Omega Seamaster 300 165.024, confused by dial

[bazelot]

I think everything is legit on this watch except the dial. It looks way too clean to be from the 60s but I have been known to be wrong before . The bezel looks original from 69-71 but the movement serial number is from 1966. The caseback looks original and so does the case. I am mostly puzzled by the big triangle dial. It looks like the tritium has zero patina at all. Is this a pristine example or a fake dial, or maybe relumed?

 

[X350 XJR]

What does the seller say about it?

 

[J!m]

I'd guess a relume / older restoration. Plus, the ages / dates of components not lining up within a smaller window cause concern to me.

Tritium comes in many colors with age and exposure, and that mint green shade is not one I've ever seen before, on any watch.

But maybe I'm wrong...

 

[Davidt]

The dial looks ok to me. Many of these later 60’s dials have a mint green lume which has remained in good condition to this day and not taken a yellow patina

 

[J!m]

Good to know regarding the color.

But the dates...

 

[Davidt]

Well big triangles are seen in the 24.7m range, they overlapped with the ‘small triangle’.

 

[Seaborg]

That blue bezel...

 

[Fish70]

I bid on this but I am sure it is going above what I plan to bid since the bezel insert does look pretty blue in some of the photos. Looking at the 300m collector page it seems possible but I wasn't planning to go beyond Watchco prices. The case looks pretty rough too.

 

[TrboDieselPwrd]

A question: don’t the BT dials typically have sword hands? Sure there’s probably overlap in production, but I thought baton hands are typically found on the earlier 12-3-6-9 dials.

I agree that this dial looks ok too but wouldn't rule out a change during service (tritium service dial perhaps?). Could be that late production 1969-71 dials look like this.

Interesting watch nonetheless, good luck to those going for it.

 

[J!m]

I was biting my... typing fingers but I suspect this is a "franken" made of collected parts.

Still has value, but not beyond the individual part replacement cost.

 

[Caliber561]

Condition of the movement (corrosion, scratches), versus the pristine dial does raise questions. Crown looks like a fake too.

 

[J!m]

Movement is much older (serial) than the rest of the watch, or at least some watch parts... Is the crown screwed down? Because that looks like the early non-screw down crown but further, it does not have the typical folded metal on the inside chamfer, from the wrapping process...

I still think it's a Franken. It has value, just don't over-pay for a collection of parts.

 

[bazelot]

J!m

Movement is much older (serial) than the rest of the watch, or at least some watch parts... Is the crown screwed down? Because that looks like the early non-screw down crown but further, it does not have the typical folded metal on the inside chamfer, from the wrapping process...

I still think it's a Franken. It has value, just don't over-pay for a collection of parts.

Yes this is my biggest concern with this watch. The serial in from 66 but the bezel is from 70-71. It is a beautiful watch but i also believe it was out together. the crown is push down which does not fit with the bezel being a later one and by then all of them were screw down.

 

[J!m]

The screw down crown has a "dome" shape to it (which I don't like, but it is what it is) and the early ones (might be?) the same as used for the Speedmaster- sealed but not screw-down.

 

[X350 XJR]

SM 300 flat foot crown posted by another member.

I believe the threaded portion of the crown for a Speedmaster protrudes past the edge of the crown, not flush as we see here.

 

[J!m]

Note also the folded steel sheet on the ID chamfer of the crown...

 

[masteroftime]

For the sake of keeping a record, the final price ended up being $5,769.00.

I share many of the concerns expressed. While the green lume is common, I only see it like this on SM300s from the later end of the production (1969-1971). It reminds me of the lume seen on some of the late 145.022-69 and -71. It seems like the dial may match the bezel in age and they could be very early service dials. But I'm puzzled by the early baton hands. That makes me more inclined to think it is a franken.

The crown is likely one of the fakes that are being pushed by one or two sellers on eBay. I bought one a month or two ago by mistake and the one in the listing seems to match up.

Even so, I don't think the price was too bad from a parts perspective.

 

[X350 XJR]

masteroftime

The crown is likely one of the fakes that are being pushed by one or two sellers on eBay. I bought one a month or two ago by mistake and the one in the listing seems to match up.

Do you mean these?

 

[samweldspoorly]

oh interesting

 

[masteroftime]

X350 XJR

Do you mean these?

Ah, I think that may have been the one. The seller had a few different types for both vintage Speedmasters and Seamasters. Any insight?