Omega-beginner: questions about first watch

Hi Jonathan,

Welcome and great that you have chosen a vintage Omega as your watch.

Your Geneve looks to have a water damaged dial. I would think it possible to find a replacement dial on EBay with a bit of luck and patience, probably around €100 or thereabouts.

There's nothing wrong with the Geneve line, in the 50's I believe it was right up there with the top models of the time. By the 60's and 70's it had become more of an entry level watch, with less fancy cases but still with good and robust movements.

Hi Jonathan, from the land of my favorite Trappist beers! 👍 Welcome to the vintage watch collecting hobby.

Your Geneve is a perfectly fine Omega, and as you really like it, that's all that really counts. Take some time to get to know the things that make your watch unique: learn about different Geneve cases, movements, dial styles, handsets and crown types. Omega made many diffferent versions of this model.

At the time your Geneve was manufactured, it was positioned as a more affordable dress watch as compared to other models at the time, such as the high-end Constellation family or the sportier-but-still-dressy Seamaster line. But your watch still has all the fine Omega craftsmanship, so no worries.

If you decide to keep the watch and wear it for a while, it's generally recommended to get the watch serviced by a watchmaker who is familiar with vintage watches. The various oils that lubricate the internal moving parts dry out over time and need to be refreshed, and internal parts should be cleaned. Depending on how well previous owners have cared for your watch, there may be a few bits that are worn and need to be replaced. Worry not, a good watchmaker will sort that for you. This is all part of owning a vintage mechanical timepiece.

Vintage dials (or watches with broken movements but good dials) do pop up from time to time on eBay, so keep a lookout for them. But I think you may find the time better spent sipping a La Chouffe, reading posts on this forum, and looking for your next watch in better condition... 😀