Is this Seamaster 200 Quartz authentic? If so, how's it look?

Aspyred · Feb 22, 2021

Update: I bought the watch! See my latest post below for how everything turned out including a new photo.

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- This is the 36mm mid-size quartz
- The caseback appears to match the older Seamaster 200 Quartz's (along with the Mercedes hour hand) but has some sort of custom imprint
- I've also heard there is a higher-valued Omega caliber 1441 thermocompensated quartz movement in these Seamaster 200's - if true, does this watch look like it might have one?

Thoughts on authenticity? If authentic, what do you think of its overall condition (or thoughts on fair market value) I'm hoping for the best but I don't want my excitement to get the best of me. Thanks all.

Aspyred · Feb 24, 2021

Any thoughts on this one? I'm attaching another pic below. The more and more I look into it, the more it looks legitimate, but I've been wrong before.

Sorry there aren't more in-depth pictures. I'll post what I got.

redpcar · Feb 24, 2021

It looks good. I've seen some real beaters in the past.
The biggest concern is the integrated bracelet. I'm counting the links. Do you have a small wrist?

Transitus · Feb 24, 2021

Hi. What there is to see looks fine to me too and the caseback, hands and crown look like the early incarnation which would have had the cal 1441 movement you mentioned (although I've never seen that sticker before).

The big caveat though is that a number of these movements were swapped out by Omega for the 1438 movement when the watches were serviced and others have had non Omega stamped equivalent ETA movements put in, presumably if there were battery leaks or corrosion. Without seeing it up you just can't be sure.

The thermocompensated 1441 movement is very recognisable as it has two silver crystal units rather than only one on the 1438.

Aspyred · Feb 24, 2021

redpcar
It looks good. I've seen some real beaters in the past.
The biggest concern is the integrated bracelet. I'm counting the links. Do you have a small wrist?

Transitus
Hi. What there is to see looks fine to me too and the caseback, hands and crown look like the early incarnation which would have had the cal 1441 movement you mentioned (although I've never seen that sticker before).

The big caveat though is that a number of these movements were swapped out by Omega for the 1438 movement when the watches were serviced and others have had non Omega stamped equivalent ETA movements put in, presumably if there were battery leaks or corrosion. Without seeing it up you just can't be sure.

The thermocompensated 1441 movement is very recognisable as it has two silver crystal units rather than only one on the 1438.

Wow, you've both been very helpful! redpcar, while the seller has 2 extra links, I do actually have a slimmer wrist and I enjoy my bracelets tight, so I was initially worried about being unable to remove enough links. Thanks for counting the links - I'm glad it doesn't seem like it'll be a problem.

I'm glad it looks good to you too, Transitus. Since you do know more about this, in the future, if the quartz movement stops working, do you think it would be relatively inexpensive to swap it out for another comparable ETA (or any other manufacturer) movement?

If the watch actually has a 1441 movement, I'd be very pleased, but I'd be more happier knowing that the watch is more 'future-proof' if the movement is easily swappable.

Transitus · Feb 25, 2021

Aspyred
Wow, you've both been very helpful! redpcar, while the seller has 2 extra links, I do actually have a slimmer wrist and I enjoy my bracelets tight, so I was initially worried about being unable to remove enough links. Thanks for counting the links - I'm glad it doesn't seem like it'll be a problem.

I'm glad it looks good to you too, Transitus. Since you do know more about this, in the future, if the quartz movement stops working, do you think it would be relatively inexpensive to swap it out for another comparable ETA (or any other manufacturer) movement?

If the watch actually has a 1441 movement, I'd be very pleased, but I'd be more happier knowing that the watch is more 'future-proof' if the movement is easily swappable.

As far as I know sourcing a compatible movement through a watchmaker should be fairly easy and in that respect it is definitely future proof.

FWIW though I've still got the original movement in my pre bond and it's been bomb proof for over 3 decades of near daily wear. In addition to that the accuracy of a cal 1441 is astonishing - just a handful of seconds every year.

Archer · Feb 25, 2021

Current replacement would be a Cal. 1538.

Aspyred · Feb 25, 2021

Archer
Current replacement would be a Cal. 1538.

That is great to know. I found this Cal. 1538 on eBay (https://www.ebay.ca/itm/OMEGA-1538-...642760?hash=item289a8d4a88:g:nu0AAOSw0zBfNN2I) - do you think it would be a relatively inexpensive service to purchase something like this and then have a watchmaker replace the movement?

These Seamaster 200 Quartz's are going for around $600+ USD and I would imagine the service+purchase of a Cal. 1538 would make up the bulk of that. But if the watch fully stopped working in the future, I'd like to think it would be worth it then. What do you think?

Archer · Feb 25, 2021

Aspyred
That is great to know. I found this Cal. 1538 on eBay (https://www.ebay.ca/itm/OMEGA-1538-...642760?hash=item289a8d4a88:g:nu0AAOSw0zBfNN2I) - do you think it would be a relatively inexpensive service to purchase something like this and then have a watchmaker replace the movement?

Depends entirely on what you consider "relatively inexpensive"...

Aspyred
These Seamaster 200 Quartz's are going for around $600+ USD and I would imagine the service+purchase of a Cal. 1538 would make up the bulk of that. But if the watch fully stopped working in the future, I'd like to think it would be worth it then. What do you think?

If you like the watch enough, yes...

Transitus · Feb 25, 2021

@Archer

I'd read that if the original movement was a 1441 with two oscillators the 1438 had a cut out for the second oscillator so the swap was fine.
It sounds like the 1538 has this too?

Archer · Feb 25, 2021

Transitus
@Archer

I'd read that if the original movement was a 1441 with two oscillators the 1438 had a cut out for the second oscillator so the swap was fine.
It sounds like the 1538 has this too?

No idea what cut out you are referring to - the entire movement would be swapped.

Transitus · Feb 25, 2021

Actually I can't find whatever it was I read and I only have a vague memory of it but perhaps in retrospect it must have been about someone converting a 1438 movement to a 1441 or vice versa by manipulating individual components of the movement. In other words irrelevant here.

Aspyred · Feb 27, 2021

Update: I bought the watch thanks to all your help. While the process wasn’t 100% smooth, it’s so far so good! (The unidirectional bezel is very, very stiff - I almost need rubber gloves to turn it. I’ll have to get this figured out later.)

Here’s a photo - the watch looks to be in better condition than I thought it would be.

Also, the funny looking imprint on the case back, I think, may actually be the original case back sticker that wasn’t yet removed! It has pictograms showing water and 200m, referencing the Seamaster’s 200m water resistance.

I would attach a photo, but I covered it up with a sticker of my own so I can keep the watch as “original” as I can for now.

Thanks so much for all your help! I hope the watch looks good to you as well! If not, I better find out quick before I can’t return it. 😀

Robbyman · Feb 27, 2021

Aspyred
That is great to know. I found this Cal. 1538 on eBay (https://www.ebay.ca/itm/OMEGA-1538-...642760?hash=item289a8d4a88:g:nu0AAOSw0zBfNN2I) - do you think it would be a relatively inexpensive service to purchase something like this and then have a watchmaker replace the movement?

These Seamaster 200 Quartz's are going for around $600+ USD and I would imagine the service+purchase of a Cal. 1538 would make up the bulk of that. But if the watch fully stopped working in the future, I'd like to think it would be worth it then. What do you think?

Looks ok to me

Transitus · Feb 27, 2021

Hi, looks very nice.
Out of interest did it have the flat, plain caseback or the seamaster hippocampus logo underneath the sticker?

Aspyred · Feb 27, 2021

Transitus
Hi, looks very nice.
Out of interest did it have the flat, plain caseback or the seamaster hippocampus logo underneath the sticker?

I didn't want to peel off the caseback sticker just to preserve the 'originality' (if it's actually the original caseback sticker - I don't actually know). But, since it's semi-transparent, it looked like a flat plain caseback with maybe a word or two but certainly no Hippocampus/Seahorse.

Is that a good thing? Thanks again for all your help, @Transitus .

Transitus · Feb 27, 2021

If it's just the plain caseback stamped Omega Seamaster in capitals with the Omega logo above it was almost certainly the first batch of these models which only ran for a year and would have contained the 1441 cal movement. Naturally, there are fewer of these around! Whether or not the 1441 is still in there you won't know until someone pops it open.

Aspyred · Feb 27, 2021

Transitus
If it's just the plain caseback stamped Omega Seamaster in capitals with the Omega logo above it was almost certainly the first batch of these models which only ran for a year and would have contained the 1441 cal movement. Naturally, there are fewer of these around! Whether or not the 1441 is still in there you won't know until someone pops it open.

I might just try and pop it open, either myself or through a watchmaker (the risk of doing it myself is compromising the water resistance seals) and confirm.

I've noticed the watch is acting strange, where it doesn't tick once per second, but sometimes stops and will move ahead many seconds at a time, sometimes 'smoothly' and sometimes not.

It's as if it's low on battery but I fear something worse. It still appears to be keeping time. Do you know what battery these watches take?

Transitus · Feb 27, 2021

There is a low battery indicator system that moves the second hand forward in jumps of 5 seconds so it could be that. I'm not keen on the idea of that being irregular though so best to get it checked out.

If the battery is low I'd recommend changing it as soon as possible. Batteries are prone to leak more often when they are low or dead. Certainly don't leave it sitting in the watch for too long now.

It's omega battery 9936 which is Renata 373 I believe.

Aspyred · Feb 27, 2021

Transitus
There is a low battery indicator system that moves the second hand forward in jumps of 5 seconds so it could be that. I'm not keen on the idea of that being irregular though so best to get it checked out.

If the battery is low I'd recommend changing it as soon as possible. Batteries are prone to leak more often when they are low or dead. Certainly don't leave it sitting in the watch for too long now.

It's omega battery 9936 which is Renata 373 I believe.

Thanks so much - appreciate all the info. The good news is that I think I've figured it out.

As I wrote earlier, at times, the seconds hand has been stopping, moving irregularly, etc etc, but the watch has kept time throughout. I noticed that when shaking the watch, the seconds hand would also sometimes just jump ahead/behind.

To me, it suggests the seconds hand is loose, which is why the watch has kept time because the hour/minute hands are just fine. So the good news is that this would suggest the movement and battery are likely OK, but the seconds hand needs to be adjusted/'tightened'.

Thoughts on this? It's probably best to bring this to a watchmaker for adjustment - I'd like to say that I probably shouldn't be doing anything on my own. Hopefully my diagnosis makes sense. Thanks again for all your great help.

Is this Seamaster 200 Quartz authentic? If so, how's it look?

Aspyred

Aspyred

redpcar

Transitus

Aspyred

Transitus

Archer

Aspyred

Archer

Transitus

Archer

Transitus

Aspyred

Robbyman

Transitus

Aspyred

Transitus

Aspyred

Transitus

Aspyred

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