Hello Ladies and Gentleman!

I have been lurking for a bit but think I have reached a point that I need help. When our first child was born I bought her a new Cartier tank, which she loves. For the birth of our second child (both boys) I want to buy here a buy her a vintage omega.

I have read and tried to absorb as much as possible about vintage Omegas, including learn how to fish (multiple times), Recommended vintage Omega watches on eBay, About Omega buckles, Overpolished POS of the week, and countless threads started here – with their accompanying advice, or on occasion rebukes (which I have noticed is a rite of passage on omegaforums). I have also read other forums and sites. I have spent hours looking at vintage Omegas on eBay and other sites trying to improve my eye to see if a piece has been redialed, polished, hands match the dial, if the buckle is appropriate to the watch, if the crown is correct, and if the movement looks good (still the thing that I am finding the hardest to discern if there isn’t obvious oxidation).

Due to the advice given to so many on this forum, I am already indebted to all of you. I have not purchased many watches that on first glance looked good to my untrained eye. One very helpful piece of advice I read early on was to wait until I had studied and learned what I should be looking for. My eye is getting better and I feel like I can now start to see what a possibly good original watch is to purchase.

I have now reached a point where I need to narrow down my search of models and movements. However, I am finding it hard to learn a great deal about women’s Omegas. I now have a list of things I want in the watch:
· Omega brand
· Vintage (1950’s to 1970’s; I wanted my birth year of 1974, but realize this is too hard to actually know)
· Round dial
· Manual or Automatic
· Leather strap
· Heirloom quality

Given that criteria, which models or movements would you recommend. Are there some I should stay way from in this era due to reliability? I want a ladies watch, but she is tall (5’9” / 1.75 meters) and could do a men’s 35mm watch. I think I want to avoid a men’s watch, but am still not 100% sure this is the right choice.

Thank you for any insight you can offer. Also, sorry for the long post. I look forward to your answers!

- Sorry if anything is incorrect, it is my first post and I am still learning.

 

Hi, here are some pics of Mrs omegastar’s watch drawer.
I hope it will help you in your quest. You will notice there are several men’s watches.
The ones she wears most are the ladies Omega Dynamic and the Genève.

Then there are the vintage Omegas (men’s models) she like also very much...

I

 

Nice idea!

The vintage world can be a bit of a nightmare but you're going about it in the right way.

For ladies watches, have a look at posts by @Syrte . There are bargains to be had, I believe as they are not collected in the same way as men's watches. Not many of us collect ladies watches but my wife has a sixties calibre 684 (Okay, I put this one together from parts but it's still terrific) as well as half a dozen other brands. They are much smaller than a modern watch but my wife prefers a smaller design and as she's not as tall as your wife, they are a good fit for her. I thought the 684 (all calibres 670 to 685) was a lovely calibre and must be one of the smallest full auto with date ever designed. A properly serviced Omega from that era should not have reliability issues but you may have to compromise on water resistance.

If you go the men's watch route, have a look at the Private Watch Sales on here - this is the link:
https://omegaforums.net/forums/private-watch-sales/
It changes daily so I'd run back through four or five pages and see if something appeals. There aren't usually many ladies watches there though. You stand far less chance of being ripped off on here as it's mainly a discussion forum with a few watch sales on the side between collectors and you can check any seller out by their feedback.

Like I say, nice idea so good luck.

Cheers, Chris

 

You will have to know your wife's taste, but I'm pretty sure that my wife would find vintage ladies' watches too small. Her favorite watch is a modern 38mm ladies' Speedmaster (with a diamond bezel and MOP dial) that she received from her company as a recognition of performance. But she very often wears two vintage watches that were originally mine, a 36mm 1950s Omega manual winder and a 34mm Air-King.

 

Thank you for the replies! They are very insightful. This is why I enjoy this forum so much.

@omegastar - the pictures are worth a thousand words!

@ChrisN - very helpful thoughts, especially the calibre advice.

@Dan S - That is the very issue I am struggling with. However, her Cartier is 25mm by 31 mm and she loves the size, but she may enjoy something very different this time.

Now I have new ideas to consider and more research to do. As everyone says, the hunt in part of the fun - and I have loved this hunt.

 

I’ll stick a few random pictures of ladie’s Omega watches that I have in my photo files. Styles for women have changed a lot since the 50s and 60s. Most of these I have posted are from the 1960s. This may not help you choose a watch, but it may help you choose a decade. These are all manual winders, two are diamond set. All are karat gold (14-karat yellow and white gold), one having a 14-karat gold bracelet. If this general styling is of interest, I have photos of several other 60s era Omegas I could upload, once I find them.

 

Here’s one I picked up earlier this year . Unfortunately not a leather strap but gives you an idea about case . I’ve seen them on black leather straps in 9ct. Have you looked around your local pawnbroker jewellers or auctions ?

 

Going a bit left field here, but I've always thought the burgundy Seamaster 120 ref 535.007 is a cracking watch. I believe it comes in at 31mm ex crown. Pretty rare though!

 

Hi there,
Many questions to ask in order to find out what could be right. A lot depends on your wife's taste, her usual style etc.
What kind of clothing does she like: business-y suits or dresses? Hippies flowery? Black sleek? Preppy wise, navy blue or khakis? Short skirts? High heels stilettos or sneakers?
What kind of jewelry does she wear : discreet pearl or diamond studs? Big plastic rings? Costume or only gold?
We're talking 100 different women here whose watch choices might be completely different.

I've seen a number similar inquiries and invariably the best advice is: consult with her and ask her what she would like.
If she would like a dive watch then an Omega Seamaster 120 is the way to go. I really like those colorful 31mm models but they are indeed rare and hard to find.
But then if a diver is not her choice, would she indeed prefer a 32 to 35mm vintage watch as those sizes also fit today's women?
For something funky and fashionable, an Omega Dynamic seems like a really good choice -- ladies or men's depending on the size she prefers. For something more traditional and discreet, a 1960s Ladymatic might be the way to go.
Would she enjoy a hand winder or an automatic watch? Or would she prefer quartz?
Many factors you need to sort out.
Maybe in the end she doesn't want Omega.
Maybe (even though I hate to say) she would prefer an Apple I-watch with an Hermès double tour strap?

Wow - quite a watch drawer - and quite a few Dynamics there

 

Thank you all for the replies.

@Canuck - Those are beautiful watches.

@Jerseyhammer - Sadly I live in a town and there isn't anything here to really look at. It will more than likely need to be an online purchase. But I do plan to try, you never know until you look.

@Mouse_at_Large - Interesting option that I have not seen. I will be looking our to see more like that.

@Syrte - You make great points. I know she would NOT want to be part of choosing the watch. She would want me to do it, that will give her more joy than the gift. She has commented in the past that she would enjoy a mechanical watch. She is a stay at home mom (she recently turned down a professorship to stay at home with our child), so wardrobe ranges from yoga pants to business attire. She is classic in her jewelry, wearing silver, white gold, yellow gold, and pink/rose/red gold. She has an Apple watch, and may "fun" watches, I want this to be more timeless and classic. That being said, I think anything from a diver to a dress watch fit what I am looking for. The more I have thought about the idea of a smaller men's watch, in the region of 32 mm, the more I think it might be a great option.

Each of you have helped by showing me things I did not know existed or had considered.