Would it only be a receipt as provenance, or is there something I'm missing?
I'm considering a WatchCo Seaaster 300 165.024 as an everyday watch, as I love the vintage look but really want the practicality of easily replacing something if and when it gets damaged; but how can you tell if a WatchCo is a 'genuine' WatchCo i.e. built by them, or if it's WatchCo 'like' built by any Tom Dick or Harry who could get the parts from Cousins, Otto Frei or the like?
There is no such thing as a genuine Watchco. ......................
Additional 166.0324 caseback, unused, unfitted. Watchco used to buy complete case sets from Omega parts supply - those sets were fitted with the 166.0324. At my request at purchase, Watchco were able to fit a service replacement (not NOS) 165.0024 to my case and supplied this now spare 166.0324 alongside (value $300)
You take a good picture.
I do see your point, but I would question whether a Watch assembled SM300 is in any way shape or form different from one assembled anywhere else in the world with service parts, and as such why should it be considered differently? I suppose you could argue that a verified Watchco assembled watch is less likely to have fake or non standard parts than one of uncertain parentage, that I will accept but there is no Watchco pixie dust in use.
You mention NOS parts. How many are there on your watch do you think? It looks awfully like the same Superluminova dial and hands all the others use. Is it a 165.024 case, or a 166.0324 like all the others. I too would prefer a service movement to a salvaged one, that is a nice touch but the number built that way is vanishingly small. I remember those movements being sold on ebay now you mention it. If Watchco had in some way marked the watch as theirs, or used actual 1960s parts I would have a different opinion, but there it is.
Fair point about service replacement vs NOS. I misused the term there! (and tbh misused it frequently when discussing that watch ha)
I beg to differ.
"Genuine" Watchcos were indeed a thing.
A product of a company that had a "Watchco" website which has now long gone.
The person behind Watchco 300 (and other Omega models) was Marcus Alexander.
Marcus had an incredible network of Omega parts suppliers in Switzerland and he would regularly travel there to source NOS Omega parts, as well as Omega Service parts (the basis for "Watchcos").
I often went into the city to collect genuine Omega parts ordered by people from around the planet (members here) and onforward them after a suitable period had elapsed.
It was during one of these visits I was talking to Marcus about the Watchco Seamasters and he was quite open about what they were, and what they weren't.
I still remember the day that I got an email from Rob to say that Marcus had bought back a few genuine service movements and would I like to go ahead with my Watchco 300 (I'd been holding out for that rather than a 552 from a donor watch).
The answer wasn't hard 😁.
I think of saying “watchco” to describe an assembled 300 from factory parts and vintage (either salvage or NOS) movements has become like saying Kleenex to describe any facial tissue. But the company and the 300’s they made have become part of Omega lore.
They are neither better, worse or different than any other 300 assembled the same way, and as said above- aside of a receipt from watchco, there is no provenance to be had as far as I have seen.
Mine was purchased towards end of the run by a member here directly from watchco. According to him, they didn’t provide any paperwork, box or bracelet (although I think they offered the current mesh as an option- don’t recall)- just the watch head and a receipt.
I personally don’t care either way, I love the watch and don’t have any fear wearing it daily. But is there such a thing as a watchco300?- yes, there is. Is it special- no, it isn’t.
