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What kind of patina can I expect on this 18k WG bezel?

S
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This is my first seamaster and I spent a long time thinking about which one to get. It was between this and the 2254 of course. I went with this because of the condition and I couldn't find a comparable 2254 at the time.

It was practically NOS when I got it
 
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padders
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Nice watch, my 2230 is like that. So the question is what patina will develop? If you don’t expose it to considerable wear then none since the bezel is Rhodium plated, if you do then they go a bit yellow on the bezel high spots, which isn’t a great look.
 
S
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padders padders
Nice watch, my 2230 is like that. So the question is what patina will develop? If you don’t expose it to considerable wear then none since the bezel is Rhodium plated, if you do then they go a bit yellow on the bezel high spots, which isn’t a great look.
I do plan on dailying this watch with the exception of wearing a 5610u to the gym and the blue collar aspects of work. I do love this seamaster, glad to see someone with one comment first! How long have you had yours and any upkeep involved?
 
padders
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I purchased it here a few years ago. It had been babied but was not running as accurately as I would have liked and the hands showed the beginnings of corrosion so I got a full service fairly quickly and now I have a keeper. No it doesn’t need anything out of the ordinary other than normal servicing. Don’t ding the bezel, they are very very expensive. Luckily mine looks mint like yours.

I prefer this to the 2254 personally. I’ve owned many SMP variants inc that but this is my favourite.
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S
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padders padders
54F59AAD-7901-4444-8E2E-E098DE251A67.jpeg
I purchased it here a few years ago. It had been babied but was not running as accurately as I would have liked and the hands showed the beginnings of corrosion so I got a full service fairly quickly and now I have a keeper. No it doesn’t need anything out of the ordinary other than normal servicing. Don’t ding the bezel, they are very very expensive. Luckily mine looks mint like yours.

It looks excellent. What time is it keeping now?Mine is running -2s a day which is great before I take it in for an inevitable service, a few months down the line.
 
padders
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Mine is now around +3spd. It was more like +12s before I got the work done. I have a timing machine so could assess mine inc the amplitude accurately. Judged solely on the accuracy metric, yours is pretty good so unless you know it needs one I wouldn’t rush to service it.
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Dan S
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I didn't realize that Omega made gold dive watches. Is the whole case white gold?
 
Scarecrow Boat
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Dan S Dan S
I didn't realize that Omega made gold dive watches. Is the whole case white gold?
Only the bezel is.
 
padders
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Scarecrow Boat Scarecrow Boat
Just the bezel is.
It’s actually just the bezel insert that is solid gold. The shell is steel. It’s a bit of a copy of the Yachtmaster idea really but in WG instead of plat. You also get a higher end dial than the 2254 with raised lume plots and an AML. It has a lot of the feel of the original PO about the dial and can be seen as a an early step in that direction of a more premium Seamaster. It’s rather less toolish than the 2254 or 2531 which some will like and some won’t. I wish it were all 18k. It would be worth twelvety million pounds, as it is there isn't much premium over the 2254 but when new the RRP was like 40% more.
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YY77
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Scarecrow Boat Scarecrow Boat
Only the bezel is.
Same goes for the 2533.50.00 although for that one the case material is wrongly stated on Omega's website;
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Scarecrow Boat
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padders padders
It’s actually just the bezel insert. The shell is steel. It’s a bit of a rip off of the Yachtmaster idea really but in WG instead of plat. You also get a higher end dial than the 2254 with raised lume plots. It has a lot of the feel of the original PO about the dial. It’s rather less folly than the 2254 or 2531 which some will like and some won’t. I wish it were all 18k. It would be worth twelvety million pounds, as is there is T much premium over the 2254 but when new it was like 45% more.
Ah, I should have just trusted myself. I initially replied “Only the insert is” but second guessed myself and changed it to bezel. Thank you for your thoughtful reply with further detail. I’ve thought these were neat watches and ones I don’t often see. I greatly prefer this reference over the 2533 Americas Cup 👍
 
padders
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Scarecrow Boat Scarecrow Boat
Ah, I should have just trusted myself. I initially replied “Only the insert is” but second guessed myself and changed it to bezel. Thank you for your thoughtful reply with further detail. I’ve thought these were neat watches and ones I don’t often see. I greatly prefer this reference over the 2533 Americas Cup 👍
So do I! And I’ve owned both. The AC didn’t get the fancy dial though, just the bezel and some pretty unsubtle dial and case branding. They did it better with the so called Non-AC.
 
S
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If anyone has some examples that they provide online that would be lovely. I'm very interested in seeing how it would look.
 
tinkercompanies
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white gold is an alloy of gold and other metals such as nickel and palladium, which may oxidize or tarnish over time due to exposure to air, moisture, and other elements. This can cause the white gold to develop a yellowish or grayish hue, which some may consider a patina.

However, many luxury watch brands use a special alloy of white gold that is resistant to tarnishing and discoloration. Therefore, it is possible that the bezel on your watch may not develop much patina or discoloration at all.
 
Timecollector
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Although I don't own a White Gold Omega I do have a couple of other brand 14kt White Gold watches and for the most part, the surface will 'dull' or lose the shiny luster over time. There is a thin 5 Micron layer of Rhodium (which was mentioned in a past post) for 'pop' on many of these White gold watches which will prolong the luster of the watch but over time the worst it will do is just dull out or turn hazy.

This is a before and after the restoration of a 14kt White Gold case. The before shows how dull the white gold had become.

file 347x887_010325.jpg file 598x708_010329.jpg
 
S
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Timecollector Timecollector
Although I don't own a White Gold Omega I do have a couple of other brand 14kt White Gold watches and for the most part, the surface will 'dull' or lose the shiny luster over time. There is a thin 5 Micron layer of Rhodium (which was mentioned in a past post) for 'pop' on many of these White gold watches which will prolong the luster of the watch but over time the worst it will do is just dull out or turn hazy.

This is a before and after the restoration of a 14kt White Gold case. The before shows how dull the white gold had become.

file 347x887_010325.jpg file 598x708_010329.jpg
I can imagine if and when that happens to my bezel to be quite nice. It'll be an even more unique watch.
 
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