Hello All!

So, I finally got my first vintage Omega from a member here. The transaction went smoothly! Thank you!

Its a Seamaster 30 with a linen dial and a cal 286 movement. I really like the simplicity and texture of the dial. This will definitely be the first of many.

The watch is running noticeably slow though. Around 3 seconds slow per hour. Is this normal? I gave it a full wind until it wont let me wind it anymore. Seller stated that it was serviced sometime May this year and I trust him. Should I have it serviced again though? Or is there anything I can do to remedy this? I would prefer it to run a little bit faster than slower.

Update: It ran slow for about 25 seconds during the first 24 hours.

Second day it ran for about 24 seconds slow.

Is this normal or should I be worried and have it checked?

Some pictures:








I dont have my own pictures of the movement because I dont know how to open the caseback but here is one from the seller:



I still have it on a cheap leather strap because I want to put it on an Oyster style bracelet like this one:



Can anyone tell me if a standard size 18, no name brand from eBay will fit on the Seamaster 30?

Many Thanks!
Adrian


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A few secs par hour is obviously too much. If it has been serviced a few months ago, only a regulation is needed. It is a very easy fix and any watchmaker could do that for few euros.

 

That's about 1 1/4 minutes per day, or about 9 minutes per week. I wouldn't be pleased with a watch of that quality that was that far out! Have you contacted the seller? What were the terms when you made the deal? Did the guy who did the work offer a warranty? In short, with the regulator set in the middle the way it is, the watch doesn't need regulating, seems to me. It needs work! My recently serviced 60-year old Omega caliber 355 runs within a minute week!

 

I wouldn't be measuring by the hour, wear it a day or two at a time and gauge from that..

 

Any strap that has 18mm width at the lug end should fit.

That's a very crisp case. Usually the facets on those lugs are polished so badly they end up rounded. Nice to see a crisp hippocampus engraving on the back too.

 

Yes I let the seller know. He told me that if I am unhappy with thd watch I can return it to him. Although I told him I want to wear it for a few days and see what happens. He checked the accuracy and it was around +/- 2 seconds per day before he sent it over I think.


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Yes, seller did state that the case hasn't been polished.

Thank you. I will be ordering the one from eBay then.


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Moving the regulator is the very LAST thing you do, in adjusting a watch to keep accurate time. Covering up mechanical condition problems is not what the regulator is for! However, it is YOU that has to be happy with it. Pretty much your decision! But there is something wrong when you are told it runs within seconds per DAY, and when you get it, it runs more than a minute a day out! 75 seconds a day would likely be acceptable for a Timex, but not for a watch of the quality of an Omega, IMO!

 

Seller here

As requested by the buyer I timed it prior to the purchase. I don't normally pay much attention to accuracy but the few times I wore it I remember it running fast and never slow. My thoughts are it needs to be regulated. If requested I will gladly take it back.

My observations a couple days before shipping:
- After 9 hours sitting flat (dial up) on a table it gained 20 seconds.
- Resting on it's side (crown up) it only gained 1 second over 5 hours

 

With a one piece regulator, you cannot always have it right in the middle and have a good rate.

I agree first thing would be to wait a little and see. I would also check if the watch looses time in every position - a few sec late when the watch is worn could be compensate at night when it is on dial up position. Maybe that is how the seller had a 2 sec rate. Maybe the regulator moved during the shipping.


Edit: I had not seen Canuck´s last message when I posted this one. Obviously, I have assumed in this discussion that the watch had actually been serviced a few months ago.

 

Well, I think we need to wait for more info before going further. We do not know if the regulator is still in the middle, we do not know if it is working fine or need more than a regulation.

If the OP still sees the watch looses a lot of time in a few days, I guess it would be a good idea to have it checked on a timegrapher at a watchmaker.

 

For the record I never claimed +/- 2 seconds over 24 hours. My observations (as relayed to the buyer) are quoted below.

"After 9 hours sitting flat on a table it gained 20 seconds."

"Thought I would update you. I put the watch on it's side to test in a different position and it's only gained 1 second over the last 5 hours."

From that I would conclude that if resting the watch on it's side you might see a 5 second gain in 24 hours. Obviously it's going to be different when wearing it. It's still surprising the watch is running slow.

 

Just to provide some more information. The movement shot was taken the day I posted it on Omega Forums. It shouldn't have changed unless something happened during shipping.

 

In order to have a watch keep time, it must be repaired (and that means everything necessary to return the watch as close to as new condition as possible), rated (that means it gives a stable rate under all conditions and over time). If it cannot be rated thusly, the repair is not complete! Only when the rate is stable (not necessarily keeping accurate time yet, but exhibiting a stable rate), can the watch be considered repaired, and only then can regulation begin! Repair, rate, then regulate! The regulator is NOT there for you to use to mask hidden problems! A watch that is sometimes out 20 seconds, and sometimes one second cannot be regulated! It's as simple as that! A watch of the quality of the subject Omega should respond well to professional treatment! As I said in an earlier post, my 60-year old Omega 355, recently thoroughly serviced, runs within one minute per week. And if I was to fuss with it, I could bring it closer than that. But I have only worn it for a week at a time, on rare occasions. The 60 year old unpedigreed bumper automatic presently on my wrist which I serviced last Saturday (Sept. 3) has varied 19 seconds since I put it on my wrist. I haven't fussed with this one, either! So many watches, sigh!

By the way, the subject watch has a TWO-PIECE regulator. So it is very much possible to have it keep time with the regulator in the middle, regardless of what you read elsewhere! But it must be repaired, rated, then regulated!

 

I'm not saying you're wrong but I'm pretty sure the rate can vary by position. I'll quote Archer from another thread. Granted he's talking about a 600 series movement but I would think the 30mm movements are similar. Unless I'm misunderstanding him here it seems that a watch can vary as much as 25 seconds depending on the position and still be in Omega spec for that movement.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/help-with-omega-cal-600-series-accuracy.36266/

Either way. I was very honest about the accuracy of the watch. I do trust my watchmaker but I don't think he spent much time regulating the movement. He may have just set it in the middle and moved on. He's quick, cheap, and has a large supply of Omega parts which is why I like him. This particular Seamaster 30 obviously lived a sheltered life. It's in excellent condition. I very much doubt the condition of the movement is to blame. There are brand new ETA movements that run out of spec until regulated.

Everyone has their own opinion about how much accuracy matters on vintage watch. I typically don't wear the same watch every day so I don't pay much attention to it. It's not like these watches hack anyways.

 

Well, I trust your experience and your knowledge, but I do not think we read the same post. In the post I read, the watch was supposed to have been serviced, and because the sale occured between two OF members, I think we may trust that assumption untill we have proof of the contrary. I am surprised that you can tell the watch needs to be repaired only with the informations we have. How can you exclude a change during the shipping, etc.?

And thank you to teach me that the regulator is not for me to mask hidden problems, I would not have been able to reach that conclusion by my own...

Concerning the regulator, I guess you are right. I read the post on my phone and could not see it the part very well.

Well, I am done with that post. I was trying to give some simple advice (if it has been serviced, maybe the watch does not need to be serviced again and only need regulation) and I do not like how it turns. I hope the watch will be working fine with or without a regulation.

 

I think you are assuming my observations and the buyers observations are taken from a watch in the same position.

I'm curious to hear what the buyer observes over a longer period of time in the same positions that I tested the watch.

Anything can happen during shipping...

 

very, very nice watch -

factor in a service as with all vintage watches ... and you have basically a 95% new watch at 10% of the price of a new Omega ...

 

Thank you for the informative posts everyone. I trust the seller that he has been honest with me. We had a smooth transaction.

I am still new to the vintage watch world and I am happy with my first vintage watch, but even more so if it ran a bit faster than slower. But I will just observe the watch for a few days and see what happens.

Update though that it lost 30 seconds over 16 hours now. I left it for around 8 hours flat with dial up on the desk last night. I will try wearing it on my wrist today and see what happens.


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