Omega Seamaster 300 (SM300) “WatchCo” Date Cal. 565 Ref 166.0324/165.024: $2475

Posts
909
Likes
1,415
***PLEASE READ THIS DESCRIPTION IN FULL BEFORE PURCHASING OR ASKING QUESTIONS***

For sale is a recently-constructed Omega Seamaster 300. It comes with a couple of extra winding stems, all Omega packaging and purchase paperwork, and a PhenomeNato Bond strap. Please review the payment and price options below.

Payment & Price Option 1: $2,475 via bank wire. Price is non-negotiable as I believe this is a fair price given the watch being sold. This will include USPS Priority shipping. This is the mandatory method for buyers lacking references, and the cheaper method for all others hoping to save 3%.

Payment & Price Option 2: $2,575 via PayPal. Price is non-negotiable as I believe this is a fair price given the watch being sold. This will include USPS Priority shipping. Option available only to members with established profiles and multiple positive buying/selling references.

For the bracelet only: $300 AND SOLD.

References: I ask that all buyers provide their references prior to purchase. Personally, I have many references available on Watchuseek, Omega Forums, and on eBay. Google “ffej4” to see my history on the forums, and check eBay for "TheFfej4".

Backstory & Remarks: After spending almost two months acquiring parts, I had my SM300 constructed by a longtime Bozeman watchmaker who happens to be the owner of The Last Windup. I intended to have this SM300 be my daily wearer, but I have decided to purchase a Speedmaster since. A Speedy has always been #1 on my to-own list.

I ordered the case, hand set, and winding stems from Cousins UK, the dial from WatchCo Australia, and the movement, bracelet, case screws, and case clamps from a variety of eBay sellers. Prior to construction, all parts were 100% brand new, sealed in Omega packaging. The only exception to this was the 565 movement, as it came from an old donor watch.

The Case ---------
The case has a few small lug markings from strap changes. The bezel clicks are firm and precise with virtually no side-to-side play. The insert is slightly off-centered (this is a common phenomenon with these SM300 service cases). Other than these notes, the case is essentially flawless with the sticker still on the caseback.

Included with this sale will be my 20mm Bond PhenomeNato strap. I love this strap, and the only reason I'm including it is (a) it looks AWESOME on the watch and (b) I have 3 more on the way!

Paperwork & Invoices ---------
I have all paperwork associated with my Cousin’s UK purchase and WatchCo Australia along with the original Omega packaging of the case, dial, and hands. The paperwork will be included with the sale, with redactions made where necessary.

The Movement ---------
The movement is very clean and rust-free. It looks great for being 50 years old. During the SM300's assembly, the watchmaker has noted one hiccup: the date change function while the mainspring has a low amount of remaining power or when nearing midnight is finicky. Coming directly from the watchmaker, "recently it has been that if I have it on the auto-winder, everything seems to work fine. When I remove it and let it run down, it invariably will stop prior to the date flipping over [around 11:00pm]. This can happen as there is more strain on the movement to actuate the date change... but it shouldn't when there is sufficient power." I'd recommend having a watchmaker perform a full service on this movement before expecting the watch to perform with precision, especially with regards to the date function. Other than the date change issues that occur around 11:00pm, there are no other notable malfunctions.

From my personal inspection, I have noticed that, when the watch nears midnight (around 10:30pm or 11:00pm when the date actuation begins), the movement will slow down or stop. The date switch happens with 100% success only when the watch is on an auto winder (or with mainspring power at 100%).Does this movement need to be fully serviced? I don't think so. The date function can be fixed and then things should run fine. However, if one chose to have the movement serviced from an independent watchmaker, I'd imagine that there would be a $200 – $300 fee for doing so.

Closing Remarks ---------
This is as about as pristine as it gets. This watch is easily TZ 99% on the surface without factoring in the movement hiccup. The movement is in very nice physical condition, but should be serviced to ensure consistent accuracy. Note that these SM300 parts are becoming extremely difficult and expensive to acquire, and once the remaining parts have been bought off of the free market, these "NOS" (more accurately "service") SM300s will no longer be a viable option for the general public.

Contact ----------
Please feel free to send me questions and I will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also reach me at my cell by text or call: (406) 781-0478.

PLEASE NOTE:This watch is sold AS-IS, meaning that performance is not guaranteed. Please use the listing information and pictures, and please ensure that you ask me all questions prior to committing to a purchase. Please assume that a full movement service and inspection by a watchmaker should be performed prior to subjecting this timepiece to extreme environments or expecting consistent accuracy. I DO NOT DO RETURNS.

View attachment 335560 View attachment 339367 View attachment 339368 View attachment 339369 View attachment 339370 View attachment 339371 View attachment 339372 View attachment 339373 View attachment 339374 View attachment 339375 View attachment 339378 View attachment 339379
Edited:
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
Bump and drop to $2525 via bank wire for the head only. Let's get this piece moved on!
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
Daily bump. Priced still at $2525 for the head only and shipped.
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
Bump and price drop to $2475 for the head only.
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
Bump – power reserve just tested in at approximately 38.15 hours. Date actuation was able to complete simply by unthreading crown and rotating about 1/4 – 1/2 of a revolution to "unstick" the second hand at around 10:10pm and 11:15pm (both places where it stopped).
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
Bump. Trades would ideally be a modern timepiece that would be fairly easy to sell. My main goal is liquidation, but understandably, the movement hiccups are making this harder to sell outright.

Thanks OF for dealing with my daily bumps for the last month!
 
Posts
2,550
Likes
11,641
I believe a service by you fully fixing the movement prior to sale would remove a lot of doubt with potential buyers and reflect in a higher selling price; under normal circumstances and considering other selling prices of similar watches probably covering the cost of the service on your part.
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
I believe a service by you fully fixing the movement prior to sale would remove a lot of doubt with potential buyers and reflect in a higher selling price; under normal circumstances and considering other selling prices of similar watches probably covering the cost of the service on your part.

I agree with you 100%, but the biggest issue with that is the 2-3 month wait, and then another ~1 month wait to sell. Ideally, I'd like to move this piece as soon as possible, and I'm willing to sell at a discount to do so.
 
Posts
909
Likes
1,415
And sold. Thank you OF for the wonderful advice (as always) and the listing space. Also, thank you for being such a rad forum in general.