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Seamaster De Ville Identification

V
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Hello,

I was recently given this De Ville that belonged to a relative. I believe it has been sitting in a box for decades. So far it seems to keep accurate time. The lumes are nice and bright.

Could anyone kindly help to provide information about this watch? Any and all info is welcome.

I do not want to attempt to open the caseback- I will leave this to a professional. I am planning on wearing it, not selling, but a valuation would be appreciated. Any practical advice such as servicing, and strap style recommendations would be helpful. What would someone recommend in regards to the scratched crystal- replace, polish, or leave alone?

Thank you in advance for your help.

20220818_164012.jpg 20220818_164030.jpg 20220818_164040.jpg 20220818_164136.jpg 20220818_164156.jpg
 
Dan S
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Looks like a nice original piece at first glance. Since it is a one-piece case, you should definitely not attempt to open it. It looks like someone else has already made that mistake. The serial and reference numbers inside will provide definitive information. Valuation depends on a lot of factors, but I would put it roughly in the range of $500-$800, depending on the condition under closer inspection, and where and how the watch would be sold.
 
BarbVl
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It's a nice watch but with the evaluation i think depend where you live.. because in my country (I am from Romania) you can find those in the range 400-500 Euro. Regards.
 
Olhenry56
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Nice watch. I like the way these look with a 9 row beads of rice bracelet. There are actually a couple for sale in the sales section of this forum, but I don't know if the end links they come with are the ones you would need. Any nice strap you like would be a cheaper option.

It doesn't hurt to try to polish the scratches as long as you're careful not to polish the case or bezel. But it seems pretty deep, maybe even cracked, in which case polishing wouldn't help. Replacing the crystal with a genuine Omega crystal would not diminish the value. It's hard for me to tell, but it might already have a generic replacement crystal - I can't see the Omega symbol in the center of the crystal that is usually present on genuine crystals.

If you're going to wear it regularly, most here would recommend having it serviced by a trusted watchmaker with instructions not to polish the case, since that destroys some of the originality and diminishes its value. Members are usually able to recommend someone near you if you tell us what part of the world you're in.

The watchmaker would be able to tell you the case reference number, movement caliber, and serial number (all inside the case), which would tell you a lot more about the watch.
 
V
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Dan S Dan S
Looks like a nice original piece at first glance. Since it is a one-piece case, you should definitely not attempt to open it. It looks like someone else has already made that mistake. The serial and reference numbers inside will provide definitive information. Valuation depends on a lot of factors, but I would put it roughly in the range of $500-$800, depending on the condition under closer inspection, and where and how the watch would be sold.
Thank you for the info. I am almost positively certain that this watch has only had one owner who wore it for several years then put it away- hence the original condition.
 
V
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Olhenry56 Olhenry56
Nice watch. I like the way these look with a 9 row beads of rice bracelet. There are actually a couple for sale in the sales section of this forum, but I don't know if the end links they come with are the ones you would need. Any nice strap you like would be a cheaper option.

It doesn't hurt to try to polish the scratches as long as you're careful not to polish the case or bezel. But it seems pretty deep, maybe even cracked, in which case polishing wouldn't help. Replacing the crystal with a genuine Omega crystal would not diminish the value. It's hard for me to tell, but it might already have a generic replacement crystal - I can't see the Omega symbol in the center of the crystal that is usually present on genuine crystals.

If you're going to wear it regularly, most here would recommend having it serviced by a trusted watchmaker with instructions not to polish the case, since that destroys some of the originality and diminishes its value. Members are usually able to recommend someone near you if you tell us what part of the world you're in.

The watchmaker would be able to tell you the case reference number, movement caliber, and serial number (all inside the case), which would tell you a lot more about the watch.
Thanks for the servicing info. I've looked closely myself and do not see the Omega symbol on the crystal, so I suspect you are correct in assuming that it is a replacement. If and when I do the replacement I'll use a genuine Omega one. I did do some gentle polishing since taking these pics and it definitely helped. What would you recommend cleaning the caseback with? Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone?

My local trusted watchmaker is about 8 months out on new jobs, so I'll be waiting awhile to have this looked at thoroughly!
 
V
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BrunoCodispoti BrunoCodispoti
It’s not so usual (in Italy) to find a piece with Arabic Numbers. Nice watch 👍
Yes, I have had a very hard time finding images of these watches with all Arabic numerals. Would this have been a special order?
 
Olhenry56
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V veritas pictor
Thanks for the servicing info. I've looked closely myself and do not see the Omega symbol on the crystal, so I suspect you are correct in assuming that it is a replacement. If and when I do the replacement I'll use a genuine Omega one. I did do some gentle polishing since taking these pics and it definitely helped. What would you recommend cleaning the caseback with? Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone?

My local trusted watchmaker is about 8 months out on new jobs, so I'll be waiting awhile to have this looked at thoroughly!

I use a toothpick to scrape away the bulk of the grime, then an old toothbrush to clean up the rest. I think a dry brush could go a long way. I've never used any liquid to clean an intact watch, but others might have advice. I'm sure there are threads here about it.

By the way, if I had to guess, I'd say your watch is a ref 165.020. It looks a lot like this one to my relatively untrained eyes: https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/...le-with-box-and-papers?variant=39597592215627
Edited:
 
Dan S
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V veritas pictor
Yes, I have had a very hard time finding images of these watches with all Arabic numerals. Would this have been a special order?

There were tons of different dial variations. I have no reason to believe that this one was a special order, just not terribly common.
 
V
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Olhenry56 Olhenry56
I use a toothpick to scrape away the bulk of the grime, then an old toothbrush to clean up the rest. I think a dry brush could go a long way. I've never used any liquid to clean an intact watch, but others might have advice. I'm sure there are threads here about it.

By the way, if I had to guess, I'd say your watch is a ref 165.020. It looks a lot like this one to my relatively untrained eyes: https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/...le-with-box-and-papers?variant=39597592215627

Thanks for the advice- yes, I think that may be the exact watch- thanks for the find! I also looked again under better light and can just barely make out the Omega mark on my watch's crystal.
 
Davidt
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There’s a chain of though suggesting these Arabic Seamasters were for the U.K. market.
Nice watch btw. Should clean up very nicely
 
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