The protocol is to only tell them it's a redial if they are trying to convince you of its originality. The more you learn the more wrong things you will see every time you are on the hunt, be it online, in auctions, in vintage watch shops and at vintage watch fairs. In fact the majority of watches I look at have something wrong with them, that's why they don't get bought

 

awesome post

 

Excellent writeup! Many thanks!!

 

Great article. Such a wealth of knowledge and shared for free. Thank you so very much.

 

Great read and so useful for somebody new like me. Thank you.

 

very helpful to those fishing in the bay for vintage

 

Great post thanks for sharing some invaluable information regarding the purchase vintage watches which I shall use in the future I'm looking at a omega seamaster ref 166.064 and shall use the the knowledge gained here will keep you posted... thanks

 

Bump for new members....

 

I KNOW that as a newcomer to Omegas, I would have purchased the one I saw in a local shop, blissfully unaware of the bad redial until later.
Thanks again all OF posters for saving me from a bad deal. I went back a second time and looked at the watch and was even more aware of some other flaws in it.

 

I'm new to Omega's and searching for a 66-69 Speedy, and when looking at the lume's of the hands vs. the markers it appears that even in watches described as "all original" the lume on the hands seems lighter in color than the lume markers on the rest of the dial. My question is did Omega use a different process to apply the lume on the hands? I'm assuming it was tritium based on the time period, but could the method of application have affected the patina? Or---is it more likely that the hands were replaced at some distant service time? Thanks.

 

First of all, the color of the lume depends on the ingredients. Small differences may already result in different colors. Secondly, dials and hands were uaually lumed by different people and therefore with lume from potentially different production dates. Although it is very appealing if the lume of hands and dial have matching color, a difference in color does not necessarily mean that one part was relumed or is a service part. Unfortunately, life is not so easy... That is the general point.
Concerning Speedys in particular, the experts may know it better. May be, you post pics of the watch you consider in another thread.

 

Wonderful resource. Thank you!

A question: you say that no Seamaster would have lumed hands without lumed indices on the dial. Then later you say: "You’ll have to remember that there are no rules without exceptions when dealing with vintage watches." I'm wondering if there are exceptions to this rule, as I have a Seamaster that's got lume'd hands and no lume on the dial. See the LEFT hand watch for the example. This watch came from Mexico with the original box and checks out as a Mexican market watch. Every part of me feels this is an original-condition watch, as the case faces are sharp and the surfaces are brushed and polished as they should be. Thoughts about exceptions to the lume'd hands = lumed face?

 

mine...

 

Not really - both of your watches are redialed, I am afraid

Brown dials like those do not exist in those references, showing up only in the seventies in Geneves and such. Both watches have replacement crowns and the hands on the Calendar model are wrong.

 

Live and learn! This is why I'm here asking. I really appreciate the expertise, and I guess I can say that I have small collection of totally inaccurate brown redialed Seamasters.

 

Tnx for the info

 

Thanks so much for your guide and info! Long-time lurker here, I'm looking to jump in with my first purchase of either a Seamaster or a Connie, automatic, 6-800 USD price range. Ebay is tempting but obviously such a shark pit, but when I look at things like Chrono24 (which I don't know how much to trust) watches like these freak me out. Are the ones like this that look brand-spanking new the kind of obvious too-good-to-be-true redials you speak of? The typeface on many of these don't seem too off compared to more appropriately worn looking examples, but are they all just computer-generated redials? Having trouble making the jump from understanding the basics to sussing out fakes.

http://www.chrono24.com/omega/seamaster--id6458972.htm

http://www.chrono24.com/omega/seamaster-automatic-calendar--id6427955.htm

http://www.chrono24.com/omega/seamaster-automatic--id6407228.htm

 

Thank you for your time to share the info..

 

Fantastic write up, but I'm afraid you've given me just enough knowledge to be dangerous. As someone new to quality watches this helps and look forward to other articles before pulling the trigger on that first real watch

 

Great lessons learned. Thank you