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First vintage Seamaster - Or DeVille?

jamesl0928
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Good Morning OF,

Picked up this 14k gold filled Seamaster in a live online auction, a $200 bid on a whim picked it up ($248 after fees). Some small scratches on the crystal, also a small knick on the top left lug where small amount of gold was chipped.

Bringing it into local Omega repair to take a look at it but wanted to get some opinions from the OF community. No pics of the movement or inside case back yet, should have some once it’s taken in.

Main question, is this a DeVille? Looks most similar to 1960s DeVille watches but marked just with Seamaster on dial. Also the quarter hour markers are thicker than others I’ve seen.

Appreciate the feedback and I should have more pics soon.
 
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Spruce
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Looks like a nice watch at a good price.
 
Caliber561
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Seems like a ~1963 Pre-De Ville Seamaster in fairly nice condition. These monocoque Seamasters were dubbed "De Ville" by Norman Morris, Omega's US distributor, sometime in '63, though the model itself was already in production since 1960.

Wear it in good health!
 
PlainVanilla
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Does the "Seamaster" font look correct to you? I'm not sure but I thought the font was a bit thinner and a bit different back then but I might be wrong. Anyway it's a very sweet looking watch at a hell of a price!
 
DaveK
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It could just be the filter/colour of the photo playing with the font. The lack of a seahorse is interesting on a 60’s Seamaster (I think)
 
PlainVanilla
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The font on my pre DeVille is totally different but it might have changed from 1961 to 1963.

EDIT: I found both fonts on pre-DeVilles on Google so this one looks fine!
Edited:
 
OmegaP99
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DaveK DaveK
It could just be the filter/colour of the photo playing with the font. The lack of a seahorse is interesting on a 60’s Seamaster (I think)
I had a smooth-back pre-DeVille Seamaster, it was a 14k case however so may make a difference.
 
PlainVanilla
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I have the feeling that there are zillions of different combinations of Omega Seamasters. Is it even possible to know all of them? It seems that aficionados discover new things even after years of collecting watches.
 
jamesl0928
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Caliber561 Caliber561
Seems like a ~1963 Pre-De Ville Seamaster in fairly nice condition. These monocoque Seamasters were dubbed "De Ville" by Norman Morris, Omega's US distributor, sometime in '63, though the model itself was already in production since 1960.

Wear it in good health!
Thanks for that info, very insightful
 
jamesl0928
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So just an update, took it in to authorized Omega repair. They said time is running just a bit slow but most likely serviced in the last 10 years.

With the solid case back they have to go through the front, could break the crystal so they said for now they just suggested I let it run until i start noticing an issue keeping time. A bit bummed cause I was hoping to see the movement, serial number etc, but it’s also good news.

thanks for all the feedback!
 
PlainVanilla
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jamesl0928 jamesl0928
So just an update, took it in to authorized Omega repair. They said time is running just a bit slow but most likely serviced in the last 10 years.

With the solid case back they have to go through the front, could break the crystal so they said for now they just suggested I let it run until i start noticing an issue keeping time. A bit bummed cause I was hoping to see the movement, serial number etc, but it’s also good news.

thanks for all the feedback!

They just didn't want to open it because they are lazy.
 
wilderbeast
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Since you got this at a good price, I think it’s worth seeking out a good independent watchmaker to check it over. It may be that a fresh service is not needed, but the timekeeping could certainly be adjusted and you could get the movement shots and serial that you are after. If all is well, it shouldn’t be too expensive.
 
PlainVanilla
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wilderbeast wilderbeast
Since you got this at a good price, I think it’s worth seeking out a good independent watchmaker to check it over. It may be that a fresh service is not needed, but the timekeeping could certainly be adjusted and you could get the movement shots and serial that you are after. If all is well, it shouldn’t be too expensive.

Yep, I totally second this.
 
Widows Son
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Sounds like you need a new watchmaker. Since you don't know the history of the watch, find a good watchmaker, have it serviced, and wear it with no worries.
 
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