So I'm sure you're all sick to the backteeth of people joining the forum and asking the same questions time and time again...but never let it be said I don't follow the crowd !!

My husband ( aged 60 ) was given his dads old watch, years & years ago...its been sat in its box in my bedside cabinet for all that time.

I'd like to get it serviced and working for his birthday in May as a surprise.

So questions..from the photos alone does anyone have a vague clue as to how old it is ? ( I dont dare take the back off to get the number).

How much roughly does a service cost..no idea if it needs a repair or not at this stage?

Whilst there is sentimental value in paying to get it going , I cant justify spending say a gazillion pounds on a watch that's worth only £2.50 say.

Sorry the photos are a bit pants..its a good job im a nurse not a photographer !!!

Thanks for any help

 

So I'm far from an expert and wouldn't want to date the watch. It looks genuine to me but difficult to tell from the photos (also, I'm not an expert) - I'm sure others will chip in. In terms of getting it serviced, don't send it to omega. I'm assuming you're in the UK on which case I would send it to someone like mitka for a sympathetic service. It would cost somewhere around £250, more if it needs parts. Hope that helps.

https://mitka.co.uk/

 

That's a very nice and high-end Seamaster, probably from the 50s. It's also very appealing, with the gold-colored hands and dial markers and the cross-hair dial. Very nice watch. Somebody will most likely be able to give you the reference number and the caliber of the movement just from looking at it.

When you shake the watch gently, do you feel something bumping inside? I'm just asking because two different types of automatic movements were used, and that would help distinguish between them.

- The word Chronometre on the dial indicates that it is a special watch that was certified for particularly good timekeeping when it was made. Only a small fraction of Seamaster watches from that era were chronometer-certified.
- You will probably want to remove that bracelet. It's not original to the watch or particularly special, and the spring-loaded ends can cause damage to the inside of the lugs.
- When you have the movement serviced, it's ok to have the crystal polished to remove the scratches, but please tell the watchmaker not to do any polishing of the case at all, even if they try to convince you that the watch will look shinier and better if they remove scratches. Polishing a watch rounds the sharp edges and degrades the original shape of the case, and it's not desirable. Similarly, they should not replace the crown, even if they insist that it's better to do so. You really want to keep the watch as original as possible, because it is highly collectible.

 

What a great gift to give your husband. Get it serviced and running on the QT and surprise him!

 

Agree that’s a lovely heirloom and definitely spending a few hundred to get it cleaned and serviced.
I’d also recommend Mitka or WatchGuy if you’re in theUK

 

Thank you for your replies..so I've just shook it and there's something heavy moves as you shake it side to side...what does that tell you ?

So if the bracelet isn't an original how do I go about getting one from the 50s to replace it..if I can ?

 

That means it's a "bumper" automatic movement, which helps identify it. With that information, I'm quite sure that there are some experts who can probably identify it. If you could measure that diameter of the case, excluding the crown, that could also possibly help. Most of the Seamasters from this era were about 34-35mm in diameter, but a few models were a few mm wider.

Once the case reference is identified, we can probably tell you which bracelet will fit, although most likely it originally came with a leather strap.

 

Now you're getting technical on me..the case is the back bit I'm guessing...no idea which bit is the crown though.

Bear in mind I'm.using a metal tape measure ( its all i have to hand )..the back bit is 34 mm and the dial bit is about 28 mm

 

Something like this:

 

Yes its 34mm

 

But reluctant to pop the watch in the post to get it serviced and I'm.miles away from London. There is a place not to far away in Nuneaton that I could take it to and their advert says they service high end watches including Omega...has anyone heard of them at all ?

 

In your place, I would use one of the people recommended by forum members instead of an unknown. It's ok to ship a watch for service, many of us do it regularly.

You should also contact the people mentioned, they may not be as far from you as you think.

 

I have a very similar watch, judging from the dial and the bumper.

The reference is 2577-6 and has a cal. 354 bumper. It has a serial number in the 13 millions and if I remember correctly that means 1952.

Not the same exact watch, but pretty close for dating, I think.

 

Doesn't the 2577 have a screw-back?

 

Good evening @110woman

A nice watch and a really nice gesture to have the watch serviced for your husband’s birthday.

Good advice above from the members.

Posting your watch might seem daunting but collectors do this all the time to get their watches to the right watchmaker - often even internationally.

Your local watchmaker might make broad claims -and could even be ok - but my strong advice would be to consider the recommendations for watchmakers as they are proven to be capable of taking good care of a vintage watch.

As long as the watch is packed carefully and sent registered ( or tracked) mail you should be fine.

I’ve also used both Mitka and the Watchguy and can recommend using either of them.

 

Royal Mail Special Delivery is fine and insures up to £2500 at very reasonable premium. I use that for most watches, although I hand-carry one from the '60s that I've owned from new -- no insurance covers time & sentimental value

Please use the experts on vintage Omegas recommended here, not Omega themselves or J.Random High Street jewelers no matter what their advertising says.

Edit: you can read in this thread https://omegaforums.net/threads/best-packing-and-shipping-practices.94229/ how many of us package up watches to minimise risk of damage in transit.

 

Maybe a reference 2757? That was a chronometre model if memory serves with a press in case back and I think it used a caliber 354 bumper. Here's an old listing for one: Serviced Omega Seamaster Chronometer Vintage Bumper | Vintage Portfolio (vintage-portfolio.com)

 

Although I’m in London, I’ve had a few vintage watches serviced by Mark at F. Meeks in the Birmingham jewellery quarter and I’ve always been happy with his work.

Since you’re only about 30 miles away it’s close enough for you to go and see him and have a chat about what you want done, or not done. Also get him to take photos of both the movement, the serial number. This can help you date the watch. Also the information on the inside of the caseback will show you the model number.

Here's a photo of one of my Seamasters. The 8 digit number 27****** shows it as being a 1966 watch with a 552 movement and the caseback number 165.003 is the model.



If you go, it’s probably best to ring beforehand and check he’s in. His charges are reasonable and about £130-140 for a service although he can’t get replacement Omega parts direct, if they’re needed.

Dan has already advised on what to do or not to do but if you want to polish the crystal yourself, you could go to Amazon or eBay and buy a tube of Polywatch, which you can just apply with an old handkerchief or similar.

 

I’m in the UK and very rarely visit a watchmaker in person. RM Special Delivery will be about £8, is fully insured for watches and I’ve never ever had an issue.

 

I can also recommend this.