Hi all - I'm new to the forums (my first post actually), but I was hoping to draw on the collective expertise of the community on a vintage Seamaster that I'm looking to purchase. Some details as provided by the seller: * Ref 105.005.65 with 321 movement * Movement overhauled in mid-2013 * Original dial, hands, crown and pushers * Top-rod pusher has been replaced * Chrono resets to 12 perfectly * Case has been polished Asking price $2400 It's my first vintage purchase, so just wanted to get the community's opinions / thoughts on this one. Also 2 specific questions: 1) The dial looks a bit "dirty" - is that just patina, or also dirt / rust ? 2) The "Seamaster" and "Waterproof" designation on the case-back outer seems out-of-alignment (and faded as well - but I presume that's the case polish). E.g. the middle-point of "Seamaster" should line up to the crown, and vice versa for the "Waterproof" designation. Does this seem off, and is it something to worry about? cheers
Dial condition is average but I don't like the case polish - a bit too much for me so I would pass. Price at this condition is also on the high side.
The case was polished so extensively that the edges are gone. The text on the back also indicates the polishing is uneven. Even though I like the dial, I would stay away from the watch.
The caseback just looks plain weird, most likely had some bad tool gouges on it and some genius wanted to make them 100% gone.
You mean the "black" looking swirls bits? Isn't that just the light / reflection from the photo shot...
As Dennis posted above its that half the word Seamaster is missing and they've gone far too deep in several areas so its not evenly polished its ended up misshapen.
These "black" looking swirls are indeed one of the indications that the case back has been destroyed by attempts to disguise previous damage. Just as when you look at a highly polished car body, the highlights are often a give-away of patched-up accident damage. Highlights should always follow and complement the edges of a case (or any polished object) if the surfaces, edges and facets are true. These highlights and reflections are all over the place (rather than where they should be) because the polishing is heavier in some places than others. And no, the "Seamaster" and "Waterproof" text do not have to line up with anything - with a screw-on back, they end up where they end up when the back is tightened.