Watch Identification - Seamaster Deville

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BatDad

·Jan 9, 2022

Hi folks,

I’m looking for some pointers on a watch that’s recently come my way.

I’m a complete SeaMaster noob so any advice on what I have would be greatly appreciated.

From what I can tell - this is a front loading movement, so it’s not a simple unscrew the caseback and check out the reference.

Before I start to think about what I plan to do with this - I’d like to understand the reference a little more.

thanks folks and happy new year!

 

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BatDad

·Jan 9, 2022

My initial search is suggesting a cal 563. Inscription clearly dates to 1977 and this is inline with some other 563s that I’ve found.

Onyx hands, possibly 14K Gold (no marking on exterior case) The watch is heavy.

Crystal looks to have been replaced.

Seemingly this is an IBM presentation for 25yrs of service.

I am curious if the dial and handset is actually specific to IBM or has been seen more broadly?

What I do find odd is the Swiss Made T text at 6oclock - but there is no luminous material anywhere on the hands or minute markers.

Again - is that typical?

Edited: Jan 9, 2022

 

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PlainVanilla

·Jan 9, 2022

Hello!

It looks like a 14k Seamaster Deville from the 1970's. It probably has an American case made by Ross.

Look between the lugs.

 

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BatDad

·Jan 9, 2022

Nice one @PlainVanilla - 14k text was indeed between the lugs.

 

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PlainVanilla

·Jan 9, 2022

Cheers! 👍

 

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PlainVanilla

·Jan 9, 2022

During the mid-1960's, Omega stopped putting onlys on their dials and used paint instead. The black on the indexes is probably black paint. The crown is wrong, it should have the classic Seamaster DeVille split stem gold plated crown.

It's a nice watch. 😀

EDIT: "Swiss made T" but no tritium on the dial?

 

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BatDad

·Jan 12, 2022

Yup - no response when I put the dial under the black light.

 

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padders

·Jan 13, 2022·Oooo subtitles!

Assuming the watch is roughly the age of the inscription and not much older I would be very surprised if they were still fitting the 563 to one of those by the late 1970s. I would have thought a 1012 or similar was more likely as Omega moved over to the 4 digit movements in the early 1970s and there are SMDVs with the later movements out there. With it being a US case though maybe the normal rules don’t apply. It could have sat on the shelf for a decade before being cased maybe!

 

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PlainVanilla

·Jan 13, 2022

https://omegaforums.net/threads/authentic-or-not-1972-omega-seamaster-de-ville.68247/