Good Afternoon Everyone,

I've been lurking here for a while now, and now registered and thought I'd say hi and introduce myself to the community. You all do some fantastic work here and I look forward to learning from, and eventually contributing to the pool of knowledge.

So my watch history is quite narrow - I've never really had the means to treat myself per se so have had a few fashion watches that I alternate between:

-Seiko SNDE29P1. Bought this 7-8 years ago when I got my first post-uni job.
-Seiko SNK805K2. Bought this when I joined the RAF and needed a more rugged watch.
-Garmin Forerunner 425
-Daniel Wellington watch I received from my parents for Christmas one year.

Due to get married next year - I am going to treat myself to a 1960s Seamaster. I figured if there is any time to treat myself, now is as good as ever (and my finances are currently un-scrutinised by Home Command!).

I tried on this watch the other week:



I've done a little research and it looks like its an early 1960s, perhaps reference 14701. Now I've taken stock of a lot of the advice round here and it's clear with this model that the lugs have been over-polished and the dial looks refinished ('automatic' looks too wide and the 'S' looks different). I tried this on to see how the watch suited my wrist and therefore, did not take too much notice of the crown, glass or inner workings.

Despite the above observations, I do absolutely love how the watch looks and am looking to find something similar. Not wanting to dive into a rash purchase, I am keeping my eyes peeled for something that is 'right' for me.

Collector value, while important to me, is not my primary consideration when buying one. Despite this, I want to achieve fair value and have set myself a budget of up to £1000 to find the right watch. I would love a great condition original Omega dial and genuine Omega crown and crystal. Along with this, proof of service would be ideal (if I'm correct I should budget £250-400 for an initial service if required?).

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I have been shopping around and have rejected the following watch as it looks overpriced considering the restoration of the dial and over-polishing. (Asking price £480).



More pictures at https://imgur.com/gallery/vVsShWO

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The one I've seen from archives here seems absolutely up my street, absolutely what I'm looking for I believe (sold for £750):



Thread at: https://omegaforums.net/threads/bea...iber-562-exceptionally-nice-linen-dial.16574/

I love the Gold detail on the dial against the steel case. Love the hands and dial colour (also adore white watch dials).

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Current watches I am looking at are as follows, I've attempted to write my observations, and would be grateful if you could tell me if I'm correct and / or inform me of any further advice:

1) Full link (one pic below): https://www.chrono24.co.uk/omega/omega-seamaster-stahl-1963-cal610-revision-072018--id8767224.htm

View attachment 602737

Looks lovely, although I was initially looking for an auto, I don't think I'm too detracted by the manual wind.
Seller states the dial is in original condition, I believe from looking at the zoomed images, that this is correct. (Although the 'S' in Seamaster looks a little different to other examples?)
Case looks a little polished, however there is still a good angle on the lugs and the bezel looks nice.
Back looks over-polished, but I am not too concerned about this.
Mechanics look a little worn?
Looks a little expensive, but otherwise a nice watch (£809).

2) https://parkersjewellers.co.uk/shop/omega-seamaster-vintage-mechanical-3/



Looks very nice, think it looks like it has been looked after well rather than restored.
I'd have to ask if the crystal has been replaced with a replacement Omega one or not.
No images of inner working so couldn't comment there.
Likely to be more expensive as it is a high-street retailer (£745).

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Anyway, hope you all enjoyed War & Peace! I thought I'd put a bit of effort into my first post on these forums.
Look forward to searching for a Seamaster with your advice and guidance over the next few months and hopefully learning a thing or two along the way!

Appreciate any comments, observations, advice or direction in my quest!

 

Loved the look of this one from the Private Sales Forum:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/1959-omega-seamaster-ref-14744-2-sc-serviced.79655/

My only slight hesitation is that I think I'd prefer Gold detail on the dial & hands.

 

Welcome, appears you will become a great asset to our little community.

Starting off extremely well.

Good luck

 

You've done great research, and it's clear you know what you want. My advice is to keep looking a bit more so that you get a better feel for prices and a better eye for polishing.

When you look at watches from that type of dealer, they are always a bit pimped up and polished. The two watches you've shown aren't badly over-polished, but they are more polished than I would prefer, especially given the price. They are both entry-level Seamasters: 33.5mm or 34mm, with manual-winding 600-series movements. Don't get me wrong, they are good watches, but shouldn't command the same price as a 35-36mm watch with cal 55x or 56x automatic movements. I often see decent manual-winding cal 600/601/610 Omegas in 34mm SS cases for 500 GBP or less.

 

Welcome from another new member. Lovely watches you listed I'm thinking along the same lines but still have a lot to learn.

 

Two problems:

1) I've sold a lot of similar watches in the same price range like the one you mentioned in your post so in a way you can say it's a market price;
2) Between us (and keep this a secret), they are way to expensive ... You can do much better (read:cheaper) with the same quality...

Good luck!

 

Nice post.

If you’re not planning on wearing the watch daily, one of the bugbears for me is having to re-set the date when you do wear it.

Without a date feature you can just 'wind & go'!

 

This x10

 

my eyes are too old to read those tiny dates anymore.

 

Hi there! Welcome!
It's refreshing to see someone putting in the effort to do research and know what he wants!
Good luck on your quest and do keep us updated when you finally get yourself a keeper!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Agree - where do you see these deals? Ebay? I've trawled the sales section here and not found too much. Avidly monitoring it though!

Thanks for your comments, not getting married until June next year so plenty of time to explore.

Thanks! Good luck to you also.

 

Some sound advice, thank you. I'll see if I can grab a bargain. Found some nice options today but a little overpriced for what condition they are - have enquired about potential price negotiations.

I should imagine I'll have it on most days when I know I'm not working with my hands. I can imagine it gets tedious but somewhere (I think it may have been these forums) I read that 'You don't have to wind an Omega, you get to" or something along those lines. Think its a nice little mantra!

 

Thanks very much - I'll keep everyone apprised! I plan on posting potential purchases here first to gain a few extra opinions on condition and value.

 

Ebay can be a source of good deals, if you know what you're doing and are willing to sift. Of all models to find on eBay, vintage Seamasters can be among the more annoying because there are so many pieces of junk. I think you'll have an easier time keeping your eye on the sales section here. You won't find any 'steals' around here - monetarily speaking. But you'll get a great example, usually pay a fair price for it, and have peace of mind. As tempting as it is to try to find an example for a hundred bucks less, you're not going to give two sh**s about that amount in a decade from now when you're still loving the great example of the watch on your wrist.

 

Precisely my ethos. I feel here is more accountable and reputable with the reputation system. Would much rather pay the extra few hundred for something I knew was the real deal and has been reviewed well and looked after.

 

Welcome and I hope you find what you want. You have plenty of time by the sound of it and a good idea of what you would like.

Be careful buying from outside Europe. If bought from within the EU and landed in UK, there won't be any VAT or import duty. From outside the EU, you need to allow about 22% on top of the purchase & postal price.

There are quite a few Seamaster fonts for the era you're looking at and they are not all re-dials. I posted some pictures on here last year with a few that I've owned. You should have enough money to get something nice (and serviced) - I sold a watch last year that was probably the sort you're looking for. It was about half your maximum price and it was in nice condition with a BOR bracelet so, they come up occasionally.

Cheers, Chris

 

You might want to try Kabaclyde on Reddit. Not a personal endorsement as I haven’t purchased from him yet, but others here have and had Hood things to say. His prices are pretty close to market value for the most part and he has many options right now that look like they’d work for your style and budget. Welcome, and good luck with the hunt!

 

The word "hunt" is often applied in buying vintage watches, and with good reason. One would like to have all the stars align to be able to purchase exactly the watch we want, at the price we want, from the person we want. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way, and it can be a mistake to close oneself off from other options. There are a lot of great watches out there that are owned by ignorant people without strong reputations.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I'll head over to the sub now (after I've sorted out my Fantasy Football team for the season!)

 

Could people clarify the following for me please. When I’m buying my first watch I should look to factor in the following costs in addition to my purchase:

-VAT and import duty if the watch comes from a Non-EU seller. (20% circa.)
-Service if not recently completed. (£100-300?)

Are there any other costs that might creep in? Don’t want the moment ruined by hidden costs!