Hi All, I'm a newbie to the world of Omega (but own a couple of decent watches from other makes) I've been looking on ebay recently, for a vintage watch, and keep coming back to Omega. My initial preference was for a Seamaster (silver colour / black or blue dial, possibly with date or sub seconds). Then I started seeing WW2 issue ones which took my liking. I've got a budget of around £500 ($800 or so) But... Many of the listings give the impression that the watches may not be totally original. What should I be looking out for? What is achievable with my budget (I think the WW2 originals may be too pricey for a good one)? How can I make sure I get one which is relatively original? Thanks!
No, not the giants. Just the standard army issue (I understand there were several manufacturers as well as omega) Like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTHENTIC...es_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item485ba9b210Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network Or, this is the style of non ww2 watch I like the look of. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-6...es_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item2c6f4d2bb2Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network Not sure about the authenticity of any of these though...
I was concerned about the refinished dials - my thought is what is the point of buying a vintage watch if it looks brand new? Apart from a more original dial, what else should I be looking for (I keep seeing horror stories of frankenwatches, but probably would not spot problems until too late!)? should I avoid ebay (or just sellers from certain locations?)
GlenM, as a newbie myself, I'd strongly recommend that you read the old posts in the forum. They're an unvaluable source of learning.
Quite a few of us here with interests in military pieces but if you are sure that is your route a lot of good information also on http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=2 With your budget you can certainly pick up a good genuine military piece but you will be pushing things for an Omega.
Do you research here and on MWR. Also look up WWW MoD watches on the net, which should give you plenty of reading material. A significant fraction of the value is in an original dial, so be patient and one will show up. There were plenty of these made and enough survived that they can be found for sale regularly on auction sites, etc.
If you are specifically interested in the issued WWW models, this site has a lot of reference material that will help. http://www.time514.com/ Look under the WWW link and it will show all 12 manfacturers of these watches, and will give you details on how rare they are, and you will be able to see examples of each, and tell things like if the case back is correct for that maker, etc. Oh, and Omega is only one you should consider - I have a Vertex and I love it: Cheers, Al
thanks for all your input. Having read lots of info, and looked at what is available on Ebay, I'm beginning to think that an Omega WW2 watch may be expensive to get a good one! So, possibly - a different make of WW2 (your Vertex looks good, Al) and/or a slightly more recent Seamaster... Either way, I think it may take some time to find a good example! Does anyone have any suggestions of good places to buy (in the UK), or is Ebay still the best bet?