Swapping Parts to Enhance Vtg Omega--How to Handle Sales

Good point that's hard to argue with. If one cannot effectively prove something, why have it at all?

The thing that bugs me about all this is that watches like the ones we discuss are rarely unique, like crafts or paintings- they all share the same DNA. In fact, the pride of large watch producers is that their tolerances are so good, that parts can easily and seamlessly interchange between the same model. So while we romanticize about the special history and patina the accrues to each timepiece, I believe their original intent was to do a job, and if they have a part that malfunctions, or no longer looks good, and you replace it with something from the identical batch at the factory, that is pretty much original to me. Whether it actually left the factory that way seems way too rigid a standard.

I was being facetious, of course.

There is no substitute on doing your diligence before buying a watch, car, big screen TV or any other major purchase.

Don't depend on the seller to do all your research for you.

Caveat Emptor.
gatorcpa

Perhaps this thread has illustrated that there are two sub-communities of collectors.

Creationists that insist on buying pieces that have some form of proof or verbal assurance from the seller that they are in the state in which they were brought into the world.

And the Correctos, who want pieces with all authentic and correct parts, provenance may be unconfirmed or unknown.

One group is no more honest than the other, they just have slightly different values. In fact a bunch of us probably go back and forth between the two groups.

Parts the seller has replaced, swapped, sourced or improved should be disclosed in a sale listing...