I love the look of this watch that is for sale, ........ but being pretty new to vintage watches, I don't feel I have a very good sense of its relative condition or its value. Your thoughts would be well appreciated and of course informative and maybe even give me the confidence to make an offer if its worth it. They give the Serial Number: 12639646 and peg it at 1950. and say it has a 17j unadjusted bumper that is running well. Again, much appreciate any input you can give on this one.

 

The best part of this watch is the dial, which is very unusual and appears to be correct and original. The watch is a ref 2577 gold-capped Seamaster with a cal 351 movement from 1950 - 51. This Omega is a USA import with the "Swiss" dial marking and "OXG" on the movement. The gold cap has worn right through on the lower right-hand lug, and the case is generally in poor shape with heavy polishing and wear. The hour and minute hands appear to be too long and correct replacements are required. The movement looks to be in reasonable shape, with a bit of light corrosion here and there. These old 351s are rugged beasts and it will probably be fine with a service.

 

Agree with everything @John R Smith said.
the only big issue is the gold cap being worn thru, which would be a big issue for a collector, and will start to bug you if you wear it regularly. But that dial is stunning!

With a 'normal' dial id say $450ish, but that dial would push it up.

 

Thanks guys. I agree with the look of the dial. Ive been looking at black and gold and haven't quite seen a dial with those markings. Id use the word stunning too. I wasn't sure about the worn gold cap .... saw it too but wasn't sure if it was a reflection . but I think that was wishful thinking. Appears they want too much for it ..... no bidding and no offers ... only a Buy it Now price that is double what you're suggesting (and more for me since I'm in Canada) I'd be willing to pay that much but certainly not if its not worth it. That wear spot on the gold cap and high polishing would bother me for sure. A lesson for me .... having to look past the parts that attract you so much to see the other details. The movement did look pretty good to my untrained eye. The overall look of it is one I really like. Guess Ive said that already. Its late ... and I can more confidently take my finger off the key thats been hovering over the Buy it Now button for hours.

 

If the case was in good condition, $1000 wouldn't be completely unreasonable

 

I was wondering about the 'SWISS' text rather than saying 'Swiss Made' so thanks to @John R Smith for mentioning that.

 

$1000 eh. Hmmm. OK. I'll remember that. Guess there's no 'acceptable' way to repair that worn gold cap is there. Tough even for a goldsmith to match it and I spose that would affect collector appeal too.

 

But by the time you add those things to it at their asking price .... It unreasonable for this one at least. Just wondering for future reference.

 

If the price was right - and by that I mean below $500 for sure - I would grab this as a project. I would search for a 2577 case in good condition, the correct hands, get the movement serviced, and rebuild it properly for the sake of that dial. I have done this before with a 2577 and combined two watches into one really nice one.

 

Totally agree, calculate in the cost for a replacement case as well. This is what happens when a gold capped case is polished to death. There's some rubbing on the plates from the rotor, so calculate in the service as well. Really great looking dial, I'd go for it as a project. If the dial is nice, the rest can usually be handled.

 

I was wondering about making it a project as well. But once again at the price they're asking I suppose it doesn't make a lot of sense unless of course one is willing to incur the cost just for the sake of getting what you like. If I was to sell it in the future I expect I would lose money on it. Does that make it a Franken and does that make it less desirable for a collector? It is tempting. How hard is it to find a good case?

 

I think that if you are just starting out in the vintage game then this is not for you. It is more the sort of project for an established collector who already has a stash of movement parts, possibly some hands, maybe even a case. See what I mean? And as you say, when it is finished many people would regard it as a Franken, especially if you were to substitute a steel case for the gold-cap, for example. I would recommend that you find a Seamaster (or whatever) in better overall condition for your first venture into the wonderful world of vintage Omega.

 

Thanks @John R Smith. I do get what you mean. And it certainly makes sense. I can tend to jump into things up to my neck .... And have seemed to manage .... However, in this case I'd have to source everything. And I'm pretty sure I want the first vintage to be with the gold case. Just for interest I am going to get in touch with a watchmaker here who does most of his work on vintage watches and apparently has drawers of parts. Worth chatting with him about it regardless of what I do. But it's all great advice and it really does help me to understand what's involved. I am new to vintage Omegas as mentioned. I have some newer SMP's but I REALLY am taking a liking to the vintage models. They are beautiful. And this is a great place to learn. I appreciate the feedback gents.

 

Keep an eye on the Private Watch Sales forum. Nice ones, black and gold even, come up now and then, and buying here, you'll have better luck with quality.

 

I would question the originality of that dial - not the paint itself, but if it was the dial that came on that actual watch. The condition of the movement and case suggest there's been moisture damage and a dial, ESPECIALLY A BLACK ONE FROM THAT ERA, would be the worst damaged.

Also, the font of Seamaster is suspicious to me. The dropping "r" on the end wasn't something seen before 1955-ish, and the rounded S was also a slightly later font than 1950. Add to it that the word Seamaster is white while the rest is gold and you have a reason to be VERY suspicious. It's certainly a correct Omega font from the looks of it though. In this case, I'd be skeptical of it until proven original.

As mentioned, if you get it at the right price and have some parts that can make it look good, then go for it. It doesn't have to be a collector's piece to be a fun watch to wear.

 

Is the moisture damage evident at the screw between the lugs? Anywhere else?
I hadn't picked up the difference in colour of the Seamster script, but now you mention it, it is obvious.

I like that comment .....i guess the key is to not go too far from the actual original to maintain a good degree of integrity to the watch.

 

the Seamaster logo seems to be a differant colour than the Omega logo..... bit odd that.

 

My biggest question is the Swiss as opposed to Swiss Made dial. Swiss dials usually came in non-Swiss case, not a Fab Suisse case like this one. Considering this in addition to Dennis's questions along with the wrong handset, I'd say this is an incorrectly put-together watch. May be good for project or parts only.

 

Missed that - but you are correct. They're hoihands (i.e.: they're too long ) and probably shouldn't have lume in them either.

 

Lumed hands would be correct as the even hour figures are lume filled.