help needed

I have seen this with early 90s models before If your watch is one of the earliest, that is from 1993-95 and has the earlier movement, (1109 I think), then it is possible that the serial will show as late 80s rather than the watches actual age. I think what happened is that they manufactured a large batch of movements which they were still using up a few years later. Once the 1120 movement was fitted in '96, the serials returned to match the year more normally. This occurs with Speedmasters too. The serials were stuck in the 40m range for years and then jumped to 77m for several years and then jumped into the 90m range currently. Pre-Bond autos using the 1111 movement also have serials which look older than the watch for the same reasons. My 1991 example has a 1986 serial.

A chrono Seamaster then, looks like a Val 7750 so not the 1109 or 1120 movement I was on about but I still think the same applies, the movements were manufactured as a batch and used up over a period of years.