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  1. Vic Mar 8, 2018

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    New to the site and appreciate any input. I have a several old Omega Seamaster watches and would like input into their authenticity. I fully believe them to be authentic but would like to have my views affirmed or refuted if that be the case . I am not sure if this can be done by simply viewing the pics but here goes. I have to preface this by saying that I am an antique dealer and all my watches came from estates - most from the original owners. The first one is a 1968 Seamaster DeVille automatic. It looks right as rain to me but i do not know how to open the watch myself to help verify the movement. the man that I purchased it from told me that he bought the watch back in 1968 as that is the year he went to Vietnam . P3330337.JPG P3330341.JPG P3330339.JPG P3330293.JPG P3330302.JPG P3330321.JPG P3330350.JPG Here is the watch.
     
  2. Edward53 Mar 8, 2018

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    Nice! Looks totally original to me.

    EDITED TO ADD: It makes a pleasant change for a first-post dealer to be upfront about who they are and where their watch came from.
     
    Edited Mar 8, 2018
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  3. Vic Mar 8, 2018

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    Much Appreciated, I like to be upfront with things as much as possible .
     
  4. Davidt Mar 8, 2018

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    Agreed. Nice crosshair dial, original bracelet/crown and sharp case.

    Don't polish it.
     
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  5. Vic Mar 8, 2018

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    Its in unreal nice shape , runs great as well. I would like to view the movement but do not have the know how to remove the crystal and get in to see it. I have it on ebay for $900 but have qualms about selling it for fear of some one making a false claim and then sending me back another watch or removing and replacing the movement. Do you think that I am overly cautious or are my concerns justified ?
     
  6. Davidt Mar 8, 2018

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    Plenty of vintage watches sell on eBay without issue. Just ensure it's shipped tracked.
     
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  7. hang10 Mar 8, 2018

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    Your watch is a front entry style, which requires a specialized tool which grips the edge of the crystal and supplies pressure to equally compress and shrink OD of crystal, allowing it to be removed. If you do not have this tool and do not wish to obtain one, it is something best left to others.
     
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  8. Vic Mar 8, 2018

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    Yes, I was aware that its a front entry . What does a tool like this cost - roughly and can it be done safely ? I had concern that because its Waterproof , opening it up could comprise the seal. To be honest I do not think that I have confidence in myself doing this unless I was guided by a professional .
     
  9. hang10 Mar 8, 2018

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    Crystal lift tools are easily available (eBay, Amazon, etc) some at a very low price. They are relatively easy to use but can leave some minor marking to the crystal edge if you get aggressive with pressure. If you work slow and only use minimum compression necessary to remove crystal, you should be OK. Suggest you leave crystal untouched in lift until you are ready to install.
    FYI... these cases utilize a two part winding stem which must be separated to remove movement from case. This can be a little tricky to a novice.
     
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  10. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Mar 8, 2018

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    Not this one - here you pop the bezel off. Crystal will most likely come with it and if it doesn't it's easily lifted out. Not something I would recommend people do unless they have access to a proper crystal press to install it all again.

    And FYI a regular crystal lift should not be used on an armored crystal (one with a tension ring). For the Omega watches that require such a tool (Cosmic, Dynamic, etc.) you need the proper Omega style tool for lifting the crystal that doesn't have all the small fingers. On those watches typically the tool will be called out on the case back, like so:

    [​IMG]

    And it uses large segments to grip the crystal, preventing the damage you are referring to:

    [​IMG]

    Cheers, Al
     
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  11. hang10 Mar 8, 2018

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    I bow to your superior knowledge.
    From personal experience, I have a watch similar to OP and it does not require bezel removal... merely crystal lift.
    And yes, conventional crystals with tension rings as are common with rear entry cases would not work with lift.
    Thanks, Poul
     
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  12. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Mar 8, 2018

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    That would be the somewhat similar "Unicoc" style, where the removal of the crystal is done with a crystal lift (e.g. Tool 107) and then the movement can be accessed.

    The OPs watch has a "Monocoque" case where the movement is accessed by removing the bezel/crystal assembly with a case knife after removing the crown/stem assembly.

    You can usually spot a Monocoque case by the small gap between the bezel and the case (under the crown if it's been correctly assembled).
     
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  13. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Mar 8, 2018

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    Like the one you can see in the OP's second photo above...
     
  14. hang10 Mar 8, 2018

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    Thanks. I can only assume that my only Monocoque case Omega has had a franken bezel swap since production. When I bought it some 10 years ago, it was stated to have a solid gold bezel (on a GP case), and the bezel stays stationary on case when crystal is removed via lift. I have always been suspicious of its water resistance... rightfully so.
     
  15. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Mar 8, 2018

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    Just to clarify, you can remove the crystal in some of these without removing the bezel, but that's certainly not the recommended method...
     
  16. hoipolloi Vintage Omega Connoisseur Mar 8, 2018

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    Dial looks refinished to me.
     
  17. Vic Mar 9, 2018

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    I never asked about that but I tend to think it is original . The individual that I purchased it from is a very meticulous person and the type that takes exquisite care of his possessions . Not that this necessarily makes it so, but makes it more likely that its original. I bought it direct from the original owner.
     
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  18. Vic Mar 9, 2018

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    Thank You for the information ! You mentioned the two part winding. I notice that the date advances when the crown is pulled all the way out to the 3 position - when its pushed fully back in - the date advances by one . I have not tried it but can you simply pull out and push in and keep pumping it until it further advances. I did not want to try this method but wonder if it is supposed to work that way.
     
  19. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Mar 9, 2018

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    Yes, that is how the quick set date works, but please note that you should not do this when the time is close to midnight. I would recommend that to be safe set the watch for 6:30 (doesn't matter if am or pm) and then use the quick set date at that time, then adjust the hands as needed to the correct time after. Using the quick set date when the regular date change is already engaged can damage the date mechanism.

    Cheers, Al
     
  20. Vic Mar 9, 2018

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    Thank you for telling me that , I will certainly note that down in my noggin. I delve into a lot of things being an antique dealer and its hard to become very knowledgeable in only but a few areas. I was lucky years ago to have an old timer that serviced and repaired watches and clocks for me. Not thinking that some day he might pass and when he did , it left me with no one to turn to . I appreciate your help Archer !