Omega Seamaster 2531.80 Condition: Polished or Not?

OmegaBorder · May 25, 2026

Hi, I want to buy a 2531.80. I sourced one from reddit user taengoo4life, who I saw has very good ratings.

My concern is that it looks too good, so i suspect it has been replolished. I do not have an expert eye, I know many here do.

Can you please comment as to the condition of the watch, the sharpness of the case, lugs, edges, polish, brush, etc?

Thanks!!

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-25 at 1.14.48 PM (1).webp

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-25 at 1.14.48 PM.webp

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-25 at 1.14.49 PM (1).webp

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-25 at 1.14.49 PM (2).webp

WhatsApp Image 2026-05-25 at 1.14.49 PM.webp

BAJJ · May 25, 2026

I’d say it’s almost certain that it’s seen a polishing wheel recently, either that or it’s never been worn, and that’s most unlikely, these watches are tool watch’s that are usually well worn by their owners, well, mine is anyway. The transition between the brushed and polished surfaces on the lugs looks a bit soft to me, indicating a polish.
My un polished, but well worn example below, the edge is to my eye sharper. However, it is well done and a nice example that I’d be happy to wear.

Mute · May 25, 2026

As suggested, it's probably been polished but done very cleanly. It's not noticeably over-polished and still maintains pretty clean lines where the polished and brushed surfaces meet.

502 to right · May 25, 2026

Yes, it's been polished. But it looks good. This is not a 1960's Rolex Submariner where collectors ooh and ahh over an "unpolished" example. I've found the Omega watch community by and large doesn't care about polishing unless it has been done poorly.*

*I'm speaking about the neo-vintage era of the 90's to the present.

dsio · May 25, 2026

Yea that's pretty nice for a 2531.80, very few of them look that good these days so I'd be pretty happy with it, they're a fantastic watch

ErichPryde · Jun 1, 2026

@OmegaBorder if you're still looking at 2531s, one of the classic signs of polishing to look for on these is whether or not the scalloped bezel knurls still have any geometric lines to them or if they are smooth and wavy like the example you have shown here. These are thinly proportioned watches and it's difficult to find an example that hasn't had some of the geometric texture polished away.

Good luck with your hunt. I tend to agree with others here- that's not a bad example and a fair standard of what to shoot for.

OmegaBorder · Jun 2, 2026

ErichPryde
@OmegaBorder if you're still looking at 2531s, one of the classic signs of polishing to look for on these is whether or not the scalloped bezel knurls still have any geometric lines to them or if they are smooth and wavy like the example you have shown here. These are thinly proportioned watches and it's difficult to find an example that hasn't had some of the geometric texture polished away.

Good luck with your hunt. I tend to agree with others here- that's not a bad example and a fair standard of what to shoot for.

Thank you very much! I honestly don’t have the eye to look for what you are suggesting, i guess I need to research more.

silverfighter · Jun 2, 2026

Likewise I'd echo the assessment that there's been some polishing here, but it's a good polishing job.

ErichPryde · Jun 2, 2026

Contrast the bezel scallops on the one you were looking at to this:

What you will see is that the scalloping has very slight straight line geometry to it, and as these bezels get polished this can be lost if not done carefully, and it becomes more of a "wave." Each one of the scallops- the tiny slices out of the bezel-- result in a lot of fine surfaces that are easy to polish away and a really bad polishing job will make this look like a sine curve that has been bent into a circle.

Your example is about what I would expect if this was an original bezel that had been polished a couple of times. I've seen much worse examples. You can have omega replace the entire bezel with a full service, and if you find one with a good case and dial, I would strongly consider doing this but it's not cheap.

The other area that often gets over polished is the lyre lugs, which often lose the crispness and become rounded out or even shortened dramatically. And of course a bad polishing job will also result in improper finish texture.

Unless you want to pay a premium for a fairly unworn example I would say that purchasing one with some light polishing like you are showing above for a reasonable price would be the way to go. If you have a slightly higher budget you can always use the difference to send it to Omega. @502 to right has done this with pretty fantastic results.

OmegaBorder · Sep 15, 2026

ErichPryde
Contrast the bezel scallops on the one you were looking at to this:

What you will see is that the scalloping has very slight straight line geometry to it, and as these bezels get polished this can be lost if not done carefully, and it becomes more of a "wave." Each one of the scallops- the tiny slices out of the bezel-- result in a lot of fine surfaces that are easy to polish away and a really bad polishing job will make this look like a sine curve that has been bent into a circle.

Your example is about what I would expect if this was an original bezel that had been polished a couple of times. I've seen much worse examples. You can have omega replace the entire bezel with a full service, and if you find one with a good case and dial, I would strongly consider doing this but it's not cheap.

The other area that often gets over polished is the lyre lugs, which often lose the crispness and become rounded out or even shortened dramatically. And of course a bad polishing job will also result in improper finish texture.

Unless you want to pay a premium for a fairly unworn example I would say that purchasing one with some light polishing like you are showing above for a reasonable price would be the way to go. If you have a slightly higher budget you can always use the difference to send it to Omega. @502 to right has done this with pretty fantastic results.

Thank you and the rest for the replies. Unfortunately the watch I included in my first post has been sold. I am now being offered the attached.

I would be so thankful if you could give me your opinion in terms of the condition. I do see a softened lyre lugs but not sure if its okayish. The asking price is 2750 with papers and no box.

Thank you so much!

502 to right · Sep 16, 2026

O OmegaBorder
Thank you and the rest for the replies. Unfortunately the watch I included in my first post has been sold. I am now being offered the attached.

I would be so thankful if you could give me your opinion in terms of the condition. I do see a softened lyre lugs but not sure if its okayish. The asking price is 2750 with papers and no box.

Thank you so much!

The bezel has been over polished in my opinion. I'm not crazy about the case either.

WatchClarity · Sep 17, 2026

O OmegaBorder
Thank you and the rest for the replies. Unfortunately the watch I included in my first post has been sold. I am now being offered the attached.

I would be so thankful if you could give me your opinion in terms of the condition. I do see a softened lyre lugs but not sure if its okayish. The asking price is 2750 with papers and no box.

Thank you so much!

This example isn't as good as the first.

ErichPryde · Sep 17, 2026

@OmegaBorder are you looking at mostly local examples, or online?

I would still recommend a full service and bezel replacement as a good option.

502 to right · Sep 17, 2026

I would be wary buying off of Reddit. Most sellers expect payment forms from buyers that leaves the buyer with zero recourse if things go poorly. It's pretty ridiculous.

The only sellers I would ever send a wire transfer, Zelle, or PayPal F&F to are long term watch sellers who have a strong reputation for fair dealing over several years and who have a website. Basically, sellers who have a reputation to lose if they try to screw over a buyer. RandoWatchSellerBro69 on reddit? Nope.

Omega Seamaster 2531.80 Condition: Polished or Not?

OmegaBorder

BAJJ

Mute

502 to right

dsio

ErichPryde

OmegaBorder

silverfighter

ErichPryde

OmegaBorder

502 to right

WatchClarity

ErichPryde

502 to right

Similar threads

Omega Seamaster 2531.80 with 1109 Movement: Service?

1998 Seamaster 2531.80, Tritium? Original Owner Looking for

Omega Seamaster 2531.80 legit check

Omega Seamaster 2531.80 Legit Check: Lug Damage Concerns

Omega Seamaster 2531.80 Tritium vs Luminova Dials

Omega Seamaster 2531.80 vs 2225.80 Buying Advice