Hello everyone,

Yesterday I bought this Omega Seamaster and I can't find an exact reference.

The mounted caliber is 552 and bears a production serial from 1960, the seconds hand is black, the watch seems completely genuine, the only thing that I believe is not correct is the back case which bears an apparently incorrect reference 2576-10 from what I found it on the internet and I believe it was swapped for another Omega watch.

That's all the information I can give you, I hope someone can help me recognize it.

Thanks

 

Not good. At best it is a Franken, as you say the case number 2576 is for a bumper movement sub second watch from the late 40s early 50s. The movement fitted is a full rotor auto seen in the late 50s early 60s (the serial points to 1961-62 by my reckoning). I don't think it is just a caseback swap, the original back for that 552 movement model would probably have been press on but the 2576 used a screw on back. I think it's probably had a whole case swap. It might have been a 2846 originally but that style of dial is rarely seen on 2846s and I'm not sure they ran that late so it might have been from another Seamster altogether, or put together from parts of 3 or more watches.

 

Also wrong crown and a short seconds hand.

OP- I'd return it if you can

 

Yes, I too had some doubts about the crown, the hand is also shorter but do you think it belongs to some Omega or a generic hand?

Unfortunately I can't give it back also because I bought it at a really low price, but here I have a place that has a lot of vintage omega material so I could change the hand for a longer one, do you think the original is black or gold ?

 

That screams Franken.

I really wouldn’t bother putting time and effort into sorting the seconds hands as so much else will still wrong. If you got it cheap, use it as a cheap daily wearer. Don’t throw good money after bad.

 

Just looking at the dial considering that the minute and hour hands are genuine, can any of you tell me a reference?

 

It's funny this hobby of ours. If we were talking about a member who had a 50's car with a missing motor and had installed a later model big engine, there would be congrats all around on the cool engine swap.

 

Second hand should be gold to match the hour and minute hands.

 

Movement could be from any number of different references, ref 14764 would be a good possibility.

 

Thank you, finally someone who gives a competent answer and who understands something about it... the case, the crown, the dial, and the minute and hour hands are the originals. Only the case back and the second hand have been replaced.

I've just fitted a original second hand and now I'm only missing the case back, however the correct reference is the one you told me, the 14764.

Thanks very much for your reply.

 

With drilled lugs? Educate me as I thought that happened in earlier models.

 

As you’re saying the rest of us are incompetent, can you educate us and show another example of that dial in that case.

 

Notice that x350 xjr said the movement may have come from a reference 14764 (or one of many other references that used a 552). I don't think he was implying that your case is that reference. Yours sure looks like other 2576-10's to my amateur eyes. It seems the most likely explanation is a movement and dial (and maybe the crown) from another watch (say a 14764 maybe) were put into the case of a 2576. Do you have a reason for feeling so certain that any particular parts of the watch were originally together?

 

Mmmm, no, that's NOT what I said. The movement does NOT belong to the case.

 

Of course I believe that we should buy all original watches, particularly Omegas, whenever possible. However, I would not be surprised if 20% or more of all of these 50-60 year-old watches that are thought to be 100% have at least some replaced correct, or incorrect, parts. The trick IMHO is getting as close as possible, particularly when most of these timepieces are changing hands through the post. The watch on topic actually is attractive, certainly worthy of a little gardening, bicycling, or wood chopping duty. The fact that it appears to be a 552 in a bumper case, with an attractive dial and hands, kind of makes me smile, since it didn't cost very much. The poster who made the association about putting a bigger engine into a car, making it a respectable hotrod, really made me smile. And another thought that since it didn't cost much, and would be a lot of work to try to make into an "authentic" Omega, why not wear it as a fun watch. All of that seems the realistic approach to the op's situation.
I have at least a dozen Omegas, the most collectible probably a mid serial number SMP 300 America's Cup. Still, it isn't worth much in the arena of heavy hitter watches, but I personally get satisfaction from wearing it. I think the truth is that most of the Omegas that are available to the average person will never appreciate much, in an "at auction" sense, more than the annual cost of living. Unless of course the same sort of silliness that came over the Rolex market a decade ago takes hold with Omega. Then we all look like geniuses. For me, that's not why I collect them. I love the history of the brand, the milestones they have achieved, and as much as anything the gorgeous mechanical marvels that are the copper plated 2-3-4-500 series movements. Shucks, I even put a sapphire back on a plain jane 165.002 just take it off to look at that shiny cal 550. Or to show it to someone to visually explain why I love Omegas.
Anyhow, I have strayed far off-topic, and as such should be properly chastised. My point is to the OP...heck I would give you a few Benjamins in a heartbeat for that "frankenwatch", and have lots of fun wearing it.