Help for a newbie - geneve 1972

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Hello all,

My husband has a special birthday coming up, he loves watches but we are not collectors so I have no real expertise.

I am looking at the date of 1972.

How much should I expect to pay for a Geneve stainless steel, in good condition, manual wind?

Are manual wind watches ok?

I’m worried I’ll make a horrible buying decision 🙁

many thanks
The worried wife!
 
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Hi Dee,

Pictures would be really helpful. If in good condition it should be around 300€.

Welcome and hope both of you will stay with us and become "collectors". 😁
 
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Hi Dee,

Pictures would be really helpful. If in good condition it should be around 300€.

Welcome and hope both of you will stay with us and become "collectors". 😁[/QUOT
 
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Hi,

Thank you.

The seller is asking £575 (UK) no box or paperwork.

Opinions would be welcome.

MissDee
 
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It looks to be in nice condition. You’re sensible to opt for stainless steel and given that you’re specifically looking for a 1972 watch, the price and availability are probably worth it to you. If you had time to look around, you might try for an automatic.
I’m assuming it’s a dealer. You obviously pay a premium to a dealer but on the other hand, he’s anxious to sell and Genèves, even nice ones are not the most sought after Omega. Try and beat him down to £500
 
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Appears to be professional dealer photos so it is expected that the price is high. Does the seller say that the watch has been serviced and does it come with a warranty?
 
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It looks to be in nice condition. You’re sensible to opt for stainless steel and given that you’re specifically looking for a 1972 watch, the price and availability are probably worth it to you. If you had time to look around, you might try for an automatic.
I’m assuming it’s a dealer. You obviously pay a premium to a dealer but on the other hand, he’s anxious to sell and Genèves, even nice ones are not the most sought after Omega. Try and beat him down to £500

The seller is a pawnbroker/ dealer.

I’ll make an offer and see if he will negotiate.

Does the watch look ok? Any obvious red flags

many thanks for your expertise!
 
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I suspect that the clasp may not be authentic, which would not matter much to me.
 
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I suspect that the clasp may not be authentic, which would not matter much to me.

the strap is stamped OMEGA with the logo, do you think this might be a later strap?
 
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The strap is definitely not original to the watch, which is probably a good thing TBH. I really can't tell from the photos if it is authentic. There are a lot of counterfeit straps and buckles on eBay. But again, this should not influence your decision at all.
 
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Is the year 1972 important? If not I’d really go for an earlier version of this watch with the cal 601 (or even 5xx automatic). Much better movements.

Price is high, even for the UK in that condition.
 
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Is the year 1972 important? If not I’d really go for an earlier version of this watch with the cal 601 (or even 5xx automatic). Much better movements.

Price is high, even for the UK in that condition.
Hi,

thank you, 1972 is my husband’s birth year (so 50 this year)

I’d be happy with a 1972 but I don’t want to overpay for it, I’d walk away.

Would anyone like to chip in a max amoun I can consider?
 
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Given it’s condition would £475 be more appropriate?

Many thanks for all the comments and help!

MissDee
 
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Given it’s condition would £475 be more appropriate?

Many thanks for all the comments and help!

MissDee

Has it been serviced with warranty/proof of service? That’s going to run around £200 so has an impact on what the price should be. Unserviced this is a £250 watch. With a dial in better condition, without the spotting, £300. Then there’s service cost to add on top.
 
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Has it been serviced with warranty/proof of service? That’s going to run around £200 so has an impact on what the price should be. Unserviced this is a £250 watch. With a dial in better condition, without the spotting, £300. Then there’s service cost to add on top.

Hello,

Thank you.

no service mentioned, no warranty.

it only says “This watch has been corrected for time keeping using a timegrapher”

so keeping in mind by year preference of 1972, I guess my max would be £350?

this has been a welcome education!

I’ll have to decide how much I want it or look for a better model.

thank you all x
 
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In a situation like yours, with a lot of constraints, sometimes you may have to buy what's available to you, even if the knowledgeable collectors on the forum feel that the price is more than we would pay. It's a lovely gift that will never be sold. Most importantly, the watch is legit. However, when considering your budget, don't forget that it will very likely need to be be serviced at some point.
 
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In a situation like yours, with a lot of constraints, sometimes you may have to buy what's available to you, even if the knowledgeable collectors on the forum feel that the price is more than we would pay. It's a lovely gift that will never be sold. Most importantly, the watch is legit. However, when considering your budget, don't forget that it will very likely need to be be serviced at some point.

thank you!

I’ll report back with what decision I come to!

thanks to everyone for the help.

MissDee
 
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Good looking watch and an excellent gift 👍 If you have the cash, it doesn't really matter if you pay 300 or 550. I would not stress about it. Money comes and goes, who's really going to notice a 250 one-time "loss" in their yearly budget? I'm sure your husband will be thrilled to bits about his vintage Omega 😀
 
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Good looking watch and an excellent gift 👍 If you have the cash, it doesn't really matter if you pay 300 or 550. I would not stress about it. Money comes and goes, who's really going to notice a 250 one-time "loss" in their yearly budget? I'm sure your husband will be thrilled to bits about his vintage Omega 😀

Thank you, I understand what you are saying.