Hi all, I'm on the hunt for a birth year stainless steel Seamaster with silver dial - 1968 - and I've posted a couple that I've looked at over the past few weeks. Thanks to everyone for your help and feedback. Is there any way to ensure I get a Seamaster with a 1968 year? I know that I can use the movement serial number (between 26M & 27M) to know it was manufactured in 1968, but I've also seen examples where the movement might be from 1968 but the model might not be until later - like the 168.0024 I found on eBay that looks great but Omega didn't make them until 1969. Ideally, it would be cool to have a way to query Omega with a serial number and find out the year of the extract. Is this possible? Or do I just take my best shot and if they serial and year end up not being what I want just re-sell it and keep trying? Thanks in advance, Eric
I did find this article on Fratello Watches, which provides some great information. I'm guessing that a movement number with 1968 serial numbers but with a case from 1969 would probably have a production date of 1969 based on the information in this article. https://www.fratellowatches.com/omegas-extract-of-the-archives-how-it-works/
I don't have an answer for you, just trying to refine the question a bit. What do you actually mean by "a Seamaster with a 1968 year?" That the watch was originally sold in 1968? Assembled in 1968? Movement made in 1968?
@Dan S - Sorry for the confusion. In a perfect world, it would be sold, assembled and made in 1968. An example might a 168.022 like the post below from 2014 with an extract that has 1968 on it as the production year. My main goal would be to find a watch like the one below (I really want it to say "Seamaster" on the dial without "Cosmic" and ideally a Chronometer) and when I order an extract it would be from 1968. https://omegaforums.net/threads/interested-in-a-seamaster-168-022-w-564-movement.11850/
Fair enough. The good news is that the watch you want does exist. It's hard to know what an extract will say, but maybe you can start to collect some information from other people who have requested extracts from that time-period, and construct your own narrowly focused serial number table. I'm sure it still won't be perfectly accurate, but it could help. Another possibility would be to purchase a watch that already has an extract. Who knows, you could get lucky. Keep your eyes open on the for-sale forum.
Thanks for the encouragement @Dan S. As an example, the watch I posted below for feedback would be perfect I knew it would come back as 1968 in the extract. Would be cool if there was a way to verify before purchasing. https://omegaforums.net/threads/thoughts-on-ebay-seamaster-cronometer-564.76977/#post-978533
What the Omega boutique told me is that the production date is when the movement was placed in the case. Movements and cases are made separately in batches, and the date of production can easily be a couple of years after the movement was made, or after the case was made. This is not just-in-time manufacturing! Then sale to a customer might be years after that, if the watch was put with others in a packing box, then sent to the country's distributor, then working its way to a retailer and sitting in stock for a while. Odds are you'd have to go through a few watches before you found one - but that makes them worth all the more, right? Maybe you can find one with box & papers verifying the date of the first retail sale and accept that as grail date.
You could also try to contact Omega customer support with your request. I am not sure if they can (or want) to help you. It might be worth a try and its free of charge.
Great idea @OWa. I'll definitely try that once I find a vintage Omega that is a candidate (I missed out on the one I was tracking).