Seamaster 60 Big Crown 1960s first time buyer advice?

Hi all. I'm in the UK and have been checking out the 1969 editions of this watch for a birth-year purchase. I'd appreciate any advice from more experienced owners/users.

I'm likely to get the watch from a reputable trader/dealer, so as to minimise the chance of being ripped off. As the watch is for a long term hold I'm not super price sensitive. Again, if anyone has any advice on this I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

It 's true: the 60 is a beautiful and underrated watch. IMO: Check lume, glass (Omega-Mark) and quality / stretch of the bracelet incl. end-links. The red version is a stunner (I usually like only black or white dials)

Good luck! Jo

I actually had been eyeing on of these for a long time and actually bought one a few months ago. They're beautiful watches and look and feel relatively modern.

In my opinion, one of the critical things to keep in mind is that most of the parts for this model are no longer available from Omega. As far as I know, the only parts available are the movement parts, hands, and crown. Some of the examples that you find in the wild have either broken/cracked bezels and damaged dials --unfortunately, you're stuck with the ones you buy and replacements seem to rarely come up for sale on the secondary market.

I recommend you post photos when you find one that you like and we can give you advice. Additionally, getting a bracelet is a nice bonus, so keep that in mind as you search. If you find a nice one without a steel bracelet (and want one), they will be a little bit more expensive to buy and may take a short while to dig up. 1098 and 1069 bracelets are fairly desirable and I found them SLIGHTLY difficult to find with the proper endlinks. It's not a huge deal and I would personally value the bezel, dial, and case condition more than the bracelet, but you can expect to pay at least $400-500 USD for a correct bracelet and endlinks (depending on the one you choose as there are a few "correct" steel bracelets for this model) on the secondary market. However, I/we can help you deal with that as it comes up.

Thanks guys, some good advice there. I'm not too fussed on the colour, but do like the blue. Any issues getting it relumed if necessary?
When I find a likely candidate I'll post here again.

I may be wrong, but I don't think there is and most of the ones that I have personally come across have deteriorated lume plots. The biggest issue with getting things relumed is usually just finding somebody good.

As a collector: avoid reluming 😉. OMEGA IMO will not relume with tritium.
Just check the lume with a lamp concerning any relumed parts. If lume parts are missing (hands) you should clean the whole watch inside (movement!).

Thanks again for the info/advice. Just trying to hunt one down now.

I'm also looking for one. The blue is incredible imo.
Btw I just got my first diver Omega Seamaster 120m 166.027, check those out. I think you will like it! There's a huge thread on here about the sm120, lots of examples to check out.

With this in mind (great advice), attractive watch though this is, I'm thinking that something like the following might be a smarter buy for me. As it's for a long term hold, and I want to be able to wear it and not worry. It would suck if I damaged the bezel and could never repair it.

Sorry If I scared you away from it...it was definitely not my intension. One thing to maybe consider is looking at the 166.0324 - It's essentially a "vintage" Seamaster 300, but made from new service parts. They're more expensive than the Seamaster 60, but all the parts are still made and they seem to hold their value quite well. However, the only thing "old" in the watch would be movement.

The models you posted are nice. It just depends what you want. The De Ville is thin and has a monocoque case which can only be opened from the front. I have the 166.010 on the left and it is a little larger with a normal caseback and I really like it. Try to find one that isn't overpolished and has the correct crown. The one pictured seems to have the wrong service crown (both have the wrong crowns) and the case is a little soft. An added benefit is that It shouldn't be too hard to find one with your birth year and these are a relative bargain--these in nice condition go for 1/3 to 1/2 (depending on where you are) the price of a 166.062.

Thanks for the advice and ideas, appreciated. Is this crown the correct one?

Yes