Omega Seamaster Chronostop 145.008 with uncommon bezel

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raynew

·Mar 19, 2022

Hi,
Thank you to let me post on Omegaforums.
I'm a french watches collector and I own since 10/15 years an Omega Seamaster Chronostop ref. 145.008.
I have noticed that printing on my bezel isn't the same as other 4 traditional bezel on this watch.
Maybe someone got an explanation or reason about that.
Here is a picture of my watch.
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

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Azveld

·Mar 19, 2022

I'm starting to get interested in this model and actually I had never seen this bezel.
it must be less practical to use than the classic bezel roulette. it would have been better to keep the 12H registrations rather than half of the 24H...

in any case it is a pretty watch unfairly underpriced

 

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raynew

·Mar 19, 2022

All Omega's bezel get a practical goal, I mean they are useful. This one should be too, but I don't know for what.
This bezel turns perfectly, and clearly, it's an original from omega (typography and printing), but absolutely no information on the web.
It could be a bezel from a bullhead or flightmaster but there is no watches with this kind of measure... A bezel only PM !

These watches are not so underpriced, with a roulette bezel, price are close to 4000$.

 

K

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KP-99

·Mar 19, 2022

I have a Chronostop 145.008 with all 4 known bezel (and a 145.007, too), but I have never seen such a bezel insert.
And I have a genuine, old prospect and there are only the 4 known bezel inside!

Best,
Peter

 

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Azveld

·Mar 20, 2022

raynew

These watches are not so underpriced, with a roulette bezel, price are close to 4000$.

some try to advertise them at this price, and even then, for unpolished and full set models.
but most trade between 2000-2500€.

 

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raynew

·Mar 20, 2022

which is not so bad...
I'm still investigating about this crazy bezel...

 

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raynew

·Mar 20, 2022

thank you for your reply Peter and Azveld !

 

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kaplan

·Mar 21, 2022

Always a joy to see replies from collectors like Peter and photos of such variations

There are so many hidden variations on Omega's too, some never surface online, so maybe it's original

I wish someone had documented the experience of the era, my personal theory is custom orders, so maybe if you went to an AD at the time, and if your voice had weight, you could make them custom order anything reasonable

However the bottom spacing looks low compared to the regular 5 10 15 20 ... bezel?

 

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raynew

·Mar 21, 2022

yep you are right. Printing is very close to the inner border.
But I have compared with other bezel and typography is exactly the same. Triangle is exactly at the same position and size of other omega bezel. It turns perfectly in crystal, if you know super compressor watch, it's not so simple to find perfect bezel to fit an EPSA case...
In my opinion, this bezel come from Omega but what is utility of a PM bezel !? And why on this watch ! As Peter said, there is officially only 4 bezels known for this watch, and I didn't have any result to find this kind of bezel on another Omega...
When I have bought this watch (15/20 years ago) I didn't notice this uncommon bezel...

 

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kaplan

·Mar 21, 2022

The roulette bezel is kind of a PM bezel too, so not really out of place I guess - but the 4's have longer end's on the other bezels, unless your photo made yours look short - and the 3's look like entirely different fonts - doesn't really prove or disprove anything as anything is possible, overall a very interesting curiosity

The lume pips are very white, if they are original I guess it highly increases the chance of the bezel being original too, because if something happened that warranted a bezel change it'd likely affect the lume pips too

 

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raynew

·Mar 21, 2022

Yes kaplan, you are right about 3. I didn't notice that. I was concentrated on the 5 and 2.
I will open the watch to be completely sure.
Thank you for your help.

 

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kaplan

·Mar 21, 2022

There are at least 10 different fonts on C-Case Constellations for example, I've opened a watch once to be sure, I wasn't, I've also came across another example, but I still couldn't be sure, small chance they are both redials from the same source - so from the experience of a new collector, a small chance it might conclusively prove its an aftermarket bezel, but it's nearly impossible proving it's not without a doubt 😀

Also some collectors are very closed to the idea of rare variations even though they seem to exist

I wish there were old collectors around who could recollect the scene of the era, but seems unlikely to find someone who's alive and around who was obsessed with every minute detail of the line up at the time

 

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Azveld

·Mar 23, 2022

bravo Raynew, you decided me, I just bought one !