Omega Seamaster - What do you think of this one?

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MrSmelly1977

·Jun 9, 2021

Hi. I posted a couple of weeks back about my Constellation with the redial with a typo! I have sent that off to Bill and Sons UK for a better redial and service. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I saw this Seamaster on eBay UK and I’m probably not in a hurry to buy it due to my obvious lack of expertise in vintage Omegas.

However, at £350 the price looks ok to me and I wondered if anyone could offer an opinion on this based on the pics and link supplied here.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...-/164845173782?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

Any obvious “tells” or red flags here?

To me it looks ok and the patina is perhaps a sign of an un-tampered with original dial?

Any opinions gratefully appreciated as an education in this stuff....

Dan

 

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Dan S

·Jun 9, 2021

I believe that the hands are not correct for the dial. If you find other examples of this watch, most likely the hands will be alpha or Dauphine, given the shape of the dial markers.

The elephant in the room is the dial, which I personally find very unappealing. I'm pretty sure that most people would consider that blistering to be damage, not patina.

 

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Evitzee

·Jun 9, 2021

The dial kills it for me, just not attractive to me. And it's only going to get worse going forward.

 

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SkunkPrince

·Jun 9, 2021

Hard pass. That dial likely did not come with that watch.

 

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perks713

·Jun 9, 2021

I think the bubbling on the dial tends to indicate water damage too..? (someone fact check me there please) - even if it was 100% original I'd worry about seeing indications of water damage without seeing photos of the movement.

 

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Donn Chambers

·Jun 9, 2021

I also consider the dial blistering damage and not patina — if you bought it you are likely to have flaking paint (or worse) in a few yeas down the road. It’s also suspicious there are no movement shots. One wonders if that shows “patina” as well?

 

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jeppe888

·Jun 9, 2021

i would personally wait and find another watch, just be patient and you will find a way better example

 

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wagudc

·Jun 9, 2021

I agree with what others have said, and would add that you would want to see pictures of the movement.

 

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SkunkPrince

·Jun 9, 2021

This is one of the watches that dial would originally have been in... a caliber 50X (don't recall) from the mid-50s. This one is US Collection, hence the fancy US 11/16 bracelet.

 

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hoipolloi

·Jun 9, 2021·Vintage Omega Connoisseur

Manual winding with date. Must be a 613 or something.

 

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seekingseaquest

·Jun 9, 2021

Dial/hands look fine. Uncommon variant. Here’s another one: https://wannabuyawatch.com/product/omega-seamaster-ref-14775-circa-1961/

All depends on whether you like the patina and the movement is in OK condition (as others said). Crown is incorrect, though.

 

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MrSmelly1977

·Jun 9, 2021

Thanks to everyone for the comments so far. As I said in my original post I wasn’t likely to buy it as I’ve discovered that there is an awful lot to know before you can confidently buy old Omegas on eBay. I think that overall this definitely has a lot of issues and question marks so best avoided.

Things people have pointed out are very helpful in learning what aspects of a watch to consider before considering a purchase.

 

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DorsetOmega

·Jun 9, 2021

My strong advice is to start (and end) your search here on the forum. Look at this beauty, for example: https://omegaforums.net/threads/ome...849-arrowhead-serviced-reduce-eur-800.131959/
That would cost you 690 GBP - not much more than that thing from Ebay would cost overall if you bought it and then inevitably had to have it serviced. Plus the one on the forum here is automatic, has a flawless dial, and is sold by @nanjingcigaretes who is universally regarded as a great seller.

 

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Dan S

·Jun 9, 2021

seekingseaquest

Dial/hands look fine. Uncommon variant. Here’s another one: https://wannabuyawatch.com/product/omega-seamaster-ref-14775-circa-1961/

Good find. Honestly, you could have gotten me to wager on whether those hands were correct. They look terribly mismatched to my eye, but this is not the first time I've seen a questionable design decision by Omega.

 

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seekingseaquest

·Jun 9, 2021

Dan S

Good find. Honestly, you could have gotten me to wager on whether those hands were correct. They look terribly mismatched to my eye, but this is not the first time I've seen a questionable design decision by Omega.

Yeah, they generally got it right but there are a lot of examples like this where it’s as if they just used whatever parts they had on hand (incorrect length of hands on 2759/2761 manual wind beefy lug Seamasters come to mind).

 

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MrSmelly1977

·Jun 9, 2021

DorsetOmega

My strong advice is to start (and end) your search here on the forum. Look at this beauty, for example: https://omegaforums.net/threads/ome...849-arrowhead-serviced-reduce-eur-800.131959/
That would cost you 690 GBP - not much more than that thing from Ebay would cost overall if you bought it and then inevitably had to have it serviced. Plus the one on the forum here is automatic, has a flawless dial, and is sold by @nanjingcigaretes who is universally regarded as a great seller.

Thanks good advice and that is a lovely looking watch for sale.

 

J

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Jkbenn02

·Jun 9, 2021

Your cash will get you something good.

 

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ShWood

·Jun 9, 2021

MrSmelly1977

Thanks to everyone for the comments so far. As I said in my original post I wasn’t likely to buy it as I’ve discovered that there is an awful lot to know before you can confidently buy old Omegas on eBay. I think that overall this definitely has a lot of issues and question marks so best avoided.

Things people have pointed out are very helpful in learning what aspects of a watch to consider before considering a purchase.

Enjoy your exploration of vintage Omegas - they have produced such a variety of unique and interesting watches through the decades. My personal favorite era is the 1970s... iconic Speedmasters, chunky Seamaster Chronostops, and such. IMHO, there's something for every taste.

 

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ChrisN

·Jun 10, 2021

There are definitely watches for everyone in the era being discussed. One point to think about is that the older 330 series bumpers and 500 series (not 550 and up) will probably cost you more in parts to service, as parts are scarce for the 1950s calibres.

Another point to bear in mind is that if you're buying from outside UK, expect to pay an additional 20-25% in VAT and fees. I think that eBay are automatically showing this but for a private seller, the VAT will be charged when the item arrives in UK.

The watch from eBay is unattractive to me as well.

Good luck, Chris