Hey all! I have been dying to get myself an entry level Omega watch for some time, and just waiting to find the right piece at the right price... I think I just found my watch but am a bit nervous and was hoping for some incredible advice/ analysis from this amazing community! What do you guys think of this Vintage Seamaster? Thank you so much!
Desperately in need of a clean & service, factor that into the price. Gold plating wears off, & is hard to see how bad that is in most pics. Edited to remove comment about lume, which is present.
Price of Service really depends where you live but from my experience, it should be in the range of 200 to 400 dollars. On some of the pictures it looks like the watch lost some of its gold plating. I suggest that you ask for better pictures so you can be sure that the gold plating isn’t worn through...
Use an independent watchmaker, not Omega itself. Being a manual winder, plating usually wears off near the crown first, so check there. Servicing is $200 up. Parts availability can be an issue. The triangular plate looks hacked about & like it was donated from a different watch already. I would want it checked & quoted on by a watchmaker, or to pick it up very cheaply. Be aware of beautiful dials with troublesome movements on these old watches, they can suck you in badly.
If you’re buying it to wear, and you think it looks good and the price is reasonable, I’d go for it. It’s not perfect, as you’ve been advised, but the 601 is a reliable calibre, there are plenty of these fifty year old watches around and running and parts are there if needed. If it was being sold in the UK, I’d be expecting it to cost me around £250 (give or take) and factoring how much you really like it. I’d defer any service until I’ve seen how it runs but, for a manual 601 calibre, I’d expect a service by a reliable independent watchmaker to cost me around £100 plus parts. Personally, posting as a wearer (rather than a collector) I’d happily wear it.