93IVEg==|tkp:BFBMuv-Rg_Rn
That is an awful redial. You need to look at a few examples of every watch you are considering and the redials will start to become easier to spot. Seriously, this one is obvious.

Oh but yes, you are correct, a watch of this age should use the French spelling. It gets trickier 1958-60 as there are exceptions and no defined cut off. But before this year bracket look for French, and after it should be English.

pic of the above added so the massive can judge for themselves:

s-l1600.webp
 
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babaky
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gbesq gbesq
And here are a few of mine. Original, no patina, and definitely NOT cheap.
IMG_1325.webp IMG_1320.webp IMG_1318.webp IMG_1314.webp
Wow. They have incredible dials.
 
babaky
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padders padders
That is an awful redial. You need to look at a few examples of every watch you are considering and the redials will start to become easier to spot. Seriously, this one is obvious.
OK. That is exactly what I am doing. But need a little guidance to differentiate from. To begin with anyway. I hope
 
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