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Omega geneve mechanical feels light and cheap

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Hello I purchased this Omega geneve on eBay about 10 years ago. I've never worn it because it feels cheap. It has no weight and seems to be cheaply made. It feels like it could be fake. My watch service guy told me it is a real Omega but for this stretch in the 1970s they had made some low quality watches. Does anyone have additional information and what is a fair price for this watch if I sell it on Craigslist.
 
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Canuck
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It appears to me to be a manual winder, so right off the bat, it will be lighter than an automatic. Please show the “works”, and the inside of the case back. My gut feel is that it is kosher.
 
ahsposo
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And if you are used to wearing modern boat anchors on your wrist it will feel light...
 
Tet
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All looks about right to me, and yes these were light watches. I don't remember seeing fakes of watches like these, aside from really obviously bad ones.

Value wise my guess is it would be worth something around £350 - £400.
 
McKinley
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I kinda like it with the blue dial.........but then I have been called cheap before too, so there might be the reason. ;-)

McK
 
P
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Ok I can take the back off when I get some free time.

No. I don't wear boat anchor watches. I have two other 36mm omegas and both are very solid and don't feel cheap like this one. 36mm is my preferred size.
 
Davidt
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Associating weight with quality is a modern thing. From an engineering point of view, manufacturing a product to be durable and light is a much better solution.
 
BlackTalon
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I really do not understand how weight equates to 'quality'... If that were the case, companies who wanted to charge $$$ would make their watches out of lead.
 
P
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Some companies are always trying to cut cost with cheaper materials like cheaper metal alloys. I like a nice solid feeling watch with stainless steel not some cheap alloy. Same thing happened with cars the metal is so cheap now. You never saw Rolex using cheap materials. I like Omega just not this watch I'll be putting it up on eBay with no reserve.
 
BlackTalon
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Are you saying they are making watch cases out of an aluminum alloy? I do not understand what you mean to say. The cheapest would be regular steel, which would need to be plated for protection, and that typically weighs the same as typical stainless steel alloys (of which there are many). Titanium is a lot more expensive, yet is lighter, so they result in lighter watches that actually cost more.

Or maybe they could be making cases with thinner walls to save on materials? I suspect if the cases were cast that would save a few pennies, but not if they are milled from solid blocks.
 
ConElPueblo
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P pk552502
Some companies are always trying to cut cost with cheaper materials like cheaper metal alloys. I like a nice solid feeling watch with stainless steel not some cheap alloy. Same thing happened with cars the metal is so cheap now. You never saw Rolex using cheap materials. I like Omega just not this watch I'll be putting it up on eBay with no reserve.

A Rolex of this vintage will be made of the same steel alloy...

What other 36mm Omegas do you own?
 
Gstp
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P pk552502
Ok I can take the back off when I get some free time.

No. I don't wear boat anchor watches. I have two other 36mm omegas and both are very solid and don't feel cheap like this one. 36mm is my preferred size.

It is one of the cheaper models, from a (lets be honest) a mediocre brand at the time, at one of the darkest hours of Swiss watchmaking industry. The "feel" sounds about right
 
P
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I appreciate all of the replies. These are my two seamasters. The one on the left is the one I wear the most I think it's from the early 2000s or late 1990s. The one on the right i don't wear as much but I really like it and it still runs well I just had it serviced.

Yes I think the blue Omega from the 1970s is from that era where Omega put out some cheaper models. Some people like them and that's fine. I just rember being disappointed when I got it the first time. In fact I sold it on Craigslist for like 240 bucks and the guy wanted his money back a couple days later since he thought it felt cheap too. It looks better in the pictures but when you handle it you know what I mean.
 
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gostang9
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BlackTalon BlackTalon
I really do not understand how weight equates to 'quality'... If that were the case, companies who wanted to charge $$$ would make their watches out of lead.
I understand what the OP is saying.

My modern Speedy and Explorer II bracelets are solid and heavy, with a tight quality “feel” to them. I have several cheaper bracelets that are lighter weight and don’t look or “feel” as though they are of the same quality. When I got my 1171 bracelet I was surprised how light it was and it immediately “felt” cheaper to me. I know that’s only bracelets, but for me it helps me understand what the OP might have felt about his lighter weight watch. Of course weight alone doesn’t determine quality, but it is an easily quantifiable element and can be what stands out amongst several other less quantifiable elements.
 
BlackTalon
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Ah, so bracelets and not the actual watch. Got it. Thanks.
 
Professor
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My late 60's deVille is remarkably lightweight, perhaps because of the flat back american made case. It never felt cheap to me, but the plastic hard case it came in wouldn't inspire confidence. You'd think a high quality watch would have a much nicer hardcase.
They really knew how to make hard cases back in the old days, especially Bulova. Art Deco molded and sculpted the case often looked better than the watch.

I have noticed my late soviet Pobeda, maybe 70's has a sort of cheap feel to it compared to my 50-60's model.
Could be it was an industry wide problem of the 70's caused by cheaper competition.

PS
Never buy an aluminum watch. My Webster besides being very flimsy shed tiny specks of aluminum every time I opened and closed it, mainly trying to get out the specks already in there clinging to the crystal and jamming up the works. Aluminum is not a good choice though I suppose a harder alloy of that metal might work out okay.
Edited:
 
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