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Is this legit or is it a scam?

Horologist
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The recent post "Omega 165.024 restoration opinions welcomed" prompted me to do some research on this model which I know very little about.
As I was surfing through eBay and on the web, I came across the following site which seemed too good to be true!!

I was wondering if this is endorsed by Omega or is it some kind of a scam? It does seem too good to be true when considering how much the finished product sells for.
Edited by a mod:
 
Mark020
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It is what it is I'd say
 
Davidt
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They’re just fake kits.

Obviously Omega don’t endorse counterfeit cases, that’s absurd. It’s also not really a scam as I’d say you probably will receive the item as described in the listing.
 
Horologist
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Mark020 Mark020
It is what it is I'd say
Davidt Davidt
They’re just fake kits.

Obviously Omega don’t endorse counterfeit cases, that’s absurd. It’s also not really a scam as I’d say you probably will receive the item as described in the listing.
Ok, so obviously it is a legit business as they are not passing it on as a genuine product. At least that is the honest side. I wasn't sure if one could use someone else's proprietary rights and keeping the logo at the same time unless royalties were paid to the patent owner. I know that aftermarket clutch kits and car part manufacturers can also do it but must not use the original automotive logo.
It makes me wonder how many of these have been around for a long time and those not very savvy will buy a finished working time piece as genuine?
 
Scarecrow Boat
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Horologist Horologist
Ok, so obviously it is a legit business as they are not passing it on as a genuine product. At least that is the honest side.
Nothing honest about knowingly selling fake kits. FYI their website is full of fake products.
 
JimInOz
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CTP seem to say what needs to be said to sell stuff and they obviously state "after market" on stuff we recognise as counterfeit, but neglect to explain stuff with Ω logos that are obviously brand new.

A recent example of the trouble uneducated buyers can get in to.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/genuine-geneve-dynamic.180642/ Cover Image
Thread 'Genuine Geneve Dynamic?' ·
Hi, recently purchased this omega geneve dynamic sports black racer automatic.

Can anyone provide more details on whether it’s genuine, dial has been replaced etc?

IMG_7815.webp
Ashxh ·
 
padders
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Horologist Horologist
Ok, so obviously it is a legit business as they are not passing it on as a genuine product. At least that is the honest side. I wasn't sure if one could use someone else's proprietary rights and keeping the logo at the same time unless royalties were paid to the patent owner. I know that aftermarket clutch kits and car part manufacturers can also do it but must not use the original automotive logo.
It makes me wonder how many of these have been around for a long time and those not very savvy will buy a finished working time piece as genuine?
There is nothing legit or genuine in selling fake parts with misleading and downright false descriptions. It’s clearly a shyster operation.

This is why you should never trust an SM300 offered for sale since you can make one which will fool a casual viewer for around $750. I suspect posting the link is violating a forum rule by the way.
 
sheepdoll
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I think the price of the kit is ludicrous.

On the other hand Omega sort of set themselves up, with the Watcho variation. So created a demand for something nice to put orphaned movements in.

At one time cases and movements were sold separate to get around import duty and such. So raw movements were sold to given markets. I think unlike other makers (A Shild and ETA comes to mind.) Omega seemed to control some of the local casing to conform to the house designs. They also seemed to have used single suppliers such as Norman Morris.

This though is IMO blatant fraud, as they are infringing in a way on the good will of Omega. Which is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Which in the US of A can not be copyrighted or trademarked. On the other hand the font and letter combinations as a whole do form a protected mark. So putting Seamaster and 300 on the dial, can only be intended to deceive.
 
Horologist
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Scarecrow Boat Scarecrow Boat
Nothing honest about knowingly selling fake kits. FYI their website is full of fake products.
I hope I haven't opened up a can of worms here!!! I was shocked in never actually having seen anything like it!!! My worry which prompted me to share is the fear that If they had labeled them as barn finds or from an old lost attic, I would never have been able to tell the difference between them and the original factory made!!! What I meant by "honest" ( and I am using this term with quotations marks) is that they are not trying to scam anyone with big premiums in claiming that they are all genuine pieces.

My worry is how many of the items sold on ebay in the 4 digit price ranges have these components and pasted on to the buyers as all genuine?
This is another story!
I am now regretting having posted this as I can see that it can be quite a controversial post which was never my intention. My apologies to all!!!
 
Davidt
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Most of the fake SM300’s use these kits. They’ve overtaken the older fake SM300’s with the flat top A’s and closed 6 and 9’s as the dominant fake.
 
padders
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JimInOz JimInOz
CTP seem to say what needs to be said to sell stuff and they obviously state "after market" on stuff we recognise as counterfeit, but neglect to explain stuff with Ω logos that are obviously brand new.

A recent example of the trouble uneducated buyers can get in to.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/genuine-geneve-dynamic.180642/ Cover Image
Thread 'Genuine Geneve Dynamic?' ·
Hi, recently purchased this omega geneve dynamic sports black racer automatic.

Can anyone provide more details on whether it’s genuine, dial has been replaced etc?

IMG_7815.webp
Ashxh ·
I am beginning to smell a rat with these recent enquiries. That website uses the exact picture the supposed owner of the fake dynamic used. I wonder are we being trolled or tested by the sellers.
 
Horologist
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padders padders
I suspect posting the link is violating a forum rule by the way.
I realised later which I was trying to remove the link after I had posted, but others had already answered to the post. Again my apologies!!
 
Archer
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sheepdoll sheepdoll
On the other hand Omega sort of set themselves up, with the Watcho variation. So created a demand for something nice to put orphaned movements in.
You are confused. Omega had nothing to do with Watchco, other than to sell them spare parts for restoring original watches. Watchco made the decision to take those spare parts and create a side business taking old movements and sticking them in cases, and selling completed watches. Omega did not condone and does not allow this practice, and never did.
 
sheepdoll
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I am not saying Omega condoned it. Only that they enabled it by selling the parts. I think this caused a lot of trouble that lead to the cessation of selling parts.

There was a long industry tradition where movements were sold without cases. I think Omega was one of the first to do full assemblies. Especially after WWI. Even then it seems that there were those who specifically focused on the manufacture of cases.

The real question is what happens when these are sent back for service?
 
Archer
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sheepdoll sheepdoll
Only that they enabled it by selling the parts.
Right, so they didn't "set this up" or "create the demand." They only supplied spare parts to a company who then abused that access.

Like many things in life, we all pay the price for their abusing of that privilege, so now no one gets those parts unless they turn in a used case. There's only one party responsible here, and it's not Omega.
 
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