Clearly all or most are redials- what are y'alls thoughts? Would you buy if you came across a good price?
Justin you need to be more specific. Which models are you talking about. If you are specifically saying would you buy a redial, then it would really depend on the model and the circumstance. But most often the answer would be no. For some the answer would always be no. I would not unless I had the exact correct dial to replace it with already.
Personal preference, if you like it buy it. Not at all correct, Omega made dials for each model in many different configurations, daggers and numerals are completely correct and actually quite common for these 503 Seamasters.
The company you listed photos for is known for their flamboyant refinished dials and over polished cases. BTW, X350 XJR is also in the business and is known for his quality restorations.
Thanks Steve, The reason I thought seamasters didn't have numbers was because I didn't see it on the omega database. Thanks for the clarification XJ.
Hey guys - I'm new to this forum - looking forward to learn something new! I just picked up this on eBay..any thoughts? It doesn't have a second hand..ticks away though..it houses a cal 1021 from around 1974!
First, I think the dial is not original. The tip off is the location of "Swiss Made" above the minute register. While there are a few genuine dial that have the printing at that location, the vast majority do not. Again, while a very few watches did have original blue dial, this one just doesn't look right. Second, there should be a seconds hand on that watch. I think you purchased what I like to call a "Mumbai Special", or a watch that was pieced together in an Indian horological chop shop from parts of many different, interchangeable movements. Hopefully, you didn't pay too much for this watch, or can get a refund if it was in any way misrepresented. Good luck, gatorcpa
That is an Omega movement and it does look like a cal. 1021, but it isn't. The cal. 1021 is a certified chronometer used in some Constellations and a very Seamasters. It is probably a cal. 1022, which is exactly the same as the 1021, just without the certification. http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&&2uswk&Omega_1021 38M serial number puts it around 1975. As I said before, it needs a seconds hand and proper dial, gatorcpa
Chances are the blue dial is what attracted you to the watch in the first place, so I seen NO need to do anything with the dial, get a second hand put on it and enjoy. These are not what one would consider highly collectable so having an original dial serves no real purpose. This appears to be quite similar to the dials discussed in this recent thread. http://omegaforums.net/threads/bolder-and-bolder.2667/
The omega databse says 1972, but the dial should be "“Floral ”, with roman numbers, gold hour markers, metal hands".
So Is it a Franken? It's a beautiful watch regardless. I'm just curious as it amazes me the quality of these copies and the lengths they go to..!
The Japanese seller whose watermark appears on that photo is a reasonably accomplished redialer. In my experience, he is completely upfront in his listings about watches being redials - in fact, he rarely sells one that isn't. He is also particularly fond of the color blue, so if you're not picky about originality and want a blue watch, not a bad person to get one from.
The omega database (present iteration contains even less information than the previous one) is very inadequate and if the listing includes a dial description, it may be just one version of over a dozen dial versions for that model so take that kind of specificity with a grain of salt. The database is now really most useful for identifying which movements were used in which cases and even there it is not fully accurate.