Hi, I’m a long time lurker, first time poster! I’m planning to buy my first ‘grown up’ watch and have decided it would ideally be a vintage Seamaster 600 or similar. I really like a watch I’ve seen but am worried I might be sold a pup - I know that other newbies have come a cropper when buying black dial Omegas in the past... It features a rather unusual combo of the following features: black dial fully numerical finely graded outer second ring red second hand narrow, straight lugs front opening automatic I’ve seen all of these on other watches, but never in this configuration. The seller thinks the dial may have been replaced at some point in the past, which probably means it has been. But what do you chaps think? Here are some photos: The main thing which bothers me is the lume on the hands, which follow the shape of each hand, rather than being confined to a narrow central strip, which is more normal as far as I can see. But maybe this is a variation which I’m not aware of... To complicate matters, I do know of at least one watch which is similar in most (but not all) respects to this one, and which I am fairly sure is not a redial: (sorry the pics are not so great) I would be ever so grateful for any help or advice that could be given! Many thanks in advance!
It's a horrid redial. Black paint is unoriginal, lume is new, and fonts are all off. It's the epitome of a terrible redial. It may never even have been a seamaster 600. Run, don't walk, and good luck on your continued hunt.
I thought that might be the case - good job I asked here rather than making a silly mistake! Thanks so much for your feedback. I’ll get there in the end!
Dial, hands and crown are all wrong. The other one you posted isn't too great either Welcome aboard, OF is the best place to do research before buying. Spend some time digging through this subforum and I am sure that you'll find what you're looking for.
I feel pretty silly now but this is how one learns, right? I think I was seduced by the general look of it - if such a watch existed it would be great but I’m not sure anything like it was ever made, apart from the military ones with the fat arrow on... I wish there was an exhaustive Omega back catalogue online somewhere to cross reference against!
Aha, very instructive, thanks! So it looks like this is a ‘front loading’ Seamaster or a Seamaster De Ville with a substantially remodelled dial and for some reason the redialler has decided to pass it off as a 600...
There isn't that much of a price difference between two equally good omegas where one is silver and the other black, but the latter are a fair bit more difficult to find. A simple search here on "black" will find you a plethora of threads, most of them exhibiting interesting varieties.
Ah but I have to make life difficult for myself so I also want a fully numerical dial. Basically I’m after this: (via https://instagram.com/omega_enthusiast )
That looks weird, IMO. I have no idea if it's correct or not, but a 40's dial type in a 60's watch? Aesthetically I think it clashes.
Looks weird to me too although it seems to be an original dial. If you like that dial style, these sixties Admiralty watches are nice. Mine shown is a manual wind but they also come as autos. Slightly distorted photo at the lower, sorry. Cheers, Chris
Apparently it’s from 1966 - my assumption is that it was intended to be an updated version of the old 1940s Omegas made for the British military:
Yep, I know these. I bet that if you find one of the Seamaster 600s with that dial, it will end up costing as much as one of the above - why don't go for one of those? Lovely case, great history, great movement... Can't go wrong
That’s good advice I think... the sub dial is something I’d have to get used to but I’m sure I would!