Several years ago, a vintage Seamaster found its way to me though a connection in the world of vintage fountain pens. This watch ended up being a gateway into the world of horology, and more recently to the Omega Forums.

Lately, I have been reading through the vintage forum to scavenge details and determine what, exactly, I have.

Here’s what I know so far:

It’s an Omega Seamaster, Cal. 550, with a front-loading 14K gold filled case [as indicated between the lugs]. The watchmaker who serviced the watch noted the case number as LL6287-1, but neglected to note the serial number before closing up.

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The dial has a warmer gold hue than the photos would suggest, and the Geneva Wave effect is more pronounced when viewed 'in person’. The ‘coat hanger S’ in Seamaster is significant in determining date of manufacture - yes?

There’s evidence of the passage of time. The hands have some pitting, with some wear is evident on the case. The gold fill inside the Omega logo on the crown has been damaged. Lume is present but its effect is difficult to detect.

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Facetted lugs, 18mm width. 33mm in diameter without the crown, 36mm with. 11mm thick. 40mm lug tip to tip. I won’t resort to the cliche that it “wears larger”, though I will note that I assumed it to be slightly larger until I measured it.

The original strap and buckle are long gone, of course.

A search of the Omega database fails to turn up anything useful.

Here at the forum, Mementomori1983 posted back in March with an opinions request and cited a similar case number. That watch case and crown appear to be identical. There are minor variations to the dial finish and baton indices between the two. Ulackfocus suggests that this was a case made for the US market, which is consistent with the provenance of the watch.

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And what I’d like to know:

When was it made?
What is the full and correct model designation?
Is the watch correct and original? [with the exception of the crystal, replaced at service]
Who designed the watch? [not the movement, but the case, et al]
Is there a 'correct' pin buckle to match this watch?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

David

 

To have an estimate of the production date we would need the serial number of the watch. However, based on the design and what I know about other ref 6287 I would estimate the watch is from the early 1960's. The resolution of the images is low, so I cannot comment on the dial, but other than that the watch looks correct. The model designation indicates it is a US collection piece and the designation would be LL 6287. It does not come up in the Omega database, but the database is incomplete so this is not uncommon. Thats about all the information I can come up with without hitting the books. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, Joe. That's useful, and confirms my initial guesstimate on age.

You mention 'hitting the books'; are there particular reference books you'd recommend to a newcomer?

D.

 

There are a number of Omega specific books. I refer to "Omega Saga" which is a comprehensive history of the brand. That would be the book to have the designer/project director for the different movements. Not sure it would be as detailed to include who designed other elements of specific refs. The other book is " A Journey Through Time" - this is the most comprehensive Omega reference on products, but I believe it is out of print (?). There are other books that are more model specific.

 

First impression was that Journey Through Time was expensive and hard to find.... then realized it's no different than many dedicated foundation pen references. Too bad it's not available as an ebook. I prefer paper, but that might make it more accessible.