Help please: Omega 2511.81

[James7596]

Hi all,
Just joined the forum as I'm soon to own my first Omega. I've purchased a Seamaster 120m reference 2511.81 (Quartz model, blue wave dial). I believe my particular watch that i'm going to receive is from 1998 but i'm really just trying to see if i can find more information on the history of the watch. In particular i've been trying to find old promotional print ads showing the watch and also confirm the production years. I think it was first produced in 1993 and ran till 2002 but i don't know if that's for my specific blue face watch in particular or if that's even accurate.

I've seen that i can pay for an extract from archives from Omega which would tell me production year but not the full date range. Thought i'd ask around first to see if anybody knows anything else about the history of the watch. I'd really like to know more about my first omega purchase. Any information that someone could provide would be really appreciated.
Pictures attached for reference.

Thanks,
James

 

[padders]

AFAIK that generation of SM120m came in as you say in 1993 along the Bond SMP. You can date them roughly from the serial number and also the lume material used is a big clue since this changed 97-98.

 

[James7596]

padders

AFAIK that generation of SM120m came in as you say in 1993 along the Bond SMP. You can date them roughly from the serial number and also the lume material used is a big clue since this changed 97-98.

Excellent, thank you! Regarding the lume material change do you mean that they stopped using one material in 97 and transitioned to a new material from 98 onwards?
Thanks

 

[padders]

James7596

Excellent, thank you! Regarding the lume material change do you mean that they stopped using one material in 97 and transitioned to a new material from 98 onwards?
Thanks

Yes. They used tritium lume up until 1997 which fades to a kind of pumpkin beige on the dial and often dark green on the hands. After that they used SL which doesn't fade at all and remains a greenish white. In the stock photo you show above, that looks like SL lume to me.

 

[James7596]

padders

Yes. They used tritium lume up until 1997 which fades to a kind of pumpkin beige on the dial and often dark green on the hands. After that they used SL which doesn't fade at all and remains a greenish white. In the stock photo you show above, that looks like SL lume to me.

Ah okay, so that would align with me dating it to 1998 then. Thanks for the info, much appreciated!