Good Afternoon Y'all, I was looking into these two particular watches that have caught my attention. One of them is an Omega Cal 552 and the other is an Omega cal 565. I wanted to know which one is better, with regards to movement & overall quality. What makes one more expensive than the other and would it be a good investment to buy for personal use. I am very new at looking into these type of watches, so I would like to have some expert advice thank you best, Ricardo
In terms of the movements they are basically identical, the 56x series is just the date version of the 55x series. Head to this site and have a read of the four pdf's there and you'll get a really good understanding of the movement lineup in the 40s-60s period. http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.com.au/2007/04/magic-movements.html
I assume the one with 565 is more expensive since it has a date complication. However, I do like the simpler no date dial watch.
Generally, condition being equal, a date feature would not command a premium, some like myself actually like the symmetry of the no date watches. Of course there are always exceptions.
Also when you get more watches and rotate, date watches just take longer to set and go, that's my main reason for liking no date watches.
Non date versus date should not have that much difference in price in a vintage watch. Can't go wrong with a 55: or 56: movement in my view. Some of us like no date watches. https://omegaforums.net/threads/found-it-fun-without-a-date-or-a-brand.38423/
I can't see the damn date without my specs so I consider them a waste of money, however, if a watch I like has a date or even a day date function I'd not ignore it . But my preference is for the simplicity of non-date dials.