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  1. ABeattie18 Jul 25, 2017

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    Greetings everyone,

    I just signed up as a new OF member, however have been reviewing the forum and for the past few months, trying to gain some background knowledge on vintage Omegas. I have been searching the web for a reasonably priced vintage Omega, and have found the posts here, such as "Learn How to Fish" and those discussing members' favorite movements, to be extremely valuable.

    That said, I'm still a bit gun-shy when it comes to making my first purchase, so I hope to gain more knowledge as an active member here, and possibly enlist the expertise of more veteran collectors when I find some options to start my collection.

    My current watches consist of a Movado, passed down to me from my grandfather, and a Raymond Weil I bought myself as a graduation gift; unfortunately they are both quartz, and not exactly "collector pieces", but they look nice IMO, however I am eager to build a more respectable collection, starting with a vintage Omega :)

    Cheers!
     
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  2. wkimmd Jul 25, 2017

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    It sounds like you're at the right place. I'm probably not the best person to comment since I've only recently been offering more comments and participating more, but I was as long time lurker here and learned so much by reading the various posts. I started off very slowly as well - I think the first purchase was the hardest; but in the last couple of years I feel like I've hit a stride - bought a few, even sold a couple...even took a plunge and bought from an auction. Now I'm actually in the process of culling my collection to a few core pieces...it's a time suck, but the best kind. Welcome and good luck, and I hope you get as much out of this forum as I have.
     
    ABeattie18 likes this.
  3. chipsotoole Jul 25, 2017

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    If you've read a few bits and pieces here you must have an idea of the version of watch you want and possibly the decade styling that generally appeals to you most. If you plan to go straight in with a 1000 USD purchase I can imagine you feel gun shy. However, if you're going in with few hundred dollars or so and are looking for a straight up mechanical vintage with a patina'd or marked original dial you should have quite a wide scope. Decide on a budget and stick to it as best you can...
    Be prepared to make mistakes...decide what you will and won't compromise on....Go your own way. There is much heated debate here about pure original v's customisation. "Your wrist your watch enjoy!" as a OF member said to me:- I recently inquired here about a watch I fell in love with. I was told about a slight mismatch (i.e. a 61' black linen Seamaster 30 dial with Dauphine hands(wrong) in a slightly earlier case (1959) but I got it anyway because it was cheap and the styling spoke to me and I wanted that particular calibre 285.
    If you can, try a couple of vintage Omegas out on your wrist in a second hand shop or pawnbrokers. They can look so much bigger in pictures where the reality is that many of them are considered pretty small by modern standards. If you're not a particularly small person with tiny wrists you'd best be looking at 32mm + watch diameter (minus crown)...If it's your first one, try and get one with a recent service..it can be disheartening to think you got a great deal, only to fork out another 200 dollars on a service within a couple of weeks of getting it.
    Last thing: It's a vintage watch, it might be a bit economical with accuracy and generally needs a bit of looking after. Unless you acquire it as what they charmingly refer to here as a "beater" treat it just a little bit nicer...take it off before you do the dishes, any overly vigorous housework or DIY involving power tools. Can we see a pic of the Movado please?
     
  4. lillatroll Jul 25, 2017

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    Welcome
    By now you should have an idea of what style and type of watch you like so that makes it a bit easier. Many here will tell you to stay away from quartz watches or non mechanical watches. Please don t be so quick to dismiss them.
    There are quartz watches and quartz watches. Rolex, Patek and Omega all used quartz movements in the 70s and they were far superior to anything you will find today.(beta 21) Bulova developed tuning fork technology that was used in spaceships and is still used in satellite instruments today. You will find this movement in the f300 series. They are reasonably priced and bold in design.
    My small collection of watches has mechanical, automatic, quartz and LED examples and I appreciate and enjoy every one of them.
    Again, I know that the majority of collectors on here scoff at quartz watches and will advise you to avoid them but if you see one you like don t dismiss it out of hand just because it is a quartz watch.
     
  5. X350 XJR Vintage Omega Aficionado Jul 25, 2017

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    Hi and welcome to the Forum -

    Glad you're doing things the correct way and learning before buying. :thumbsup:
     
  6. ABeattie18 Jul 25, 2017

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    Thanks for the feedback lillatroll, I wholeheartedly agree, I would not completely dismiss a watch purely because its quartz, however it does seem that many here are not big fans (completely fine, as chipsotoole pointed out above, "your wrist, your watch"). Everyone has their own preferences, and thankfully, we have ample selection to choose from. For now, I am looking towards a mechanical, or automatic movement, as it would be be something new to me. I have absolutely nothing against a quartz watch however; I love my Raymond Weil despite it not being the most collectible/expensive/impressive piece (and still get complements on it all the time).
     
  7. MikeMan2727 Jul 25, 2017

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    Definitely take a look through the Private Watch Sales section of this forum. There are many great watches for sale that match a variety of budgets. Plus you get peace of mind when buying from established members here!
     
  8. perks713 Jul 25, 2017

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    This is a great piece of advice. I was looking at watches on ebay and cutting circles out of paper to see what a 33mm watch would look like. Make sure you're comfortable with a small watch especially if you're looking at something from the 50's - 60's. The first few days I wore my watch I felt like I had put on my girlfriends watch because it felt so much smaller then the typical modern watches that are all over 45mm.
     
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  9. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Jul 25, 2017

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  10. ABeattie18 Jul 26, 2017

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    Thanks for the suggestions chipsotoole. Here's a photo of my Movado (note, the battery needs to be replaced, time/date are off)
    IMG_2515.JPG

    The size of the vintage watches is actually something I am looking forward to. My Raymond Weil is 39mm, and the Movado seems a bit smaller; I just have a small wrist, so I cant stand the modern watches that are 44mm+. They may look nice, however they would completely cover my wrist, and be a bit too showy for my taste. I do like @perks713 idea to cut out circles to test sizes, if I find a size I'm unsure about.

    I have found a lot of attractive options for 60's Omegas around $500, and obviously they become more attractive as you get closer to $1000... my budget is somewhere between the two.. I completely understand mistakes will be made and I'll pay more for a watch than I should at some point down the line; its especially hard making the call now, as I have a girlfriend at home who is all too aware that every couple hundred $$ more spent on a watch is a couple hundred less on a ring ;)
     
  11. ABeattie18 Jul 26, 2017

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    Thanks STANDY, I guess I should clarify, I am excited to start my collection, however am in no rush to skip over the actual journey of collecting the pieces (hence a few months reading on here, and searching for my first Omega, but still haven't bought one because I haven't found the one I feel is right... if I bought a watch for every 5 or 10 hours of research/browsing, Id be completely broke ;p). I don't really care about having a "collection" to say I have one; more, I anticipate buying watches I find attractive and will enjoy, and as time passes, that hobby would turn into a collection.

    Very much appreciate, and agree with your perspective though, especially when dealing with vintage watches.. it makes no sense to me to buy watches just to have them if they aren't meaningful or special in some way.
     
  12. Edward53 Jul 26, 2017

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    50s, 60s and 70s Omegas each have their own distinct styles, do you know which you like best? Do you want something high end like a Speedmaster, would you be happy with a modest early Seamaster, or maybe you would prefer something in between like a Seamaster chrono? Do you like steel, gold or gold cap? Date or non-date? Once you know the answer to those questions you can start studying in earnest.
     
  13. ABeattie18 Jul 26, 2017

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    Edward, I have not yet decided which time period I like best, but I have started to notice watches from the 60's tend to grab my attention more than the other decades. I would be completely content with a modest Seamaster (especially as my first Omega; I don't think I need to jump into a Speedmaster just yet). I know I would like a date function, but not necessarily day/date. As for the decision for steel/gold/gold cap, I am leaning towards gold or gold cap for my first purchase.. ideally I would find something that would look nice with a brown leather band (but that is definitely not a priority in deciding upon a watch, just what I currently could use to go with brown shoes & belt haha)
     
  14. Edantony Jul 26, 2017

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    Also, I don't know if anyone said it but before pulling the trigger on a specific watch you might want to submit it here to get some honest feedback. Always interesting to see what comments more seasoned veterans can give. But all in all I agree- most important is whether it pleases you or not.