Watch age and time on shelf??

larryt · Feb 2, 2020

I picked up my Planet Ocean Seamaster in December of 2013. The warranty card had 2011 printed on it, although they wrote in my date of purchase as the start date. Out of curiosity I just checked the serial number (78,xxx,xxx) for age and the info I found is that it is a 2006 manufacture date. Does this sound right? Seems like a long time to be on the shelf.

VetPsychWars · Feb 2, 2020

Serial numbers are only a rough guideline. I bought a Speedmaster in early 2000, and it had a 77m serial.

Tom

Donn Chambers · Feb 3, 2020

larryt
I picked up my Planet Ocean Seamaster in December of 2013. The warranty card had 2011 printed on it, although they wrote in my date of purchase as the start date. Out of curiosity I just checked the serial number (78,xxx,xxx) for age and the info I found is that it is a 2006 manufacture date. Does this sound right? Seems like a long time to be on the shelf.

First, the “2011” on your warranty card isn’t a date, it’s the Omega internal code for the United States. All it means is that the watch was sold to a dealer in the US.

Second, as Tom also said, you can’t use those serial number charts to judge when modern movements were made. They are an extrapolation at best. If you bought your Planet Ocean in 2013, it likely did not sit on the shelf for more than a year or so. If it’s worked fine since then, and has been serviced (as it probably should for a 7-year old watch), does it really matter when it was produced?

larryt · Feb 3, 2020

Donn Chambers
First, the “2011” on your warranty card isn’t a date, it’s the Omega internal code for the United States. All it means is that the watch was sold to a dealer in the US.

Second, as Tom also said, you can’t use those serial number charts to judge when modern movements were made. They are an extrapolation at best. If you bought your Planet Ocean in 2013, it likely did not sit on the shelf for more than a year or so. If it’s worked fine since then, and has been serviced (as it probably should for a 7-year old watch), does it really matter when it was produced?

Good info on the Country code. Thanks.

The watch works great. I love the watch. It was a 20th anniversary gift from my wife and my first "nice" watch. I will have it until I give it to one of my boys years down the line.

Does it really matter when it was produced? I guess that depends on your perspective. As someone that enjoys collecting a few things, most recently watches, I have an appreciation for the history of things. It's kind of what makes collecting a hobby as opposed to just buying something. And really, would I even be on this forum if I just cared about having something to use to tell what time it is reliably? So, I guess from the standpoint of better understanding how accurate available info on Omega production dates is, and knowing if this was a watch that tended to sit on the shelf when they were new due to its desirability for a historical perspective, it matters to me.

stuart70 · Feb 4, 2020

I think on another thread that omega holds centrally a years worth of production. On the large outer cardboard box you can see a production date - although I am not sure if that is for the box. In conversation with a Swatch group watchmaker they do produce watch in large batches. I also know of a case of a AD loosing a Rolex in a safe for a few years.Thus to sum up there is a difference between production date and sales date.

larryt · Feb 7, 2020

So now I am wondering if my reference was even made as early as 2006. Seamaster Planet Ocean 2210.50.00.

Hduck · Feb 7, 2020

S stuart70
I think on another thread that omega holds centrally a years worth of production. On the large outer cardboard box you can see a production date - although I am not sure if that is for the box. In conversation with a Swatch group watchmaker they do produce watch in large batches. I also know of a case of a AD loosing a Rolex in a safe for a few years.Thus to sum up there is a difference between production date and sales date.

What I learned by doing business at my local AD is can't even really trust the box (except for the LEs and Speedmaster kits). They have a big cabinets of generic boxes and when a watch is purchased they just pull one out of the cabinet and put the watch and its particular paperwork in it.

BTW I commented about the number of boxes they have and they asked if I wanted a spare! Pulled one out (cardboard exterior and all) and gave it to me. I also have a spare Breitling. I have done a lot of business with them though.

Engee · Feb 7, 2020

Hduck
What I learned by doing business at my local AD is can't even really trust the box (except for the LEs and Speedmaster kits). They have a big cabinets of generic boxes and when a watch is purchased they just pull one out of the cabinet and put the watch and its particular paperwork in it.

Boxes are bulky and expensive to ship and it doesn't matter where they are made, whereas the place of manufacturer of the watch is critical. I'm speculating here, but is it not likely that boxes are made locally under license to save on shipping costs, and then paired with a watch at point of sale?

Hduck · Feb 7, 2020

Engee
Boxes are bulky and expensive to ship and it doesn't matter where they are made, whereas the place of manufacturer of the watch is critical. I'm speculating here, but is it not likely that boxes are made locally under license to save on shipping costs, and then paired with a watch at point of sale?

Agreed. Or perhaps made in China and shipped to Omega and Breitling USA to their warehouses.

The other giveaway is that I am there when a watch I ordered comes in. They are shipped in clear plastic protective containers and banded around Styrofoam. The papers are with the plastic shipping container

Foo2rama · Feb 7, 2020

larryt
So now I am wondering if my reference was even made as early as 2006. Seamaster Planet Ocean 2210.50.00.

Yes I believe so. That’s a 1st generation POC with a 3313 movement. They went out of production 7-8 years ago or slightly more. They ran a fairly long time after being debuted in 2005. I am not sure if the POC ( chrono) was at the same time.

a shot of the back of your watch could tell if it’s as early as 2006, as I believe the markings changed a bit on them through the years.

wonderful pieces I have an orange bezeled one.

it’s fully possible that it sat around for awhile at an Authorized Dealer.

When I get home I’ll check the serial on mine as I know mine was one of the later ones.