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  1. Amh82 Jan 22, 2017

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    Hi guys, i'm new to the world of vintage Omega and hoping to not pickup a lemon!!

    I'm looking for a dress watch for my partner, 34-36mm, gold plate case, low profile case with domed crystal, light coloured dial.

    I'm in the UK and have been keeping an eye on ebay.

    I have a budget of £300-400 - is this enough to get a half decent example?

    I have a few in my watch list, could anyone suggest if any of them are worth considering?

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182426543418Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162362985090Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361885822159Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142253941160Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    I like the case style of the first one, quite slimline so maybe better suited for a ladies wrist. I quite like the patina on the dial, but it looks a little uneven as if it has been cleaned maybe? Would this dial originally have had Geneve at the bottom?

    The second one i like also, but the case looks a little rough. I have refinished SS cases in the past, but have no experience with gold (plate) cases.

    Do any, or all of these standout for any reason - good or bad?
    Are they priced about right?

    Appreciate any advice- thanks :thumbsup:
     
  2. Ravineman Jan 22, 2017

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    I like the last one the best. I have one very similar and it it's by far my favorite. It wears nice with a tux or with casual clothes. I also like that it doesn't not show the model's name, just shows OMEGA and the symbol. Very classy in my opinion.
     
  3. ConElPueblo Jan 22, 2017

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    Well, If I were to purchase a dress watch (especially for my partner, I might add...), I would choose one that was in excellent condition, esp. concerning the plating and the dial finish. After all, it is for special occasions, right? IMO, all four of your picks are rather worn-looking and you should easily be able to find one in better condition in that price bracket.
     
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  4. Amh82 Jan 22, 2017

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    Thanks for the replies guys.

    Just to clear up, i only used the term 'dress watch' to give an idea of the style.

    It could be worn on special occasions, but also for less special occasions!! Just wanted a nice, simple vintage Omega that could be worn on various occasions.

    I appreciate your honesty with my ebay selections. I wasn't expecting a mint & original example for my budget, but if i can do better than those listed then that is good news!!

    I will keep looking!
     
  5. Edward53 Jan 22, 2017

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    All those sellers seem to be dealers. You really need your wits about you if you're to get a decent watch from a dealer. With your budget you are far more likely to get a better deal from a private seller, though there's no totally safe way.

    EDIT: Looking through ebay uk I do not see a single GP Omega within your budget that I could recommend. I do see a couple of decent stainless examples:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-O...633072?hash=item282999bcf0:g:pAgAAOSw4DJYhKk0Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-O...883067?hash=item3d312aa3bb:g:6IcAAOSwNnRYg8lHPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    and that's about it. No movement photos on either of these but neither seller seems to be a watch specialist so maybe they can't open the case. They may stay in budget, they may not.

    I know you want GP but I'm just hiliting these as the sort of listing you should be looking at. It might take a while for the right one to come up but patience is vital as trying to buy a vintage watch in a hurry without specialist knowledge is never going to end well. BTW you also need to factor in the cost of a service, unlikely to be much less than £150. You can of course buy a watch that looks fine and keeps time as is, but running it with dried out oil inside will do it no good at all.
     
    Edited Jan 22, 2017
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  6. Amh82 Jan 23, 2017

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    Thanks Edward...i agree, i would much prefer to buy private, just so happens those ones were from dealers.

    I am not totally against an SS case, but for now I will continue to look for GP. She has mostly SS watches so would give some more variety.

    I got offered a very nice SS Seamaster 600 over on TZUK but decided to keep looking for now.

    The first one you linked to is very nice, shame it's not GP, but I will keep an eye on it.

    I have factored in for a service, as necessary. Minor restoration i am happy with as i have restored & serviced a few vintage pieces in the past, but I'm new to Omega so would have the movement serviced by someone experienced.

    I will continue to keep my eyes open :)
     
  7. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jan 23, 2017

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    How about a SS with gold markers. Makes it easier not focusing gold plated only in your searches.

    Picked this up for $400 US not long ago..

    image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
     
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  8. ConElPueblo Jan 23, 2017

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    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reloj-Omega...a79a45596:g:YN4AAOSwUKxYg39a&autorefresh=truePurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Send this guy a slightly lower offer and get the watch serviced - you could easily have the inscription on the rear removed (and something else added), perhaps get a better looking crown, but I don't see excessive wear on the watch (the bezel looks very sharp). He is from Southern Europe, so will probably take at least 10-15% of the price.

    EDIT: if the 34mm minimum size matters greatly, perhaps you could get the seller to confirm the diameter. I believe these are 34mm, but they could be 33mm.
     
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  9. ewand Jan 23, 2017

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    Something else to consider, OP, is whether you prefer straight baton hour markers or numerals - my personal preference is that some of the Geneve style cases & dials are a little too plain. The SS/Gold Seamaster posted by Standy above ^^ is more my kind of thing; in fact, I accidentally bought a not-dissimilar watch at auction last year ;-) Cost me about £380 after paying the buyer's premium, and the dial and case look good, even though it's got the wrong crown and the seconds hand is either the wrong one (too short) or the tip broke off.

    upload_2017-1-23_8-34-43.png
     
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  10. Amh82 Jan 23, 2017

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    That is very nice, and makes a good case for SS!! As you suggest, SS with gold markers would work, but I'd be less keen on SS with silver or gold/black markers.
     
  11. Amh82 Jan 23, 2017

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    Thanks for pointing this one out - certainly looks to be in nice condition, and as you say, the engraving doesn't look very deep. I have certainly removed deeper marks on casebacks previously, unless these are wafer thin?

    I found another one in the UK that looks to be the same as that one, but had poor photos, so I have asked the seller for some better ones.

    34mm is not a necessity, 32mm even would be fine.
     
  12. Amh82 Jan 23, 2017

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    I think on this style i prefer plain markers, but only because she has another vintage dress watch, albeit very small, with an applied numeral dial and also an Oris Pointer Date with a mix of applied numeral and plain markers - so i was just looking for a bit of variety!!
     
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  13. Amh82 Jan 24, 2017

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    I've added a couple more to my watch list....any thoughts on these?
    I quite like the first one, images are a little overblown so difficult to get a feel for whether the dial looks original, but second image looks more natural.
    I've tried to look the model up, but most seem to be a slightly earlier sub second model, or a later model with same dial but with automatic below the Omega logo. I did find one example on Google with same dial but GP case, which suggested it has a 610 movement.
    I'm waiting to hear back with some extra info from the jeweller - but is this priced about right or too strong?

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122315467122Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Second one, again, i like the style, like the sword hands - and it's also GP which is a preference- could do with a polish though.
    Does the dial look repainted? Could be odd lightning but the minute track looks worn away in places.

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271838410505Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Third one, looks nice & simple, but missing Omega crown. Description says the dial has probably been restored. Overpriced?

    Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271838410505Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Thanks again for any advice :)
     
  14. Amh82 Jan 27, 2017

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  15. kkt Jan 27, 2017

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    I personally am not fond of plating. It makes the case intrinsically short-lived. How much more would a 9k case be than a plated one?
    If that's not in your budget, I'd go with stainless steel and maybe gold markers and hands.