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Omega Vintage Seamaster - 1960s? Looking for information!

GregoryPalos
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Hi all,

New to the Omega forums, so if I make any mistakes please call me out on it.

Currently in France at my partner's parents home and by accident they almost threw this into the skip whilst clearing out boxes from their previous home. Found it right before it went in and it almost thanked me by springing into action.

Any information as to the year/model would be very appreciated.

I don't have the tools with me currently to take it apart and reseal it so the best I can give is photos.

I'm also under the impression that to clean up a watch like this would cost between £400-700?

Also I don't know why but the straps don't seem original to me.

Thank you for all the help x
IMG_20200720_130807.jpg IMG_20200720_130731.jpg IMG_20200720_130745.jpg
 
Passover
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GregoryPalos GregoryPalos
I'm also under the impression that to clean up a watch like this would cost between £400-700?

Hi Gregory,

before going further which intentions you have with this watch?

This is not meant to offend you but OF is no valuation service for private sellers.

At least this is my opinion!

Cheers
 
GregoryPalos
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Passover Passover
Hi Gregory,

before going further which intentions you have with this watch?

This is not meant to offend you but OF is no valuation service for private sellers.

At least this is my opinion!

Cheers

Hi passover!

This is a personal item, I have absolutely no intention to sell it. The query is because I had a chat with my uncle over the phone who explained to me that these kinds of watches are not an investment and that it costs three fingers to patch them up.

I don't think my partners dad had a great relation with his father so he keeps pushing it on me to keep since I found it. But I would like at some point to clean it up and give it to my partners brother.

Also I'm not sure if it was clear or not but the pricing I put was not for the value of the watch but the charging of the cleaning by omega?
 
Passover
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Hi Gregory,

my fault, I misunderstood your post and apologize for that!

Of course you asked for the service costs and not for the price of the watch.

400-700 pounds is the value of the watch, a service should be around 200 pounds if you don't need replacement parts.

Sorry again!
 
GregoryPalos
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Passover Passover
Hi Gregory,

my fault, I misunderstood your post and apologize for that!

Of course you asked for the service costs and not for the price of the watch.

400-700 pounds is the value of the watch, a service should be around 200 pounds if you don't need replacement parts.

Sorry again!
All good!

You wouldn't have any idea what model it is though would you? The closest I got was models between 59-61 but nothing useful or even close to the dial style.
 
Passover
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You have a very exceptional dial, you can fell lucky, its very rare.

The watch is 'just' a seamaster, the same model became -I think- the Seamaster De Ville later.

Your estimate around 1960 is correct. If you have it serviced you will get the serial number and with that number a production year.

The watch looks very original (with the exception of the bracelet)

You are based in the UK?

The forum can advise you specialzed independant service companies.
 
K
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Simon Freese at STS is a great choice for service and reasonable priced
 
ahsposo
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And you are correct about the band; it is not an Omega band. In my opinion it's not a good match with that case.
 
GregoryPalos
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Passover Passover
You have a very exceptional dial, you can fell lucky, its very rare.

The watch is 'just' a seamaster, the same model became -I think- the Seamaster De Ville later.

Your estimate around 1960 is correct. If you have it serviced you will get the serial number and with that number a production year.

The watch looks very original (with the exception of the bracelet)

You are based in the UK?

The forum can advise you specialzed independant service companies.

I looked at the automatic and it wasn't centered so I started to think it might have been a replaced dial since I couldn't find a single omega with a face like that?

I will be back in the UK in September and I do want this fixed up well so the more advice on good service companies the better!
 
GregoryPalos
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ahsposo ahsposo
And you are correct about the band; it is not an Omega band. In my opinion it's not a good match with that case.

Honestly even with my eyes shut I could feel the metal was all wrong on the band.
 
Masterofkarate
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Get rid of the band and put it on a nice leather strap. I have never seen a omega dial with a texture like that. Interesting indeed. Would love to hear the opinion of someone with more knowledge.
 
ConElPueblo
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That dial is seen from time to time, I think I have seen a few on Omegaforums - certainly not the most common type.

Apart from the above mentioned STS / Simon Freese, good watchmakers in the UK are plentiful; try www.cjnwatch.co.uk, www.watchguy.co.uk or www.mitka.co.uk. All three have worked on watches for me and are very capable - Chris at cjnwatch is a forum regular here and highly recommended 😀
 
Edward53
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@GregoryPalos your estimate of £400-700 is actually a pretty fair guide price for the watch itself [which I've now noticed was posted by @Passover above!]. As mentioned above, you could go to Simon Freese who I've heard is absolutely top notch but not cheap and tends to be used for expensive top end models that need extra finesse and TLC. For £200 you can get a perfectly good job done by any of numerous other watchmakers sympathetic to vintage watches.

Add: the movement is likely to be the automatic 552 calibre, one of the best.

The scratches appear to be on the crystal so should polish off. The dial looks pretty good underneath and is a very attractive variant. You could put it on a leather strap or you could go for a "beads of rice" bracelet which also suit this model nicely; it's a matter of personal taste - see mine below for how they look.

Finally, since nobody has yet said it - DON'T send it to Omega!! Search that phrase on the forum and you'll see why.

20200626_120154.jpg
Edited:
 
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