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Vintage gold omega sea master

J
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Hi guys,


I have inherited my grandpas 18k gold Omega Speedmaster. I have found similar watches on line, but can't find any with the same bracelet.


I'm not looking to sell the watch as it has huge sentimental value to me but unfortunately it doesn’t not fit.


The gold bracelet does not look like any links could be added. Did the model only come in one bracelet size as there is no room for any adjustment?



I was thinking of putting it on a leather strap which would be a shame but it would seem to be my only option to fit my wrist.


Please could someone advise if it would be possible to put a leather strap on- it seems the bracelet is integrated and can’t be removed.


Adding a new strap would mean I would also need a new 18k gold buckle as the buckle is integrated.



Any information regarding the model and condition perhaps even a rough idea of age and value (should I add it to my house insurance?). Is it waterproof- obviously it will need to be serviced first.



In short:

How to extend the bracelet

An alternative larger bracelet/strap - with gold buckle.

Any Information on the model of watch


Thanks In advance

Any and all help will be much appreciated
 
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Dan S
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I was pretty excited to see the gold Speedmaster advertised in the title. 🙁

Regarding the bracelet, I'm not sure it has anything to do with Omega, so you should feel free do replace it with anything you like. There should be some significant value in the gold.

The watch is not 18k, just gold-plated/filled. I can see some brassing on the lugs.
Edited:
 
DaveK
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J JustinG123
I have inherited my grandpas 18k gold Omega Speedmaster...

Welcome Justin! Wonderful to have a family heirloom. Go ahead and make @Dan S ' day, and edit the title to Seamaster 👍

Some helpful responses will follow soon, its a nice watch.
 
ConElPueblo
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This sort of bracelet would have been sized to the watch buyer and fitted locally, making it a much cheaper option than an imported Swiss bracelet that would have been supplied with links to spare, meaning that the buyer would have some expensive grams of gold knocking about that he wasn't using.

It is by no means uninteresting or worthless, but there is little value above the gold value.
 
sleepyastronaut
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Welcome!

Beautiful watch!

If you're mechanically inclined, and can get ahold of a Watch Case Opener (like the one below, for example; image from HarborFreight.com) you can unscrew the case back to reveal the case model number inside.

watch_case_opener.jpg
 
Mark020
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J JustinG123
So you believe the strap to be an aftermarket gold bracelet not supplied by omega.
No Omega marks to be seen so most likely indeed aftermarket
 
ConElPueblo
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Mark020 Mark020
No Omega marks to be seen so most likely indeed aftermarket

To elaborate; it needs markings inside the clasp - aftermarket ones come with omega logos on the outside, though they are usually fairly crude.

Btw, nice to see one of these in good nick. Often they are damaged to some extent.
 
Dan S
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ConElPueblo ConElPueblo
To elaborate; it needs markings inside the clasp - aftermarket ones come with omega logos on the outside, though they are usually fairly crude.

Btw, nice to see one of these in good nick. Often they are damaged to some extent.

And how often do you see a solid 18k bracelet on a plated watch? Somebody really loved that bracelet and splurged on it.
 
ConElPueblo
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Dan S Dan S
And how often do you see a solid 18k bracelet on a plated watch? Somebody really loved that bracelet and splurged on it.

My first Constellation was a pretty gold-capped specimen that I found at a place that bought gold for melting. It came on a 14k bracelet like this which I at first believed to be Omega-produced. The veterans on this site taught me otherwise and since then I've shared that knowledge countless (well, "a lot of" at least...) times 😀
 
Dan S
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ConElPueblo ConElPueblo
My first Constellation was a pretty gold-capped specimen that I found at a place that bought gold for melting. It came on a 14k bracelet like this which I at first believed to be Omega-produced. The veterans on this site taught me otherwise and since then I've shared that knowledge countless (well, "a lot of" at least...) times 😀

Gold-capped makes more sense. Do you still have it?
 
ConElPueblo
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Dan S Dan S
Gold-capped makes more sense. Do you still have it?

No, sold it a year and a half later - I've had a number of Constellations since, but this was the first love 🥰
 
TimeODanaos
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J JustinG123
Hi guys, I have inherited my grandpas 18k gold Omega Speedmaster. I have found similar watches on line, but can't find any with the same bracelet.
I'm not looking to sell the watch as it has huge sentimental value to me but unfortunately it doesn’t not fit.
The gold bracelet does not look like any links could be added. Did the model only come in one bracelet size as there is no room for any adjustment?
I was thinking of putting it on a leather strap which would be a shame but it would seem to be my only option to fit my wrist.
Please could someone advise if it would be possible to put a leather strap on- it seems the bracelet is integrated and can’t be removed.
Adding a new strap would mean I would also need a new 18k gold buckle as the buckle is integrated.
Any information regarding the model and condition perhaps even a rough idea of age and value (should I add it to my house insurance?). Is it waterproof- obviously it will need to be serviced first.
Hi Justin, welcome. I'm sorry your grandpa passed, but you have something nice there to remember him, and I'm glad you want to keep it. That bracelet is nice, although as you know, it's not Omega. You should keep it, in memory of grandpa, in case you want to gift it to someone special one day, and because hey, 18kt bands don't just grow on trees. The $ you could get for it would not fund a new one, for sure. Meantime, the watch will look smart, and more contemporary on a strap, which it is probably what it was wearing out of the factory (since the watch head is not solid 18kt).
It's good that you plan to have it serviced - when the back is open, the watchmaker can give you all the numbers from the case and the movement that you need to ID the model. Your choice, but I wouldn't try amateur hour getting the back off yourself. At the same time, s/he might take some good interior photos, and also get the bracelet off: it's not "integrated" in the sense of "inseparable", but again let the expert do it to avoid accidents.
Getting a "correct" buckle, whether 18kt or plated can be your next challenge, and you won't be surprised to hear there are threads and people on here who can help with that too.
I guess the watch is 1960s, and I wouldn't worry that this is a piece that is too valuable (in money terms) to see the light of day - wear and enjoy! (But no, it's never going to be "waterproof" in any way that could be advertised as such today, so no swimming or fishing.) Good luck with this.
 
Tako Yaki
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Hi,

welcome here!

Sorry for Your loss!

Beautiful watch and bracelet, I think!

The bracelet looks to be in quite good condition. If it’s too small for Your wrist, a goldsmith/bench jeweller can extend it.
At least get it well cleaned, these woven bracelets collect a lot of dust over the years, so the gold appears greyish!

These bracelets are getting rarer, sadly mostly just molten for the price of the metal!
 
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