Good morning!

I'm new to horology and to the forum. I want my first acquisition to be a vintage Seamaster as I just love the timeless look of the watches.

However, I'm nervous about buying a fake and the information out there is overwhelming.

So, a couple of questions.....

Are there certain vintages considered as must haves?

How can I determine whether one is fake? I looked at the sticky but some of those are so obvious even with me being a newb I recognized it right away.

I found this one on eBay and it looks fantastic. Any thoughts? www.ebay.com/itm/262466111362?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Hi Big'un and welcome to the forum!

Enjoy the excitement of searching for your first vintage watch, the anticipation can be a huge part of the fun.
Try to be patient, look at a lot of watches (check out the WRUW thread) and determine exactly what tickles you the most.

Show us your dream and establish a budget and we'll help you find a nice, original one that will go up in value and become a friend for life.

The watch on ebay has been refurbished and will only go down in value to collectors that covet all-original.
If you just want a nice watch to wear, this may not be a problem to you.
However, we are a collectors forum and will try to steer you into our madness.

Anyway, welcome and enjoy the search!

 

There are extremely few outright Omega fakes, so that is little to worry about.
You have to make up with yourself whether or not you'd mind a watch that has been restored (called a lot of things on eBay: restored/rejuveniated/refurbished. On here: "ruined") or polished to a shine, or perhaps repaired with incorrect, but functional, parts or if you want a 100% correct watch.

If you want a watch in the first category, no harm done - just don't expect your watch to hold/gain value.
If you want one in the last category, spend some time looking through the huge back catalogue here in this forum. Start here and work your way forward: https://omegaforums.net/forums/vintage-omega-watches-help-discussion-and-advice.23/page-262

And welcome, by the way

 

Also the watch you linked to is supposedly recently serviced but the seller does not actually include a photo of the movement. Despite the fact that there are multiple pics of the dial case etc

 

More of that the caseback looks very suspicious, no "Seamaster Waterproof" mark. May be over polished but...
I would pass this watch if I were you, with a little hunt (which is part of the pleasure) you can get a decent Seamaster for a decent price

 

While you are deciding which direction you will go in with regards to the type of watches that interest you. You will need to find a watchmaker that you can trust. Not the local jewelry store that says that they can fix watches, but a person that has experience with fine vintage watches and can get authentic parts.

 

Thank you for the warm welcome .... and please steer me into the madness!

So, as original as possible is better than a refurbished watch in terms of value appreciation?

Any secrets to sourcing good deals that you would recommend?

 

Thank you for the welcome and the direction. I'm looking forward to learning from the community here!

 

Thank you for the advice. That is the exact same thing a good friend told me. He has a number of watches including a very rare and sweet Longines. My friend has already made the intro to his trusted watchmaker.

 

Another question ... How much should one pay for a vintage Seamaster. I'm sure the prices vary but is there a ceiling as to how much one should pay?

 

DSIO recommended one with a similar flavor to your original listing.

"Basic Geneve hand-wind, very affordable and robust as an entry level vintage Omega"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-GENTS-...349783?hash=item1eb25b5897:g:pJwAAOSwtJZXVsiY

While this one may get too expensive as we have hundreds of lurkers watching our every move and taking advantage of the expertise , we also have high-level collectors that refocus or upgrade their collections and offer excellent values on watches in our "For Sale" sections.
I always check the "private sales" and have bought more than one listed there.
Our sales listings are subject to scrutiny by some very knowledgeable people and I feel comfortable that "you get what you pay for".

.

You can overpay at $200 or get a bargain at $3000, depends on the model and the condition, the condition, the condition.

Figure out what you like, let us know your tastes and your budget, get to know some people, be patient and you will end up satisfied with a great hobby, some good friends and some fantastic watches.

 

Some really basic first questions
- do you want solid gold, gold plated or stainless steel?
- date or no date?
- by vintage Seamaster are you talking about the 1960s style dress Seamasters? Or a more recent 1980s style divers?

 

Thank you for the questions .....

I'm looking for one that is stainless, with the date preferred but wouldn't mind a whole heck of a lot if it didn't have the date and in the 1960s vintage. I really like the 80s style divers but I wear suits everyday and think the 60s Seamasters with a leather band are more appropriate from a sartorial standpoint. Only Bond can pull off the divers with a suit/tux .... I think eventually I will get one but I'm thinking about how I dress on a daily basis.

 

Not a Seamaster, but same style, and trusted seller
https://omegaforums.net/threads/price-reduced-early-omega-geneve-automatic-stainless-steel.40558/


Or this
https://omegaforums.net/threads/1960s-omega-seamaster-cal-267-ref-2990.41149/

 

These are both lovely.

I would snap one of these up if I were the OP.

 

As I'm trying to build a knowledge base of what to look for, I would love feedback on the following:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381635082194?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:ITPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381664369309?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:ITPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

You're going to think I'm psycho picky ....

The first is beautiful except for the crosshairs. I'm not a fan of that look.

On the second, I do not like numbers. Never have.

 

To me it is better to look prior here on a forum the different seamaster in order to define your taste and understanding the differences and specificities than checking on ebay directly for now

 

1: Pretty expensive for a rather common watch with no certainties reg. service. Would suspect redial, no head-on, close-up dial photo. Date is slightly off-center in the date window.

2: Horrible re-lume.