I have been bitten by the vintage watch bug, and this was my first (uninformed) purchase. Is the watch real/original, a fake, or a frankenwatch? I've been lurking in the forums for a week or so and there really is some great info here. My observations - Really clean for a 50+ yr old gold plated watch. Movement looks authentic. Quadruple signed (crown, dial, movement, case). Omega appears to make this dial from their database. I don't see anything that is visually off, but I'm no expert. I just can't seem to make Omega's database, the case markings, and the caliber match up with a specified model. Is Omega's database exhaustive or are some models missing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-196...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

Guidance on the authenticity of the watch would be greatly appreciated, and what it was that I missed.

I'll have to admit this damn watch fetish is addictive and I can foresee myself spending lots of money & time on it in the future, so I would like to be informed. If anyone has any good suggestions for beginner's books, blogs, etc. they would be greatly appreciated.

 

It looks like a very nice Omega Geneve. The case looks to be in great shape with a nice, sharp bezel. The calibre 601 is a very good manual wind calibre, I have one myself and it keeps excellent time and is also quite pretty to look at.

I would say you did well at that price and that your watch is a fine introduction to vintage Omega

 

Your watch is genuine and seems to be all original. The only thing I am uncertain about is the crown, is the logo colored in black?

 

Looks like pink hands where the case and dial furniture is yellow (perhaps the lighting?) Looks like the plating on the logo (crown) has worn off?

This said, it looks fantastic. If my observations are true they are minor distractions. I agree you did well with this one. Congrats!

 

No the logo isn't colored in black, but some of the gold plating is coming off. In the future I will be looking for stainless, solid gold, or at least gold filled, so this shouldn't be an issue. The hands may be a different color. I don't have the watch with me at the moment, but I'll have to check. So in the future the hands should match? Just received it yesterday. Planned on wearing it today, but the band is too short. Any suggestions on bands (brands, where to buy, etc.)? Thank you all for all of your help.

 

Not speaking from personal experience, but search Kelaran on Google/web browser. They have an eBay shop, and come highly recommended by some folks on this forum.

And yes, I believe the hands should match the dial furniture at least.

 

This is correct. I thought it could be a lighting issue, but could be wrong.

 

Second hand matches. Hr and min hands are copper or rose colored. Obviously this is not a high end collectors piece so its not a big issue. Ifit were how much difference do non original hands make?

 

So what is okay to have replaced on a watch, and it still be considered "original"? I've gathered that having the dial re-done is a no-no, polishing even can be a no-no. Presumably replacing the crystal is okay, replacing the band is okay. What really matters with regards to maintaining an "original" watch?

 

I hate when you have a watch that does not work, with an immaculate dial, you take it to your watchmaker, and comes back with a faded dial, which he tries to explain with stories about loose feet, waxed hands and who knows what else. He then offered a redial for free, but I refused.

Then I bought two watches on ebay that didn't work but were otherwise unmolested (or so the seller says), just to scavenge the supposedly unmolested dials, and I ended up with three watches with dials in different states of disrepair: one unwaxed with loose feet firmly reattached back (or at least that's what I hope, having seen the sorry state in which my poor watch was delivered back to me), the other (the first one I bought on ebay) redialed by a toddler with a shaky hand, and the third one so far gone that it seemed to be on its way back).

I am frankly beginning to entertain the idea of introducing skeleton Omega Dynamics in the market. If it worked for the Ukranian dial doctors, it may work for me.