Help wanted Omega Seamaster 166.010

Nice of you to ask. I’m a sucker for a nice case, face and hands, and it looks good from that perspective but I’m not generally overly worried about the workings when I buy because they’re not seen and a good watch repairer can usually sort the movement out - something that’s not so easy with the case, face and hands.

I’m not much of one for bracelets so I won’t comment on this one. @SkunkPrince makes all the points.

That said, as @JimInOz points out the rotor is mucky and you can see in the case back where it’s been dragging through the black marker so, if you go for this it’ll need a service, probably sooner rather than later, and you should factor this cost in with the price.

Bear in mind that all these watches are, give or take, 50 years old and none are likely to be perfect - certainly not at the prices you’ve been looking at. (I confess that I’m the same - I buy watches to wear not to store). So, inevitably, you’ll probably opt for a watch that isn’t perfect but that you feel good about.
(A bit like marriage)

My ceiling, which I can exceed if I want to, is £500.
I reckon that at that price the watch will possibly hold it’s value. Also, if I lose it or break it etc, I reckon I can take the hit.

Well, I think the main difference is that whilst some of us do ‘invest’ in watches, many of us, of whom I’m one, just like them as a piece of eye candy.

The investment issue isn’t of any great concern to me. I’m generally pleased if a watch I acquire is worth what I pay for it, but it’s not an investment. For me it’s a fun hobby.

The other point is that it’s always fun to get a nice watch at a lower price, but I want to be able to strap it on without worrying about the actual value and, in my case, without it looking too valuable or ostentatious.

I think that prices, if not values, are on the up. There’s not as much around as there was (depending on what you’re collecting) in the £250 region, but there’s quite a few nice watches out there in the £500 range.

The added factor is that if your budget is £2,500, it’s more fun IMHO to accumulate 5 watches than one.