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Need help in valuing a watch I am considering for purchase

HaxyByte
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Good day all,

I am currently bidding on a vintage Omega Seamaster 30, Reference number, 126.003-62.
I am a newbie when it comes to watches but I had always desired a vintage Seamaster just like my father's.
This is the Seamaster in question:

If anyone can give me some advice as to how high I should go with my bids, which is currently at 300 USD.
The was deep cleaned, serviced, and the dial has been repainted. I understand that the redialling a watch is frowned upon, but given my low budget and how clean this piece looks, I am happy to accept this for now. Perhaps 5 years in the future I might go for a Vintage Calatrava with a Black dial if I have the luxury.

Also are there any warning signs or advice that any seasoned folks can give me? I have been going through the forums with joy thus far.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
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mac_omega
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Welcome to OF

Good idea to ask first before you buy.

I would not buy this watch as you will regret sooner than later as your knowledge grows you will want the real stuff.
Better save a little longer and buy a good watch.

Not only that the dial has been re-printed, the case has seen the polish-wheel for too much or too often.
And its only a hand wound watch.

maybe it would be better to wait for a good condition automatic watch with similar design of that era and spend a little more - it will reward you with more happiness when you look on a unrestored dial.

just my 2 c
 
HaxyByte
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Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate the advice.

I also noticed the watch case appears to be heavily polished, and I understand your points and where you are coming from.
I will have to think on this, an automatic would be more preferable, although I am still finding it difficult to assess whether the pricing is appropriate on ebay and Chrono24. I'll widen my search.

Also, if anyone can contribute as to whether they have any suspicions that the watch is fake, please feel free. I also am not sure what the seller means as they mentioned the dial is original but repainted, is this considered 'redialling'?

Cheers.
Edited:
 
mac_omega
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HaxyByte HaxyByte
Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate the advice.

I also noticed the watch case appears to be heavily polished, and I understand your points and where you are coming from.
I will have to think on this, an automatic would be more preferable, although I am still finding it difficult to assess whether the pricing is appropriate on ebay and Chrono24. I'll widen my search.

Cheers.

Have also a look in the for sale section on this forum - there are plenty of nice watches from honest members at fair prices.
 
HaxyByte
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Thank you for your quick reply, I will have a look through, I had just edited my last post with a question appended at the bottom, do you perhaps know what does repainting of the original dial mean? And is this normal practice with some sellers?
 
mac_omega
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HaxyByte HaxyByte
original but repainted, is this considered 'redialling'?

its is what it says: the original dial plate was replated or repainted and afterwards the script and minutes track re-printed - commonly understood as re-dialing.
 
JimInOz
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HaxyByte HaxyByte
Thank you for your quick reply, I will have a look through, I had just edited my last post with a question appended at the bottom, do you perhaps know what does repainting of the original dial mean? And is this normal practice with some sellers?

It means that before the watch was tarted up for sale, the metal dial was stripped of its original finish and re-painted / inked to look like new.

Many sellers do this, some disclose it, some do not, and some use terms that include "original dial" which is disingenuous.

A dial in its original entirety comprises a metal plate, a surface finish and indexes. If any of those are changed, the dial is no longer original.
 
HaxyByte
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I see, thank you both on your replies, this really helps in my understanding of such terminologies, hope to one day be a proud owner.

Cheers!
 
jeppe888
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I would suggest you take a look in the private sales section here at OF
There are some really nice pieces for decent money, it is a Good place to Buy your first watch as a first time buyer
 
HaxyByte
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Will do, tough finding a piece within my budget since I have recently graduated. Hopefully, I will own a Seamaster or Constellation soon! 😀
 
connieseamaster
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Any words that start with "re" are usually red flags when it comes to whether a watch is in its original condition or not: refurbished, restored, repainted, redialled, etc. All mean that the watch has probably been tarted up in some way and no longer has any value as a vintage watch
 
gbesq
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I’m going to add to the chorus of members here who are telling you to wait, save some additional funds, and then buy an honest example of an entry level vintage Seamaster when one becomes available on the private watch sales forum here. If I may, one model that I would suggest is a reference 14704. Photo below of one that I sold awhile back. In stainless steel, they are very reasonably priced.
upload_2021-5-29_7-47-19.jpeg
 
HaxyByte
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connieseamaster connieseamaster
Any words that start with "re" are usually red flags when it comes to whether a watch is in its original condition or not: refurbished, restored, repainted, redialled, etc. All mean that the watch has probably been tarted up in some way and no longer has any value as a vintage watch
Thanks for the tip Connieseamaster! I will definitely keeo that in mind, as a newcomer, even though I can appreciate the Wabi Sabi aspect of a watch that has aged gracefully with each imperfection telling the story, it can be quite puzzling that refurbished/re-dialed vintage Omega watches can drop in value so much. I can't say if I've observed the same for the likes of some other brands, Seiko, Hamilton etc.
 
HaxyByte
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gbesq gbesq
I’m going to add to the chorus of members here who are telling you to wait, save some additional funds, and then buy an honest example of an entry level vintage Seamaster when one becomes available on the private watch sales forum here. If I may, one model that I would suggest is a reference 14704. Photo below of one that I sold awhile back. In stainless steel, they are very reasonably priced.
upload_2021-5-29_7-47-19.jpeg
Oh my, that is gorgeous, I wished I had snapped that up, I have been perusing the sales / private sales forums a lot, and have seen some with amazing patina and some that look amazingly clean like yours. Hoping to find something to be that clicks with me. Unfortunately, I do have to come clean, I did bid on that watch for 300 USD, but perhaps I might get outbid, either ways, I've learnt a lot and I don't mind whatever happens. Hope to spot a beauty like yours in the market in the future for sure!
 
TimeODanaos
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connieseamaster connieseamaster
Any words that start with "re" are usually red flags when it comes to whether a watch is in its original condition or not: refurbished, restored, repainted, redialled, etc. All mean that the watch has probably been tarted up in some way and no longer has any value as a vintage watch
+1
But - if I could please hitch a quick ride to pose a linguistics question 📖 (especially if @mac_omega is still tuned): I see German speakers using the word "revised" (presumably for "revisiert"). I think this might be one of those translation false friends - I'm not too proud to ask, what does it exactly mean in watch terms, please?
 
mac_omega
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TimeODanaos TimeODanaos
+1
But - if I could please hitch a quick ride to pose a linguistics question 📖 (especially if @mac_omega is still tuned): I see German speakers using the word "revised" (presumably for "revisiert"). I think this might be one of those translation false friends - I'm not too proud to ask, what does it exactly mean in watch terms, please?

The word "revisiert" as "revised" can mean a lot, depending of the semantic of the seller. IMO it should mean disassembled, cleaned, lubricated, worn parts replaced. But sneaky sellers may use it also when the watchmaker only had a look at the movement to see if there was an obvious larger fault/issue with the movement. So caveat when you read this term. I would always ask detailed question about the work done on the watch or movement.
 
Syrte
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Welcome to the forum @HaxyByte.
If you’re bidding on Ebay and perhaps ofher platforms it’s possible to withdraw a bit which was made in error.
It’s not something you want to do often as it could taint your record but it’s technically doable to remove a bid before the end of the auction.

The key question is, what’s your budget?
With patience you can find a nice automatic Seamaster even with a budget of up to 500-600 euros.
If you’re paying in dollars it might be a bit different, but the US is a very big market with lots of options not even visible from the rest of the world so I would bet you could find something nice there for 500-600 dollars.
 
Dan S
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HaxyByte HaxyByte
If anyone can give me some advice as to how high I should go with my bids, which is currently at 300 USD.

I think $300 is already top dollar given the dial condition. If you love it, wait until the last minute and try to snipe it for $350. But recognize that from a collector's perspective, it's pretty much money down the drain.

You can actually find some nice vintage watches for $300, but a decent Omega will generally cost a bit more since they are very popular. You should be prepared to spend at least $500 if you are buying a watch that is broadly marketed on the internet. Deals can be had at estate sales, thrift stores, etc. But you really have to hunt.
 
HaxyByte
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Syrte Syrte
Welcome to the forum @HaxyByte.
If you’re bidding on Ebay and perhaps ofher platforms it’s possible to withdraw a bit which was made in error.
It’s not something you want to do often as it could taint your record but it’s technically doable to remove a bid before the end of the auction.

The key question is, what’s your budget?
With patience you can find a nice automatic Seamaster even with a budget of up to 500-600 euros.
If you’re paying in dollars it might be a bit different, but the US is a very big market with lots of options not even visible from the rest of the world so I would bet you could find something nice there for 500-600 dollars.

That's a fair point, I do think I still owe it to the seller to carry out the transaction should I win the bid, even so, I understand that it isn't valuable as a vintage but perhaps I can eventually pass it on as a gift to another that wishes to enter the hobby (like my father). That's perfect as my budget is indeed around 500-600 USD for a Seamaster (preferably an automatic). I'm actually earning my salary in AUD so it's fairly expensive for me right now. But for the new future, I definitely see it as a possibility!
 
Dan S
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HaxyByte HaxyByte
That's a fair point, I do think I still owe it to the seller to carry out the transaction should I win the bid, even so, I understand that it isn't valuable as a vintage but perhaps I can eventually pass it on as a gift to another that wishes to enter the hobby (like my father). That's perfect as my budget is indeed around 500-600 USD for a Seamaster (preferably an automatic). I'm actually earning my salary in AUD so it's fairly expensive for me right now. But for the new future, I definitely see it as a possibility!

Anything is better than USD these days. Here is your AUD chart.

Screen Shot 2021-05-29 at 9.08.10 AM.png
 
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