Hey guys, I just picked up this watch without having really good pics of it before hand. It is filthy!!!!

Case: The case around the crystal, lugs and crown is filthy. Kind of hard to see with this pic. The case though does have sharp lines still. The back of the case is excellent as well.

Movement: The watch seems to run okay. Winding it is difficult! I do not know how to remove the back case to check the movement. What is the best tool to use for this?

Dial: I've checked Desmonds website because he has a write up on this watch. http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.ca/2007/11/seamasters-of-vxi-olympiad.html The Seamaster script matches perfectly. The dial, under a magnifying glass has the small spider cracks all over it so it should be original. What is concerning though, is the 6 o'clock marker, it is upside down?! It looks original though? As well, you can just make out in the picture, small green flecks. On the inside of the crystal and on the dial. Maybe submerged and it's water damage? How to tell.

Hands: The minute and hours hand look original. The second hand looks damaged or just a replacement. Some green on it as well.

Crown: Looks original.



What do you guys think I should do?

 

LOL, you would think I can't write after reading that post title!!!!

Is this something that can be cleaned up without damaging it's originality?

 

Hi Scotty,

sorry to disappoint you - this is not a well preserved example.

The edges are not really crisp - looks like heavily worn or over polished - I would not wonder if the cross of merit on the back is worn as well.

Dial´s lacquer is pretty much aged - hence the yellow color - in fresh pieces it is much brighter.

6 o´ clock marker looks to have been wrongly replaced - maybe had been fallen off before.

The green spots specially around the 4 marker are due to some oxidation process (or other chemical process) and might come from the alloy of the dial plate which seems to be kind of brass or similar - in contrary to solid silver as used on other Omega dials...

This is just a quick diagnosis - would like to see the back and movement too...

regards
Erich

 

Didn't pay the price for a mint example, which is why I took the risk on it. I finally got the back case off. How do I remove the movement from the case? I want to take the crystall off as well soak the case to get the crap off of it. Replace the crystal if I going to keep it. The crown has to be take off before I can remove the movement. Anybody help with that?

Got it. The spring loaded catch needs to be depressed to slide the stem and crown off. Just need the screwdriver at home to take the case holders off.

Here's a pic of the back and movement. They look clean thank god!

 

Agree with gator, caseback does not look bad at all - I was expecting more signs of use or polish...
Pristine examples are very hard to find due to the softness of the 18K gold and the construction of the case with its multiple protruding angles and facets/bevels...
You have to find a safe queen which sat in a vault for decades or has been sparingly used on special occasions - a watch which was used looks like yours after the years.
A special problem is the kind of lacquer they used... I think the quality was not that good in the fifties - so the dials often look cracked and yellowed...
The range of colors reaches from ivory (as initially intended) over "butter cream" to lemon or even brownish tints...
I know a little about these beasts as I have studied and hunted them for quite a while.

Here is one of my "cross of merits" dial examples - it is one of my best concerning preservation of the case and dial, only some very small "impacts". You get an idea about the original color of the lacquer and how sharp the edges were initially... I guess this example has not been polished yet. It developed a kind of patina even on the gold of the case top and few of the indexes ( yes, even 18K gold tarnishes over a long period of time!). Some may argue it detracts from the beauty of the watch but I intend to leave it as is - for me she is more desirable this way showing her age related beauty developed during 57 years... and showing she is in the condition she left the factory.
Enjoy!

PS: do not tell our magpie that these are collectible also - may end in a "dry market" for us

 

Mac ..........Dibs on this one, please?

I missed an auction about two months ago on similar example. What a beauty.....

 

It is realy quite hard to get a crisp one, I have 4 but all polished to some extend and I agree with honorable member Privatday7 the colour of the dial is usualy buttercream like on mine

 

The title "the honourable" in Australia attaches to members of executive council - not parliament. Executive councillors are ministers and parliamentary secretaries. You generally are a Executive councillor for life, so you retain the title for life, even after you are no longer a minister. The situation is slightly different in qld, act and nt.

In the UK, the title is "the right honourable" and attaches to members of the Privy Council. Australian PMs, up to and including Menzies, were also members of the privy council, so were right honourable.

 

I am not sure if you are aware that your example has a wrong replacement crown?
regards
Erich

 

Actually honorable member Mac-Omega is the one who said that. Btw yours is also very nice. I always want one of this Melbourne specimen ......

 

Well the original crown, which was on the watch looked just like yours, with the gold on the upper half missing, thats why I replaced it with one of my spare constellation crowns - do you have any idea where do get proper replacements
regards

 

They show up on ebay once in a while, but pretty hard to get by otherwise.

I bought a lot of three 2 years ago, but all of them "consumed" for replacement of wrong examples yet.

 

Got the movement out and it looks okay. The only thing I have done to the dial at this point is use a computer compressed air duster to clean the dial. No touching! The air spray got rid of all of the green flecks on the dial. The four marker has a little around it that would involve touching. I will try a swab around the edge of the dial later. The 6 marker looks original the way it sits on the dial. I think if it was removed and then replaced in the proper position it would leave a mark on the dial. I think it is best to leave it as is. Thoughts on this ?

The second hand could use some work. Is this supposed to be gold as well, just like the other two hands? I know that www.ofrei.com/ has replacement ones and crystals too for these watches. Thoughts on what to do with the second hand?



I think I have a pretty good idea as to what happened with the case. The last owner took it upon himself to clean all the tarnish he could reach without taking the watch apart. When he did this, he took the edges off the front of the case. The back edges are all still sharp. You can see from the case pictures that there is still quite a bit of heavy tarnish. I'm taking the case to a jeweller today to have the crystal removed for free so I can soak the case and slowly clean it up. At this point in time, I haven't spent any more money on the watch. Crystal, hand or jeweller. Just trying to decide if it is worth while or not. Any thoughts?

 

The marker at 6 is definitely wrongly placed - should be corrected.
But let this be done by a watchmaker in order not to damage the dial - it is a subtle work and needs experience!

 

The more I read on this site, the more scared I am to buy any more watches!