Serial number not matching year of production

[chamomile_]

Looking to buy a used 2223.80 (Quartz Seamaster 300M Midsize) and I have a seller telling me the serial starts with a "59." I think he's pulling it off the caseback around the lug where it's etched.

To my knowledge, this is a 1998/late 1990s serial number... but this particular model only started production in the late 2000s, I think specifically around 2008. The pictures check out (It has red lettering, there's no mistaking it for 2561.80) but the number clearly doesn't.

Any idea what could be happening here?

Edited: Oct 6, 2023

 

[Knudsen1971]

I`d say this 2223.80 model was introduced in 2006, so 59mil serial is suspicious.
Would look onto the pictures of the watch lug/cards... without nobody can tell, what is happening...

And I`m not sure, that this is thread for vintage watches section...

 

[chamomile_]

Knudsen1971

I`d say this 2223.80 model was introduced in 2006, so 59mil serial is suspicious.
Would look onto the pictures of the watch lug/cards... without nobody can tell, what is happening...

And I`m not sure, that this is thread for vintage watches section...

no box/warranty/pictogram card. it's from a japanese dealer though and fakes are illegal in japan so ‍♂️

 

[padders]

I have no quartz stuff that late so can’t offer a direct comp but it’s not unusual to see the quartz serials run in a very different range to the autos. 50m quartz serials were as you say seen in the late 90s but it’s not impossible they ran long into the 2000s especially as Omega moved away from quartz offerings so issued fewer of them and the movement in use was the same as that fitted in the mid 90s. It wouldn’t be a red flag to me if everything else checks out. From memory there is no serial on the 1538 movement anyway so the case engraving is all you have to go on.

Edited: Oct 6, 2023

 

[chamomile_]

padders

I have no quartz stuff that late so can’t offer a direct comp but it’s not unusual to see the quartz serials run in a very different range to the autos. 50m quartz serials were as you say seen in the late 90s but it’s not impossible they ran long into the 2000s especially as Omega moved away from quartz offerings so issued fewer of them and the movement in use was the same as that fitted in the mid 90s. It wouldn’t be a red flag to me if everything else checks out. From memory there is no serial on the 1538 movement anyway so the case engraving is all you have to go on.

Does that then imply multiple parts such as the casing or the ETA movement would've been produced in the 90s? I'm a sitckler for getting the newest prod. possible.

 

[padders]

C chamomile_

Does that then imply multiple parts such as the casing or the ETA movement would've been produced in the 90s? I'm a sitckler for getting the newest prod. possible.

No I wouldn't have thought so. It simply suggests that Omega used up the high 50m serials used for quartz Seamasters slower than in some other ranges. I'm pretty sure I've seen early 2000s quartz watches in this range, so I am saying its not a big stretch for a slightly later watch to still be in that range.

 

[bulldog77]

Last year I came across a mid size quartz 2561.80 full box, papers, original receipt, sold in mid 2007 with a 590xxx serial.