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Help with old Omega watch

Revo
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P Pmac32
So from what I can gather they are listed for sale at around £6,500 +.
They all look fairly good condition, at least compared to my watch.
Surely the condition of my watch makes it worth less than what they are listed for on chrono24?
There don’t appear to be any listed in a similar state to be able to compare prices.
Tried calling Simon Freeze to say but noticed he only answers calls until 1pm. I’ll try again tomorrow morning and see what he has to say about the watch.

Chrono24 prices are often on the high side. But your watch is all original. So my guess (and I'm NOT an expert) is that these two cancel each other out and you have a 6-8 thousand pound watch. Others will know better than me though.

Don't be put off by the "poor condition" of your watch -- it's actually a big plus point.
 
gbesq
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Congratulations! What a spectacular find. As you're now discovering, the watch has considerable value in its present state and it will clean up very nicely with a sympathetic service. I hope that you will keep it in the family and resist any temptation to sell it. Truly an heirloom.
 
SkunkPrince
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P Pmac32
So from what I can gather they are listed for sale at around £6,500 +.
They all look fairly good condition, at least compared to my watch.
Your watch is fairly dirty; a lot of that will come off when the watch is cleaned during service.
 
Syrte
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Sorry for your loss, you have a very nice heirloom.
Your watch is in what collectors call « barn find » condition, ie its natural state after ageing in the custody of a single owner.
It is in fact what collectors prefer because it proves utmost originality — which collectors value, and also because it means the watch hasn’t been prepped for sale in ways which might damage its integrity.

In particular, make sure the case does not get polished during service. That would damage it because it’s done with a machine which removes some of the steel and causes the case to lose its shape.
The case will get cleaned ultrasonically as part of a normal service. The crystal, however, can be polished.

You can probably search titles with « barnfind » or «restoration« to see what incredible results can be achieved with a simple movement service and crystal polish.

Good luck and by all means show us the « after » pictures,
If you ship the watch like many people do, make sure to package it properly, there’s a sticky thread about that.
 
Dan S
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P Pmac32
So from what I can gather they are listed for sale at around £6,500 +.
They all look fairly good condition, at least compared to my watch.
Surely the condition of my watch makes it worth less than what they are listed for on chrono24?

It's hard to evaluate your watch fairly in its current condition, and there are various subtle things that significantly affect value (e.g. dial variations, bracelet, overall condition). Moreover, asking price isn't the same as selling price. But even if it's not worth quite that amount, at least you have a rough idea to help guide you.
 
SkunkPrince
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Syrte Syrte
The crystal, however, can be polished.
I would usually let this go but this is a Seamaster 300. It deserves to be "High Pressure Waterproof" again and that means a new crystal. Fortunately they're darn near identical to vintage. I hope the original crown can have its gasket replaced.
 
P
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Edward53 Edward53
It's a corker. Spend whatever it takes, wear it, love it.

Thing is I’m not a watch person, never had one and doubt I’d ever wear this one.
It does though have lots of sentimental value to me.
I don’t have to sell, the money I might get for it won’t make any difference to me but the thought has passed my mind.
It’ll probably spend the rest of its days, whilst I’m alive, in the same box it’s been in for the past twenty years.
Is it better to pass it on to someone who will use it?
I’ve no siblings to give it to and no son who might like it.
I’ll probably end up having it lightly restored and keep it.
 
Davidt
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If this was my watch I’d certainly keep it and even if you don’t think your wear it, my advise would be to keep it in case a relative develops an interest. At least that way it stays in the family.

If however you do decide to sell, I’m in Yorkshire and would be interested.
 
P
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Hi Davidt, I’ll bare you in mind if I ever do decide to sell.
There are no family members on my side, just myself.
I’ll post some images up of the watch if/when I have it cleaned.
Thanks everyone for your help/comments.
 
wagudc
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P Pmac32
Hi Davidt, I’ll bare you in mind if I ever do decide to sell.
There are no family members on my side, just myself.
I’ll post some images up of the watch if/when I have it cleaned.
Thanks everyone for your help/comments.

You have a special watch there. I am sure there would be a queue of eager buyers should you ever decide to let it go. Here is a bit on its history:

https://blog.craftandtailored.com/a-brief-history-the-omega-seamaster-300/
 
Davidt
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P Pmac32
Hi Davidt, I’ll bare you in mind if I ever do decide to sell.
There are no family members on my side, just myself.
I’ll post some images up of the watch if/when I have it cleaned.
Thanks everyone for your help/comments.

I certainly wouldn’t be in any rush to sell if I were you.

I would say that if you do decide to sell, most collectors would prefer it in as found condition rather than restored/serviced.
 
P
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Davidt Davidt
I certainly wouldn’t be in any rush to sell if I were you.

I would say that if you do decide to sell, most collectors would prefer it in as found condition rather than restored/serviced.

why is it that a collector would prefer it as is, unrestored?
Surely they’d have it restored themselves.
Is it that they’d prefer to oversee the restoration themselves?
 
Edward53
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P Pmac32
why is it that a collector would prefer it as is, unrestored?
Surely they’d have it restored themselves.
Is it that they’d prefer to oversee the restoration themselves?

Correct.
 
Davidt
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P Pmac32
why is it that a collector would prefer it as is, unrestored?
Surely they’d have it restored themselves.
Is it that they’d prefer to oversee the restoration themselves?

yes exactly this. I’d rather buy a barn find/unrestored watch so I can have it ‘restored’ to my instructions (cleaning, but no polishing, correct replacement of movement parts, no/minimal work to any cosmetic parts) and also ensure the service has been done by someone I trust.
 
P
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Hi
I’ve decided to part with the watch.
Where would people recommend the best place to sell other than the usual eBay etc?
I’ve had a few offers but they’re currently not quite where I need them to be to make me part with the watch. I came to the conclusion that I’d never wear it and the money would be better put towards a house move.
Thanks for everyone’s help.
Philip.
 
Dan S
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If you don't like the offers you are getting, then put it on eBay, where it will do fine. Keep in mind that your expectations may be a bit unrealistic if you are basing them on Chrono24 asking prices. The watch has some condition issues and is not the most desirable dial variant.
 
P
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I think the offer I’ve had is probably very fair given it’s condition, it really isn’t that far from where I was thinking, it’s just not quite enough given it’s sentimental value to me, to make me part, even if it stays stuck in the draw at home.
Chrono24 prices seem a bit all over the place, but then I don’t know what I’m looking at.
What do people think is a sensible price, I’ve little knowledge to gauge how good any offers are.
Philip.
 
Dan S
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Accurate valuation takes effort. And even if someone were willing to spend the time, they'd need much better photos. IIRC there is only one photo even showing the dial, and it's out of focus. No photos accurately showing the condition of the bezel. None of the inside. Etc.
 
ConElPueblo
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Remember that a watch that some dealers can sell for, say, £6K could well be impossible for other sellers to move on for £4K.

It has to do with reach, reputation, photography skills, etc. and sheer luck - having the right buyer seeing the watch at the right time.

I will refrain from evaluating your watch, but I hope that you will be satisfied with the sale and the process.
 
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