Hi folks. I'm from the Boston MA USA area and keep a small budget watch collection. I mainly buy watches that are interesting and/or unusual in some way and have the requisite Wenger and Victorinox Swiss Army watches. I'd love to own one of the high end watches like a new Omega but as is the case for many people there are other things I need before a high end watch so I am happy with my little collection.

But I didn't join this forum to discuss my budget watches. Along with those I have three vintage Omega watches that belonged to my parents and I'm in the process of determining what I am going to do with them. I've had my mothers two watches in my safe for 20+ years and my fathers one watch in my safe for 10+ years. It's time to do something with them. I promise I am not going to ask "How much are my watches worth?" At least not yet...

My fathers Omega is a Seamaster DeVille and is in need of a new band, clasp and crystal and could probably use a tune up. I am not sure if it is all plated gold or part plated and part solid. I'd love to restore it to it's exact specs as new if possible, and wear it.

I don't know the names of my mothers Omega's. One is medium in size and automatic, and the other is a dainty dress watch that is of the winding variety. It has no crown but I believe it has the original band and clasp. They are both plated gold. She didn't wear them often so they are generally in nice condition. My wife and daughters don't wear watches but if I were to restore these they would probably wear them occasionally.

What I am trying to determine is whether I will restore them to original condition and use them or sell them to someone who has the funds to restore them and add them to their collection. What I don't want is to continue to hide them in my safe unused and unseen. Somebody should be using them and/or displaying them.

I'm not quite sure where to begin as far as getting them restored. I don't want to pick someone out of a phone book. I used someone in Boston to install a crystal on my own vintage Omega I had years ago, and due to his incompetence it was ruined. I was at the ocean and got a splash of water on my hand. Later I noticed that there was condensation inside the crystal. By the time I got around to checking it out everything inside had rusted solid and it was not worth what it would have cost to restore it. It was a plain looking dress watch with a stainless case.

How do I go about getting an estimate? How do I select a watch maker that I can trust to do it correctly? My preference would be to find someone local to me rather than sending it to Omega. Whether I keep them and use them or sell them depends on how much it is going to cost for restoration.

Here are some pictures. I have some basic tools but don't have the tool required to remove the back from the small ladies watch or the men's watch. They are pressed backs with no recess or notches.
Thanks.

 

Upon further searching the medium ladies watch is actually from the 70's from the International Collection. Cal. 681 is the 60's and Cal. 684 is the 70's. I have 684. The number 566.036 inside the case back does not comeback with any results but it was suggested to add a zero at the beginning of the second three digits if nothing was found. I did that and found a watch dated 1970 that looks like my watch but it is stainless. This one... Perhaps I have some sort of limited variant of sorts.

It's worth noting that my parents came to the USA from Italy in the 1950's and my father had brothers in Switzerland so that's where the watches came from. We all had Omega's growing up.

 

OK I'll keep searching.

And silly me... I was looking for a notch on the back of dainty watch but it was at the crown and the top comes off. I got the movement out and have the ID from the inside of the case back but a search came up with nothing using all wildcards. I have 511.186. I found 511.0184 which is close. It's from 1963. Pics updated.

 

Pray tell. PM?

 

Hello, I would like to use this topic to help me, about my watch, if anyone knows. If dont, can you give me email adress of OMEGA to write them about. I would like too know, from which year is this watch? And his value today?
It s a watch that my grandfather got when he was German prisoner in Dahau. Here si pictures of them... Thanks a lot

 

What a dummy I am... I have a cousin in Switzerland who has a collection of literally hundreds of watches including Omega, Rolex, Patek and who knows what else. I communicated with him via facebook and google translator and asked if he has "a guy". Well, of course he does! That's like asking someone who lives in Florida if they have an air conditioner!

He's been using a place nearby for 20 years and in fact helped my uncle repair a couple of his watches. I'm going to send him my three Omega's to get serviced and restored to original specs, which is really just to determine what kind of band they originally came with. Everything else is original as far as I know.

Once I know I will post up details about the shop in case anybody ever wants to use it.

Here are a couple of his recent acquisitions. I hope he doesn't catch me showing off his watches! He doesn't speak or write English so I doubt he's here.

 

Hello, the value of your watch is around 200 USD on Ebay, and the manufacture year is 1932. Is a very nice watch.

 

@VintageOinBoston , I think European watch Co in Boston area has had some good feedback on these pages. I've not used them myself, just passing on a lead..

European Watch Company
http://www.europeanwatch.com/