I am considering a few watches to be my first big purchase in the watch world. Three news ones I am considering are the PloProf, Rolex Sea-Dweller or DSSD. One vintage watch I am considering is the Seamaster SHOM. I am wary of buying a vintage watch, the guy seems upfront/honest and guarantees its authenticity (not a watchco) but I was wondering what you guys think. If it is a genuine vintage Omega, do you guys think it has been restored? Any thoughts on a fair price?

From my research the watch seems to look like other authenticated pictures I have seen on various sites, but I am a complete novice in the watch world.

Other thoughts/recommendations on a first watch would be appreciated too!

 

I have the Watchco SHOM and I see them selling between $1800-$2200 depending on condition and bracelet. Mine was mint and I picked it up from a third party.

95% of the ones I saw for sale when I was looking were all Watchco and all in great to mint condition. Not very often will you come across a true vintage for sale.

On the one you posted, you can see the pearl in the bezel and in the vintage/original ones I have looked at there was not a pearl.

Also, I bet if he sends you a lume shot you can light up a room.

I actually prefer mine on rubber.

 

I guess what I am saying is, if it was original, it has since been restored to the point that it might as well be a Watchco watch.

 

Firstly, the description of the watch as a SHOM is entirely inaccurate. The idea that this was a bespoke model commissioned and designed for SHOM is a fantasy.

The real name for this watch is the Seamaster 200, model 166.177. It was produced from 1973, and six years later some pieces were purchased by the French Navy as their 'official' divers watch, after having been let to tender by SHOM acting as the French Navy's procurement agent.

Some of these pieces have MN on the rear to commemorate Marine Nationale (the French Navy) having adopted them, but most don't and therefore have no association with the navy at all. Serial numbers from 1979, stretching a long bow, could be said to have an loose association, and why people don't call these later models Marine Nationale Seamasters (even if the link is tenuous) I've never understood. I think someone either unwittingly or intentionally coined the name to give the model some cache.

Basically, it's a calibre 1012 Seamaster Diver's watch with a 1970s 'brutalist' case design. To me, appealing, but to others butt ugly. It doesn't have the status of say a Ploprof, which has documented associations with Comex and others, or the Seamaster 300 models. In terms of collectibility, one thing that has really debased its reputation are the Watchco pretenders. The watch in question shows no signs of graceful ageing and could be mistaken for one, if indeed it's not.

I think that in time there will be even more confusion with these pieces as patina and dial ageing set in on the Watchcos, and then the only thing that will distinguish them is either the MN on some (which could be faked) and the the inner case stamp of the model number, which for earlier 70's pieces will not have the extra ) digit.

Cheers

Desmond

 

@mondodec

Sorry but what dial ageing as the Watchco Shom's don't have tritium dials, hands or bezels so they are not going to look old or age as the tritium versions do so it would be hard to mistake one of them for a true all original Vintage watch.

@SpeedyMcNasty

As Taddyangle has already pointed out the bezel is a service part and not tritium and the dial and hands are much too bright and white to be tritium either IMHO as he suggested ask the seller to send you a lume shot and you will easily be able to tell as I also bet the bezel dial and hands will all match and be really bright. I was looking at getting one of these prior to picking up my all original vintage Baby PloProf and found it impossible to find an original one in good condition. There were plenty of either Watchco versions or rebuilt with service parts watches which depending on your viewpoint are still original Omega's just not original vintage watches and if you know what you are getting and happy with that I don't and many others see that as a problem although some do.

Marc

 

Thank you all for the help! I'll definitely ask him for a Lume shot. Though it is likely I will just get a new watch. I am very keen on the PloProf, just have to make sure I'll be happy to wear it everyday.