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Omega Seamaster 600 - is the 601 cal replaced/franken? other comments?

  1. JimSolo Aug 4, 2018

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    Hello,
    First time poster/purchaser of a vintage watch. I am considering purchasing this Omega Seamaster 600. It is being resold by someone in my town who in turn says he purchased it from someone else who had it serviced (he provided photos of receipts for a service from a local, seemingly reputable, "watchsmith"), but I cannot tell if it was for this watch etc and have very little knowledge of such things ("watchsmith??").

    The details all seem OK (ie. serial number, calibre, and the number on the caseback seem to match up), but I am going off of what I've been able to glean from reading these forums and would appreciate your insights. The hangup I am having is the difference in polish on the movement --- the majority seems to be quite shiny and polished while the two pieces (apologies, I do not know the names of these components) at the top and left middle are both much more tarnished. I am unsure if that would be the result of a cleaning of some sort (weird, intuitively anyways, that two pieces are left untouched) or some sort of mixing of parts --- any comments?

    I appreciate any thoughts you have!

    Thanks

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  2. Georgieboy58 Aug 4, 2018

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  3. Vitezi Aug 4, 2018

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    Check the serial numbers. Are they the same?
    Edit: Checked numbers; they are two different watches with a similar movement discoloration...

    A few more for comparison:
    https://omegaforums.net/threads/exceptional-1966-seamaster-600-stainless-steel-ref-135-011.8323/
    https://omegaforums.net/threads/excellent-1967-seamaster-600-stainless-steel-ref-135-011.30198/
    https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-seamaster-600-ref-135-011-unpolished-all-original-cal-601-reduced-550.75423
     
    Edited Aug 4, 2018
    Georgieboy58 likes this.
  4. JimSolo Aug 4, 2018

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    Any ideas on why the discoloration? Should I be concerned at all if it is running well (e.g. that it is a mix of an older and newer movement?) -- could it just be that part was cleaned and those two tarnished pieces not? Apologies if these are dumb questions!
    Thanks
     
  5. Vitezi Aug 4, 2018

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    Discolored parts in a movement can be an indication that those parts have been changed at some point. Watch collectors have mixed views as to whether this is good or bad; some feel that as long as the replacements are the same, these "service parts" are acceptable. Others prefer an 'all original' movement, with no evidence that the movement has been altered in any way.

    Discolored parts on a vintage piece can also indicate that moisture got inside the movement. This is more worrisome, as you might imagine, and you would be right to wonder what other damage may lurk inside.

    However, in your situation, I think the discoloration is due to slightly different surface finishes that are reflecting the light a little differently. Let's compare your watch to the other example cited by @Georgieboy58 :
    upload_2018-8-4_14-4-51.png

    Both examples seem to have a similar coloration on the same components suggesting this may be an attribute on some cal 601 movements, and likely not due to moisture or replaced parts.
     
  6. JimSolo Aug 4, 2018

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    Thank you so much for your thorough reply, I appreciate it! I like this watch very much and it seems to be in good condition, this was my only hang up. I think I’m okay with replacement parts as a worst case scenario, and if not, even better.

    Thanks again
     
  7. Georgieboy58 Aug 5, 2018

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    Looking at the three examples @Vitezi linked above, you can also see the colour/surface differences on these as well, less obvious, but visible.