Hi I am 14 and a fan of Omegas and was wondering where to start in of terms of knowledge of Omegas and the cheapest of vintage non Quartz Omegas. my favorite Omega at this time is are mid 50s to early 60s Constellation Calendar black pie pan with the four lines bolt like crown example:http://watchestobuy.com/omegaconstellationpiepan1962-htm/ Thank you Orion

 

Welcome Orion
You have good taste but also expensive ones
Constellations are 'top of the tree' when it comes to Omega dress watches
The type of watch you mention is fairly hard to come by in original condition ( I think we would all like one)
Check out the Constellation show and tell thread and Desmonds Constellation collectors blog for information on Connies
There are many put falls in buying vintage watches - many have been 'reworked' over the years so keep reading all the threads on OF
And start saving hard...

 

Young and with not a lot of disposable income? I recommend handwound Omega Geneves and Seamasters from the 70s.. so charming, modern, and affordable at the $500 range (above and below)

 

Totally agree with Watch Vault. Some of the best buys under about $800 dollars are the Geneves, but also a huge range of Seamasters. Also, you have watches like the Chronostop in that bracket as well. I have picked up several very presentable Geneves for under $300.

 

I had one of these a while back, hand wound caliber 613. Had to let it go because watch box was full.

 

Or what about the Dynamic range? At 14, you'd be the coolest kid on the block with the model below

 

Just to mention that the watch you linked to has had a poor redial and is also over polished.

It pays to do your research in this hobby.

 

Great to see the OPs interest in vintage.

May be helpful to know what your budget target will fall in order to get the most relevant advice. I would imagine $500 is not a cheap watch for many, if not most, teens.

 

Hi Orion and good luck! Here are my thoughts for what they're worth as a relatively new (4 years) Omega collector. Your tastes are likely to develop and change as you see and learn more, and you want your first vintage watch to be a friend for life, so classic simplicity is probably best. Obviously where you live will affect your choice - much greater in the United States than the UK for example. It also depends on your budget. If I were advising myself four years ago, I'd say go for the 60s Seamaster and Seamaster De Ville range. Be very patient and very picky buying your first watch. My choice would be a 552 or a 565, but I like autos and there is nothing wrong with eg the 601. Avoid black dials at first - the one you linked to is a redial [edit - I see that's been posted while I was wirting this], and real black dial 60s SMs are extremely rare and thus suspicious. There are good sellers in the more exotic countries; there are also quite a few bad ones and it might be best to play it safe. Always scrutinise the hands - is the tip of the minute hand level with the minute markers? Do the hand colours match the hour markers? It's very nice if you can find an appealing feature like cross hairs or a linen dial. Spend some time searching ebay completed listings. A good tip is to arrange them in price order, low to high. When you finally buy your watch, it will need servicing and you should budget for that. Resist the temptation to wear it unserviced as you are likely to cause excessive wear and damage. Finally, wear the watch, learn from it and take your time to decide what you want next.

Here are some examples of recent ebay items I think were a good deal. If I've made any glaring mistakes, which is very possible. hopefully someone will point them out.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Omega-Mens-Automatic-Seamaster-De-Ville-Wrist-Watch-Silver-Black-NICE-/371688877476?hash=item568a622da4:g:ChsAAOSwqfNXj8sg&nma=true&si=CroZVRpBRqz9PdZpK6N%2BRXR7%2FDw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
- not exactly exciting but nice, clean and a good price. Has the correct crown. A budget classic.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Omega-Seamaster-De-Ville-Vintage-1962-Manual-Cal-601-Case-No-135-020-/142024154530?hash=item21114c9da2:g:8SsAAOSwGIRXXv-U&nma=true&si=CroZVRpBRqz9PdZpK6N%2BRXR7%2FDw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
- stainless manual 601 in very nice condition, with cross hairs and correct crown.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-OMEGA-Seamaster-De-Ville-Automatic-Waterproof-Watch-Swiss-Made-Working-/121980986287?hash=item1c66a223af:gqoAAOSwt7pXL9n6&nma=true&si=CroZVRpBRqz9PdZpK6N%2BRXR7%2FDw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
- a good value SM De Ville. Correct crown. Glass scratched but dial seems good underneath it. Apparent discolouration at the foot is probably a reflection from black tape on nasty bracelet.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Omega-SeaMaster-Automatic-Watch-570-Stainless-Steel-Case-Serviced-/131816941185?nma=true&si=CroZVRpBRqz9PdZpK6N%2BRXR7%2FDw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
- not as cheap as the others but to my mind a thing of beauty with a superb linen dial.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Omega-Seamaster-cal-354-/182179993131?hash=item2a6ac6162b:g:4kEAAOSwOVpXaiX1&nma=true&si=CroZVRpBRqz9PdZpK6N%2BRXR7%2FDw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
- very cheap with nice case, nice correct crown and guilloche dial. I don't know why this didn't make more, have I missed something? Depends on whether you can live with the faded dial.

Finally, here's my £128 552 Seamaster from eBay UK 3 years ago. I had to add the BOR and of course service it, but good deals are still out there if you are patient, diligent and lucky:

 

Ha ha, just noticed that the email title that pops up in my inbox for alerts on this thread looks rather dodgy 'Young and interested, but not very rich......"

 

Ave, Aveconscientia!. This is not a race. Dont be in a hurry, learn (here is a wonderful place for that, full of vitriolic humor and helpful people), and slowly find out what you like, how to differentiate good examples from bad ones and, when you are ready, look for it and purchase it. Half of the fun is the learning and the hunt. The other half is bragging (see kyle's post above) and wearing them and enjoying life in general.

Dont be too fast (and usually expensive) making purchases. This is a hobby. Enjoy it. The whole package.

 

I really like the look of that. Simple and clean.

My first Omega was my fathers and was a Geneve.

 

This is what we call the "noob tax" - rushing to make a purchase because you have the fever but ending up with an incorrect, redialed, or incomplete watch. When you do find something you're interested in, provide some photos here before buying. There are some extremely knowledgeable and helpful members who will give you a fair assessment. I think we've all paid our dues at one time or another. You want and we want you to get your first purchase right. A little research (the history on this forum is a great place to start) will go a long way. Keep us posted.

 

I know this is about omega, and alot of good recs above, I think simple time only vintage pieces from omega is a great way to get in on the hobby
but may I also recommend time only vintage pieces from longines as well, All guard, Flagship, Conquest.... these can be had for a couple hundred bucks

 

....or a watch you thought you liked, but after a few months you realise you don't.

Tuition fees are a painful reality in any form of collecting. We've all paid them. You might get them refunded later if you stick with it long enough.

 

Thank you very useful information Right now the dress watch I have is a Gruen 520ss well according to my local watchmaker here is what I am wearing right now is a 1936 Limit sport trench style I shined it last week

 

Thank you for all the information yeah kinda to know where to start got interested in watches from my grandpa and his grandpa being railroad seeing his grandfather's railroad approved Hamilton pocket watch

 

I will