Not preconceived notions ... conclusions based on reading this entire thread and seeing your confirmation bias and your resistance to any advice counter to your initial impulse.

To be fair, we see this quite often, and it's easy to see as an objective reader when someone is looking for affirmation, not honest advice. It's harder to see from the perspective of the person receiving advice, and requires a lot of self-awareness. I'm sure I'm not immune to the same behavior.

I will refrain from further contributions as you suggest.

 

Anyway, let’s see a photo of this watch, 5th page already and we haven’t seen the case back. This watch is still readily available, there is no reason at all to settle for damaged goods (if they exist).

 

I don’t think an LE number being missing is something that just a watch nerd would take issue with.

The guy or gal on the street sees that all the other models of this watch for sale have a limited edition number on the back, except for this one - that’s going to ring alarm bells.

 

I was due to buy one of these but then the seller advised he had withdrawn it and it was being returned for a new case back. I have not seen too much on the issue before that. Are the new case backs any different? ie was it a process / application error or a material selection error? I ended up with a 57 Trinity 60th Seamaster so missed the boat for the Speedy.

 

@Omegafanman These backs are NOS which are engraved accordingly and placed on your watch. Omega wants the watch back to Bienne for this to avoid LE parts proliferation. Problem is that the black paint (don't think it is actual enamel) in the fine details tends to wear away if the watch is worn.

 

Here is the photo of the caseback that I asked them to text me since I didn’t get a chance to go in person yesterday.

 

I don't know the watch so I will let the experts comment. Here is a better / enhanced picture for them (bracelet polishing looks a bit odd to me but could be the light?)

 

Do you have the serial number of the watch? If so, either post it here or send it to me in a PM and I'll confirm the reference number.

 

Number should be at the bottom of the last pic between "Limited Edition" and the tamper protection. The sticker is not the right one either. Wonder if they somehow managed to damage the bottom and got an unsigned replacement. Very strange, I'd insist on a new one. Check the serial with another OB or Omega direct, maybe there is something bigger going on.

 

I just find the fact an official outlet is trying to sell this very odd...… Makes no sense to me.

 

Just for a little extra clarification/muddying of waters - not every Omega Boutique, is an Omega Boutique. Some of them are entriely dressed up to look like an Omega Boutique, but run in their entirety by a third party.

If an OB had an LE watch with a damaged case back, they would send it back to switzerland for the back to be swapped - the swapped back would have the LE number added to it, and the original back would be destroyed.

The story you're being told does not ring true if this is a 100% Omega owned store.

 

In case of doubt about AD or OB: the Omega website.

Below the link, here showing stores in Paris
https://www.omegawatches.com/store/country/france/city/paris

All OB are listed as "Omega Boutique", and the AD have their real name. Also you have a filtering tab to show only OB or retailers only
Search for your city, check if it is listed under OB or retailer.

@Archer Out of curiosity, does the system also retrieve the LE number associated to the serial?

 

Not necessarily, some boutiques are not owned by Omega, and are on the website . Some have the look of a boutique and are not a boutique and are not on the website.

 

Take the OBs in Budapest, Hungary or Vienna, Austria. Both are OBs but not owned by the Swatch Group.

 

The above is completely true. Not all OBs are owned by Omega. Omega Bull Ring for instance is owned and operated by Signet Group. The small print of the receipts says Leslie Davies, since that was the previous store guise. Now they operate a tight ship and are my go to guys, but they aren’t a full Omega Corporate Operation, sort of a half way house between AD and Boutique I guess.

 

Ok I understand what you mean. I wasn't aware OB could be franchise, so I thought you were describing some retailers that disguised themselves with Omega logo everywhere to make people think they were an OB, while they were just retailers (even if from what you said @Foo2rama these also exists). My bad then.

So, Omega owned OB and franchise OB are both official outlet. But the difference between them would be if someone damaged the caseback of the watch, the franchise OB will have to pay for it while the Omega owned one woud not? Is that right?

 

Who knows. It’s up to what ever agreement they have with Omega and how and if it was damaged.

The bigger issue is why an un numbered LE caseback is in the wild. And why it’s being passed off as ok.

 

Anyone can type up a letter on Omega letterhead and claim a watch missing it's LE # is actually a LE. There have been plenty of letter/ letterhead from Omega floating around that is wouldn't take much for someone to generate a fake letter. Part of the value of a LE at resale time is having the original paperwork, etc. that matches the LE # engraved in the watch. Granted this particular LE is not popular, but who knows if that will change in 10 or 20 years? Insist that you want a properly engraved caseback as part of the purchase; as it will make you life easier and your wallet fatter if/ when you or your heirs ever sell.

 

I don’t know what the fuss is about.

Future value?

I cannot see anyone buying this watch in a year five years or ten years with or without the case back. People are not buying them now, let alone in the future.

Almost every AD or OB I have been in has one.

I make no judgment about people’s taste for wanting it, but I have never heard of anyone actually buying one.