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Newbie looking for advice with vintage omega listings on ebay/chrono24

C
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Hey everyone! I'm very new to the forum and vintage watches as a whole. I have a handful of watches, but nothing high-end or fancy. The only vintage watch I've ever purchased is an automatic Timex from the 1970s, which I adore.

Over the past few weeks I've been looking into vintage Omega, particularly C-case Constellations and 50s/60s Seamasters. I have come to understand that a significant amount of research, knowledge, and patience is necessary in this hobby, so I've been spending a lot of time reading this forum and browsing listings on eBay and Chrono24 to learn the market and practice identifying original dials.

It will be a while before I actually make a purchase and I haven't even settled on a specific model or reference yet, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can in the meantime.

I've found a few eBay sellers in Japan with a great selection of vintage Omega, but my spidey sense is telling me that something is off.
As an example I'll share a listing I found recently, and hopefully some of you can provide some insight.


*Disclaimer: I do not intend to purchase this specific watch. I just want to know if this is a good listing so I can learn for the future.

Watch: 1969 Omega Constellation ref. 168.017 w/ 564 movement
Seller: Prestige Watches JP (100% positive feedback, 830 reviews on eBay)
Price: $950 USD ($1,298 CAD)
Link: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/168289181915

I have three main questions:
1. Is the dial original? From what I can tell it looks good based on comparisons, but I'm curious if there are any indications of a redial.
2. How is the pricing, given unknown service history?
3. Does anyone have experience with this seller or with other similar Japanese eBay sellers in general? Should I avoid these sellers?

s-l1600.webp s-l1600-1.webp s-l1600-2.webp s-l1600-4.webp s-l1600-3.webp



Thanks in advance to anyone who can help, any insight or advice is greatly appreciated.
This forum has been an incredible resource.
 
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SOG53
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Looks like a clean example. These are very good vintage watches to begin with. Dial and case look good. 564 movement looks clean. I think it’s a good example and I have found most Japanese sellers to be quite honest. Is there return option? Returns are a bit trickier due to shipping and customs fees but not impossible.
If you’re planning or regular wear a service is generally good idea most claims of service on Eb are bogus anyway.
Price a bit high without a bracelet I might try to haggle a bit see if you can get to 750 range but it’s a good example of an excellent reference.

2 good resources on these C case

https://omega-constellation-collect...onstellation-c-shape-omegas-child-of.html?m=1

https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-c-cased-constellation-thread.72308/ Cover Image
Thread 'The C-Cased Constellation Thread' ·
On the suggestion of @Bill Sohne how about we have a thread on these under appreciated, Gerald Genta designed chronometers?

I’ll kick things off!

I picked up this 168.029 with a cal. 751...
tyrantlizardrex ·
 
C
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SOG53 SOG53
Looks like a clean example. These are very good vintage watches to begin with. Dial and case look good. 564 movement looks clean. I think it’s a good example and I have found most Japanese sellers to be quite honest. Is there return option? Returns are a bit trickier due to shipping and customs fees but not impossible.
If you’re planning or regular wear a service is generally good idea most claims of service on Eb are bogus anyway.
Price a bit high without a bracelet I might try to haggle a bit see if you can get to 750 range but it’s a good example of an excellent reference.

2 good resources on these C case

https://omega-constellation-collect...onstellation-c-shape-omegas-child-of.html?m=1

https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-c-cased-constellation-thread.72308/ Cover Image
Thread 'The C-Cased Constellation Thread' ·
On the suggestion of @Bill Sohne how about we have a thread on these under appreciated, Gerald Genta designed chronometers?

I’ll kick things off!

I picked up this 168.029 with a cal. 751...
tyrantlizardrex ·
Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

Once I buy a watch I'll get it serviced shortly after I receive it. I'll start researching reputable watchmakers in my area.
 
Jonezy13
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To me everything looks good. Though, I always cross compare the details to the same reference. Check the font carefully.

For these Japanese bulk sellers - what you see is what you get. There are a few risks (I) they don’t rigorously check authenticity (ii) they don’t check the movement thoroughly, but normally they do state if it’s running or not.

I find the prices average. There are certainly better deals to be found but if you’re in a rush it’s not a bad option. But be aware of the service costs (a few hundred bucks) which goes up a lot if you need parts, some of which are difficult to find.
 
C
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Jonezy13 Jonezy13
To me everything looks good. Though, I always cross compare the details to the same reference. Check the font carefully.
I did compare this listing with other examples of the same reference and everything looked good, but I'm still very much an amateur and don't trust my own eyes yet. Glad to hear you don't see any immediate red flags.

Jonezy13 Jonezy13
For these Japanese bulk sellers - what you see is what you get. There are a few risks (I) they don’t rigorously check authenticity (ii) they don’t check the movement thoroughly, but normally they do state if it’s running or not.

I find the prices average. There are certainly better deals to be found but if you’re in a rush it’s not a bad option. But be aware of the service costs (a few hundred bucks) which goes up a lot if you need parts, some of which are difficult to find.

I kinda figured this would be the case. I will be budgeting for a service when I'm ready to make a purchase.

The prices seem solid to me, especially as a Canadian buyer, but the large inventory and consistently amazing condition is what made me wonder if these listings in Japan were too good to be true.

Thanks for taking a look!
 
Jonezy13
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C canada watch guy
I did compare this listing with other examples of the same reference and everything looked good, but I'm still very much an amateur and don't trust my own eyes yet. Glad to hear you don't see any immediate red flags.



I kinda figured this would be the case. I will be budgeting for a service when I'm ready to make a purchase.

The prices seem solid to me, especially as a Canadian buyer, but the large inventory and consistently amazing condition is what made me wonder if these listings in Japan were too good to be true.

Thanks for taking a look!
There is a large supply of Omega’s in Japan - they are one of the largest markets, and especially have many vintage watches. I have bought from these large sellers and have had several good experiences, and one bad experience (franken). They are not my first port of call, aside from more rare references, or watches which I know I could buy an easily fix/replace the movement of (e.g., the later quartz models)
 
Dan S
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Looks perfectly good to me. I would not say that watches in Japan are in "consistently amazing condition" at all. Some are, and some aren't. I do think that private sellers in Japan tend to describe watches pretty accurately, in general. Bulk sellers usually provide very little description, and a few photos. Buyer beware. Prices are generally not bargains, but also not crazy, so they certainly look good compared to most BIN asking prices or C24 prices.

Edit: If you don't live in Japan, you may have to pay tariffs or VAT, depending on where you live.
Edited:
 
C
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Dan S Dan S
Looks perfectly good to me. I would not say that watches in Japan are in "consistently amazing condition" at all. Some are, and some aren't.
Totally fair, point taken. I was exaggerating a bit, but compared to other sellers I've looked at, Japanese sellers seem to have a much larger inventory of good condition watches and the condition of their watches appears to be better on average. This is just what I've noticed as a beginner, so I could be entirely wrong.

Thank you for sharing your perspective, I appreciate the information
 
Dan S
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TBH, size of inventory isn't important to me, so it's not something I look at. But if you're suggesting that you can just browse one of those seller's inventories and find lots of good watches at fair prices, I don't agree.

Over time, I've seen a lot of watches listed by "closer" and other bulk Japanese sellers, and in general I'm not impressed by their quality. Yes, they are photographed in a way so that they look ok from a distance, but look closely and you will probably feel differently. Upon inspection, mostly they are mediocre, with a sprinkle of crap, and the occasional gem. You can't trust their quality at all, IMO ... you need to judge on a case-by-case basis as always.
 
C
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Dan S Dan S
TBH, size of inventory isn't important to me, so it's not something I look at. But if you're suggesting that you can just browse one of those seller's inventories and find lots of good watches at fair prices, I don't agree.
I'm not suggesting that at all, I'm just saying that's the impression I got after browsing for a while.

I made this thread hoping to understand if and why these listings and sellers may not be as good as they seem upon first glance. I agree that size of inventory doesn't mean much and that each watch should be assessed individually, but the quantity and perceived quality of inventory is just something I noticed and was curious about.

Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's very helpful to hear what others have to say. There's a lot to learn and I feel like I've just barely scratched the surface.
 
HorsinTime
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To echo what others have said, this looks like a nice, honest example of the reference. Great movement as well, so it would make an excellent first Omega.

I've been lucky enough to shop for watches in Japan and always found the sellers I've dealt with to be fair and honest. You'll see that on Japanese online marketplaces as well, where watches that would be described as "Unobtanium pristine barn finds" in the West are routinely marked as "junk". 😀
 
myouss
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C canada watch guy
Hey everyone! I'm very new to the forum and vintage watches as a whole. I have a handful of watches, but nothing high-end or fancy. The only vintage watch I've ever purchased is an automatic Timex from the 1970s, which I adore.

Over the past few weeks I've been looking into vintage Omega, particularly C-case Constellations and 50s/60s Seamasters. I have come to understand that a significant amount of research, knowledge, and patience is necessary in this hobby, so I've been spending a lot of time reading this forum and browsing listings on eBay and Chrono24 to learn the market and practice identifying original dials.

It will be a while before I actually make a purchase and I haven't even settled on a specific model or reference yet, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can in the meantime.

I've found a few eBay sellers in Japan with a great selection of vintage Omega, but my spidey sense is telling me that something is off.
As an example I'll share a listing I found recently, and hopefully some of you can provide some insight.


*Disclaimer: I do not intend to purchase this specific watch. I just want to know if this is a good listing so I can learn for the future.

Watch: 1969 Omega Constellation ref. 168.017 w/ 564 movement
Seller: Prestige Watches JP (100% positive feedback, 830 reviews on eBay)
Price: $950 USD ($1,298 CAD)
Link: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/168289181915

I have three main questions:
1. Is the dial original? From what I can tell it looks good based on comparisons, but I'm curious if there are any indications of a redial.
2. How is the pricing, given unknown service history?
3. Does anyone have experience with this seller or with other similar Japanese eBay sellers in general? Should I avoid these sellers?

s-l1600.webp s-l1600-1.webp s-l1600-2.webp s-l1600-4.webp s-l1600-3.webp



Thanks in advance to anyone who can help, any insight or advice is greatly appreciated.
This forum has been an incredible resource.
Your research seems to be paying off. This is a great example you've shared here. The caseback medallion texture is usually the first thing to go when polished, then the stars etc. Overall the case presents nicely with original finishing. Dial is original. It's a nice honest example of a 168.017.

There are a few dial variations, the linen is my favorite. You may also look to the 168.027 with the fluted bezel.

Just to add to what others have said about Japanese auctions. You can definitely find some nice examples there, but there are also highly polished watches where the seller's have tried to make a rough watch more presentable. Important to keep an eye out for what original finishing etc should be for any reference you're looking at.
 
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Spruce
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Your prospective purchase looks fine but, just as a general comment, it’s been known for some sellers, including Japanese sellers, to edit photos to make the watch dial look better.

As I have done with your first photo

IMG_7943.webp
 
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