My first year of collecting vintage Omega - Thank you again, OF!

Gui13250

The green strap on your Piepan looks stunning on it!
Great c-Case as well, congrats!

Mick.McGrane

The green strap looks fantastic, where did you get it? post the link, please.

Rudi99

Without OF it would have been impossible to have acquire these watches. Either in terms of knowledge or just because I would not have met the great people I became friends with or have contact with and learn a lot from.

Rudi99

Hi everyone. It is a great and warm day in Germany at the moment (probably the last one before the cold months) and I hope my writing finds you all in the best of health.

Almost exactly one year ago I bought my first vintage Omega (rosegold 2438 with inverted cardinal dial), which was intended to be either the only one or one of two in a small collection.

So, one year later... 🤦

I have realised I enjoy collecting them exclusively (or almost... I have a couple of Seikos I actually really like and that I can wear and beat up without worrying), and it has been a lot of fun engaging with other members discussing all sorts of things regarding collecting in general and all Omega. For me it is just rewarding meeting people in this hobby and seeing what exactly attracts them. I have seen people collect just one single references or very similar references, people collecting multiple brands, or just a very specific time period, or just a style of watch. Recently I met with a collector from France in a pub in Berlin and he collects only pieces he knows the provenance, so mainly watches bought directly from the original buyer. How interesting, no?

Having conversations with other members and collectors, I slowly come to realise I have kind of unconsciously developed a kind of a collecting personal "strategy" or "way" of collecting.

Very few of these watches I did actively look for. The 2846 Seamaster and the 14902 Connie I did search. All the others I bought either because I came across them and the price was too tempting... Or because the price tempted me to the point that I just intended to flip them and make some money but as soon as I had them in my hand I fell in love and could not part with them. I buy and just almost never sell/flip... I almost never hunt, I just... "fish" them.

And coming to think of it, I liked collecting stuff since I was a small boy... The thing going with vintage Omega just ties together the interest I had for design and proportion, the worry for details and the urge to research information with something cool to wear and puts my mind away from my work, which otherwise would be difficult (I am a musician... And as a musician I can get very obsessed )

One of them I did not buy for myself, but as a gift to my better half. The rosegold hands next to the 2846 are still to be sent to England for a relume-job and afterwards to be set into the watch.

I try and just collect whatever I appreciate either for it's design or for the quality of the movement or both. I try to like the designs and movements of the 40s, 50s and 60s more.

There are many references I find fantastic and would love to add to my small collection one day, like a 2852, a Teddington, a 30mm chronometer, a Geneve from the 50s, an Ed White for sure, a nice Seamaster Chronometer with cal 352, jumbo references with handwind 2xx caliber movements, something in 18k gold, and so on...

You are welcome to leave any feedback or a suggestion in terms of what I could look for. 📖

Without OF it would have been impossible to have acquire these watches. Either in terms of knowledge or just because I would not have met the great people I became friends with or have contact with and learn a lot from.

Special thanks to @MtV , @iamvr , @omegastar , @Shabbaz , @mac_omega , @seekingseaquest , @ConElPueblo , @Peemacgee , @Noddyman , and @Dan S for their very kind attention in many respects talking watches, dials, hands, movements etc!

Have a great day/evening and be safe out there!

Love,

Rudi

ckhaing

The great added bonus s there are serious members who also share my (non-watch) areas of interest,cats and hifi 😎.

lillatroll

My personal favourite Omegas come from the late 60s and 70s. But to truly appreciate a watch, you have to see it in the flesh. A lot of Omega watches from the 40s and 50s are a thousand times better when they are in your hands, then its hard to let go. Good luck with your fishing journey
It's a fantastic hobby made even more enjoyable by places like OF.

tad

That’s the beauty of watch collecting, you get to meet so many interesting people who otherwise you would never come into contact with.

Interesting that you mention a ‘strategy’ for collecting. I guess it depends on what your goals are. For me it’s a mixture of an interest in horlogy and design combined with the thrill of the chase and hopefully the opportunity to make a good investment.

I would suggest collect what you like, buy wisely and don’t become too obsessive as there’s more to life then just watches