My Early Seamaster 120 Divers. What to look for and what to avoid.

Winston_Smith · Dec 1, 2020

Hey everyone! This seems to be one of most comprehensive and useful threads on the forum, which I've only recently discovered! Lovely read and many thanks to all contributors, particularly the OP📖

I've come across the Sm 120 below. While it looked beautiful and quite attractive, there are a few dodgy things I've noted, which you can find in the bottom of the post.

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- The way Seamaster is written: m has the starting line so not a "Seanaster" but doesn't have the tail on upper left. I've noticed that in this model, t is smaller than neighbouring s but in this model, t is higher. Finally, r didn't feel right.
- The colour of the font: just faded, wrong or also plausible?

+ Apart from above, I believe that the font used for Omega and Seamaster 120 parts are overall ok for its time. Also the bezel seems to be right and fine. Tritium lumes looked lovely. If it passed the "dial screening" I will go on to the movement and case back checks , so waiting for your comments 😀

wcm82 · Dec 1, 2020

Winston_Smith
Hey everyone! This seems to be one of most comprehensive and useful threads on the forum, which I've only recently discovered! Lovely read and many thanks to all contributors, particularly the OP📖

I've come across the Sm 120 below. While it looked beautiful and quite attractive, there are a few dodgy things I've noted, which you can find in the bottom of the post.

- The way Seamaster is written: m has the starting line so not a "Seanaster" but doesn't have the tail on upper left. I've noticed that in this model, t is smaller than neighbouring s but in this model, t is higher. Finally, r didn't feel right.
- The colour of the font: just faded, wrong or also plausible?

+ Apart from above, I believe that the font used for Omega and Seamaster 120 parts are overall ok for its time. Also the bezel seems to be right and fine. Tritium lumes looked lovely. If it passed the "dial screening" I will go on to the movement and case back checks , so waiting for your comments 😀

Hi Winston - the font should be bright white. I'd be leaning towards a fake dial. I can't tell 100% from the photos - but the sides of the case should have a notch at 3 and 9, typically on the fake cases those areas smooth. Maybe ask for photos of the sides of the case? Id also ask for a shot of the case back as the seahorse is a good way to also spot a fake.

COYI · Dec 1, 2020

It's clearly fake. I'm surprised you're even asking after reading this thread

Winston_Smith · Dec 1, 2020

@wcm82 and @COYI , thank you guys for your valuable comments.

I was indeed suspicious and thought that this one is to be rejected on similar grounds as the one in page 28, note the fade grey font and t taller than s in Seamaster (post below). But the seller is somehow a "trusted" one and I just wanted to make sure. Also, I think the more we see examples like these the easier we can track fake trend patterns in the market, just like this one.

Gumby01
Hey all,
What are your thoughts?

The dial doesn't look right to me.

JwRosenthal · Dec 1, 2020

Winston_Smith
Hey everyone! This seems to be one of most comprehensive and useful threads on the forum, which I've only recently discovered! Lovely read and many thanks to all contributors, particularly the OP📖

I've come across the Sm 120 below. While it looked beautiful and quite attractive, there are a few dodgy things I've noted, which you can find in the bottom of the post.

- The way Seamaster is written: m has the starting line so not a "Seanaster" but doesn't have the tail on upper left. I've noticed that in this model, t is smaller than neighbouring s but in this model, t is higher. Finally, r didn't feel right.
- The colour of the font: just faded, wrong or also plausible?

+ Apart from above, I believe that the font used for Omega and Seamaster 120 parts are overall ok for its time. Also the bezel seems to be right and fine. Tritium lumes looked lovely. If it passed the "dial screening" I will go on to the movement and case back checks , so waiting for your comments 😀

Kapka · Dec 1, 2020

Watchout312
I love revisiting this post to see all the examples of my favorite Seamaster. Now I have to find a 1069.

Too late, I got all of them 😁

They show up every now and then but I find it much harder to get the 524 end links.

wcm82 · Dec 1, 2020

Kapka
Too late, I got all of them 😁

They show up every now and then but I find it much harder to get the 524 end links.

Wow that Seamaster on the right sure looks great with that dial! If you don't mind - what's the model number?

wcm82 · Dec 1, 2020

Winston_Smith
@wcm82 and @COYI , thank you guys for your valuable comments.

I was indeed suspicious and thought that this one is to be rejected on similar grounds as the one in page 28, note the fade grey font and t taller than s in Seamaster (post below). But the seller is somehow a "trusted" one and I just wanted to make sure. Also, I think the more we see examples like these the easier we can track fake trend patterns in the market, just like this one.

Sadly I think there are quite a few folks out there with fakes that think they're real. So their posting might not be malicious.

Dsplash · Dec 6, 2020

Hi all!
Very nice thread I just found looking for info about this piece :

it’s a local auction, reference not even given...
These pictures are already what I got after asking for better pics so it won’t get any better. It looks nice and I touched from here but I’m not familiar with these 120’s so maybe I’m missing something and time is too short to read this whole thread before it goes...
What ref is it? Is it worth pursuing? Up to what point?
Thanks for any help!😀

COYI · Dec 6, 2020

It looks ok but this is the smaller 31mm diameter model 565.007

Dsplash · Dec 6, 2020

Ahah thanks! Size in not even mentioned and I guess it matters here! 😗

kaplan · Dec 8, 2020

Once again, thanks for this thread - another auction going on for a 165.027 - thanks to this thread I was able to verify it's original (mainly the 3-9 notches sealed the deal), but since it's automatic, without a date, it went out out of my budget curiosity buy range

It concluded for $965 by the way - so after all, there's still hope for sub $1000 Seamaster 120's - don't let this worn images fool you either, there's a 50/50 chance the buyer is going to flip it in the next 2-3 weeks on Reddit with a little polish for $1790 minimum

If it's a regular buyer who bought it, I hope s/he enjoys it and wears it in good health, but honestly for flippers, my hatred goes deep - I guess it's somewhat jealousy fueled too, since I like the watch market a lot but don't live in a country with low friction customs

Since OF forum sales hover around $1600 in better condition with straps too, this was a regular sale I guess

My search for a manual wind Seamaster 120 with black date wheel continues (if anyone goes on sale here, please consider pm'ing me 😀

Out of curiosity, what is the market for a 1069 bracelet with 524 endlinks? I bought a watch as a gift that has a full length 1069 bracelet, but I'm going to sell the bracelet to offset the cost

la_lusigne · Dec 8, 2020

I was following that auction too. However I don’t think that this watch has found a buyer, when I check the auction page the number of bids is 0. Sometimes the seller ends the auction a couple of minutes before the official ending time because he’s unsatisfied with the price it has reached.

And to answer the question, I personally paid my bracelet just above a 100 euros if that may help

kaplan · Dec 8, 2020

100 euros is a very good find honestly, even on Japan where Omega prices are below worlwide prices, in demand steel bracelets usually exceed 200's - I personally bought the watch I bought expecting $250 net from the bracelet

When this auction ended, I viewed it as a successful auction, but indeed it now has 0 bids, so the seller might've cancelled, but imo, it was a deserving price, if I was a buyer, I'd rather pay $600 more and get one in a much better shape - so maybe something else happened

Some sellers also run weird scams too, some watches go on auction again and again every week with inflated prices - so even if you buy something on auction, no guarantee it's a deserving price (so maybe, this $900 price was the inflation, but no one exceeded the seller's fake account and the seller cancelled it)

One example going on right now: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k514118110 - worst Constellation redial in world history and it's somehow $2000+

Even with established sellers with 2000+ feedbacks, I do see the same watches pop up from time to time, so it might be a widespread practice on Japan too, so even though prices are low, we might still be getting scammed 😁

wcm82 · Dec 8, 2020

kaplan
Once again, thanks for this thread - another auction going on for a 165.027 - thanks to this thread I was able to verify it's original (mainly the 3-9 notches sealed the deal), but since it's automatic, without a date, it went out out of my budget curiosity buy range

It concluded for $965 by the way - so after all, there's still hope for sub $1000 Seamaster 120's - don't let this worn images fool you either, there's a 50/50 chance the buyer is going to flip it in the next 2-3 weeks on Reddit with a little polish for $1790 minimum

If it's a regular buyer who bought it, I hope s/he enjoys it and wears it in good health, but honestly for flippers, my hatred goes deep - I guess it's somewhat jealousy fueled too, since I like the watch market a lot but don't live in a country with low friction customs

Since OF forum sales hover around $1600 in better condition with straps too, this was a regular sale I guess

My search for a manual wind Seamaster 120 with black date wheel continues (if anyone goes on sale here, please consider pm'ing me 😀

Out of curiosity, what is the market for a 1069 bracelet with 524 endlinks? I bought a watch as a gift that has a full length 1069 bracelet, but I'm going to sell the bracelet to offset the cost

A 1069 / 524 sold just over a month ago on the forum, asking price was $800 USD.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/12-omega-flatlink-bracelet-48-endlinks-950-obo.120612/

I bought a different bracelet off the seller - stand up guy 😀

kaplan · Dec 8, 2020

Thanks for the info; I don't like bracelets, but damn those flatlinks enter my dreams sometimes 😁

If I found one I'd probably not let go

kaplan · Dec 30, 2020

There's a new 120 on Reddit, seemed ok to me and it's ok priced as well, suprising for Reddit

kaplan · Jan 22, 2021

new one on eBay, mixed condition, but looks original: https://www.ebay.com/itm/OMEGA-SEAM...ATCH-100-GENUINE-1968-UNPOLISHED/313379185041

JwRosenthal · Jan 22, 2021

kaplan
new one on eBay, mixed condition, but looks original: https://www.ebay.com/itm/OMEGA-SEAM...ATCH-100-GENUINE-1968-UNPOLISHED/313379185041

That one has been sold and relisted a few times but the same seller- not a good sign

Shabbaz · Jan 22, 2021

JwRosenthal
That one has been sold and relisted a few times but the same seller- not a good sign

Yeah. The Brasil one. Very strange...

My Early Seamaster 120 Divers. What to look for and what to avoid.

Winston_Smith

wcm82

COYI

Winston_Smith

JwRosenthal

Kapka

wcm82

wcm82

Dsplash

COYI

Dsplash

kaplan

la_lusigne

kaplan

wcm82

kaplan

kaplan

kaplan

JwRosenthal

Shabbaz

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