Omega random serial numbers

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

An Omega AD told me that newer models are assigned random serial numbers like Rolex does and therefore you can't figure out the year the watch was made by the size of the number. In other words, a watch model with a smaller number may have been made more recently than the same model which has a larger number.

Can anyone confirm this?

padders · Jun 22, 2020

Certainly hasn’t been the case prior to 2020. I have seen a alpha numeric serial mentioned but it was assumed this was still sequential. It seems Omega hit 100m and moved to a new system. Maybe it’s random, maybe it’s not.

YY77 · Jun 22, 2020

When I hear about the LE no's I think this is true but the serial in itself would still be sequential in production IMHO. I'm working in automotive and the VIN is always sequential.

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

According to a comment made by millenarywatches.com on November 19, 2019 at the end of an article on Omega serial numbers, Omega now uses random serial numbers.

"Hi!
Do you have a modern Omega watch? In that case, it has a random serial number and it is thus not possible to tell the year of manufacture by looking at the serial number.

Kind regards,
Millenary Watches"

https://millenarywatches.com/omega-serial-numbers/

padders · Jun 22, 2020

Kennebunk Larry
According to a comment made by millenarywatches.com on November 19, 2019 at the end of an article on Omega serial numbers, Omega now uses random serial numbers.

"Hi!
Do you have a modern Omega watch? In that case, it has a random serial number and it is thus not possible to tell the year of manufacture by looking at the serial number.

Kind regards,
Millenary Watches"

https://millenarywatches.com/omega-serial-numbers/

Well bearing in mind how inaccurate the rest of the data on that page is, I think I’ll reserve judgement on that until I see it confirmed or otherwise by a more reliable source. All they have done there is regurgitate one of the existing web serial lists (like Chuck’s) which do more harm than good as they are quite often misleading

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

I agree about getting verification. I just asked them for it by replying to this comment of theirs.

My AD also said it when I questioned the age of a brand new in the box PO 600M Chronograph which had its protective coverings on it. I questioned it because I wrote down its serial number and then saw an online dealer selling the same watch used which was manufactured in 2017 and which had a larger (later?) serial number than the one the AD had.

One question I have is should I even care if the watch was manufactured a few years ago and has been sitting on a shelf? Is it worth less?

STANDY · Jun 22, 2020

Movement types are made in batches so a batch of say speedmaster 1861s could well be made in May and a batch of Coaxial Speedmaster/Seamaster movements Made in August. It could take 24 months to case all the movements of the 1861s while only 12 months to case the others.
Then you have selling equations that would skew the above even more.

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

STANDY
Movement types are made in batches so a batch of say speedmaster 1861s could well be made in May and a batch of Coaxial Speedmaster/Seamaster movements Made in August. It could take 24 months to case all the movements of the 1861s while only 12 months to case the others.
Then you have selling equations that would skew the above even more.

Thanks.

Nevertheless, if I'm buying a new PO 600M Chronograph with a 9900 Calibre and the serial number of the watch precedes one purchased in mid-2017, the new watch must have been sitting on the shelf since 2016, the year this current model came out (unless the numbers are somewhat random). Then, my question is does new watch have lower value because it was made 4 years ago? If I went to sell it as a used watch the day after I bought it, would someone say that's a 4 year old watch or does a buyer or dealer only care about the purchase date because a watch which has not been running is as good 4 years after it was made as if it just came off the assembly line? Ip
Does the serial number refer to the movement, the case, or the entire watch?

STANDY · Jun 22, 2020

Was probably made the same day as the mid 2017 one that was sold at a store that sells more watches or got a batch of higher number watches that sold first.

Basically you are buying a watch that has been in production for 3 years in 2020.
You are buying a watch new in 2020

So if you have a card that says bought in 2020 It’s a 2020 watch.

A PO 600M Chronograph with a 9900 Calibre would be hard to judge when it was made by serial alone as you have pointed out. So if I had a choice of two and one was sold in 2017 and one in 2020 I would expect the 2020 one to be worth more now.( as a longer warranty Left )
In 10 years they would be the same value

Note I have a Speedmaster Bought new in Australia in 2013 that has a similar serial numbers to 2008 Watches

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

STANDY
Was probably made the same day as the mid 2017 one that was sold at a store that sells more watches or got a batch of higher number watches that sold first.

Basically you are buying a watch that has been in production for 3 years in 2020.
You are buying a watch new in 2020

So if you have a card that says bought in 2020 It’s a 2020 watch.

A PO 600M Chronograph with a 9900 Calibre would be hard to judge when it was made by serial alone as you have pointed out. So if I had a choice of two and one was sold in 2017 and one in 2020 I would expect the 2020 one to be worth more now. In 10 years they would be the same value

Thanks again for your thoughtful remarks. I own a Seamster Professional automatic that I bought new from an AD in the year 2000. Yesterday, I checked the manufacturing date online and saw it was made in 1995. I have worn this watch every single day for twenty years and it has always been dependable and it still looks great so I know I shouldn't be concerned with a new watch's time on the shelf.

STANDY · Jun 22, 2020

Kennebunk Larry
Thanks again for your thoughtful remarks. I own a Seamster Professional automatic that I bought new from an AD in the year 2000. Yesterday, I checked the manufacturing date online and saw it was made in 1995. I have worn this watch every single day for twenty years and it has always been dependable and it still looks great so I know I shouldn't be concerned with a new watch's time on the shelf.

Think of it as the movement is on a shelf not the whole watch. Once the watch is put together it’s shipped to be sold.

YY77 · Jun 22, 2020

STANDY
Think of it as the movement is on a shelf not the whole watch. Once the watch is put together it’s shipped to be sold.

This is a worst case scenario, an Apollo 17 40th anniversary. Likely produced 2012/2013, still not sold after 8 years at the AD in Belgium.

STANDY · Jun 22, 2020

YY77
This is a worst case scenario, an Apollo 17 40th anniversary. Likely produced 2012/2013, still not sold after 8 years at the AD in Belgium.

Just think, one day these are going to be worth a lot 😉

YY77 · Jun 22, 2020

STANDY
Just think, one day these are going to be worth a lot 😉

Luckily I'm rich beyond belief so I'll pass. ::rimshot::

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

I just confirmed by speaking to an Omega representative at an Omega Boutique in New York that Omega is using random 8 digit serial numbers and not sequential numbers in chronological order of manufacturing date.

Foo2rama · Jun 22, 2020

Kennebunk Larry
I just confirmed by speaking to an Omega representative at an Omega Boutique in New York that Omega is using random 8 digit serial numbers and not sequential numbers in chronological order of manufacturing date.

I promise you they have watches that are not random still for sale there.
It’s a very new change.

padders · Jun 22, 2020

Kennebunk Larry
I just confirmed by speaking to an Omega representative at an Omega Boutique in New York that Omega is using random 8 digit serial numbers and not sequential numbers in chronological order of manufacturing date.

Can you give some examples of the serials you have seen, by all means skip the last few digits if you want.

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

The number of the PO 600M Chronograph I want too buy starts 8795.

Meme-Dweller · Jun 22, 2020

Kennebunk Larry
The number of the PO 600M Chronograph I want too buy starts 8795.

almost all POs start with 87. Speedy Pros are still in the 77/78s

Kennebunk Larry · Jun 22, 2020

Meme-Dweller
almost all POs start with 87. Speedy Pros are still in the 77/78s

What had concerned me was the new watch I am planning to buy has a serial number almost 2000 numbers SMALLER than a used but identical model I saw online that was purchased in March of 2017. So, if the numbers reflect the chronological order in which they were manufactured, it means that the watch I am probably buying was made earlier than March of 2017. Therefore, it was sitting on the store's shelf for at least 3.5 years. When I questioned the AD, she said the numbers were randomly assigned and therefore I could not draw the conclusion I did. The salesman at the Omega Boutique confirmed what my AD said.

Omega random serial numbers

Kennebunk Larry

padders

YY77

Kennebunk Larry

padders

Kennebunk Larry

STANDY

Kennebunk Larry

STANDY

Kennebunk Larry

STANDY

YY77

STANDY

YY77

Kennebunk Larry

Foo2rama

padders

Kennebunk Larry

Meme-Dweller

Kennebunk Larry

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