As someone who is very new to the game I was hoping to get some suggestions on where to look for my first vintage omega. I'm hesitant to go down the ebay route, and would prefer retailers acknowledged by this community as being reputable. I live in the UK, if that has any bearing.

Thank you for your help.

 

What sort of thing are you thinking about? What sort of budget?

 

I would spend a LOT of time doing research on line before doing anything else. When you have some real knowledge and understanding then start visiting the sales boards, stores and on line sellers and go from there.

 

Great advice. Don't rush into buying something. Plenty of quality vintage Omegas will be available when you have built up a decent knowledge base. It's a much more rewarding approach to your first purchase.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I've started on the learning journey and am in no particular rush - just looking for some direction on which retailers I can shop with confidence with.

In response to your question Canberra, my budget is about £1000 ($1500). I really like the look of the black dial Seamasters.

 

Sorry Canberra, that last response was directed at your question.

 

You would definably want to do a bit of research if you want to get into original black dial Seamasters (vintage), they are the most frequently re-dialed and mess with....

 

Everybody seems to like the look of black dial Seamasters. Consequently, most of them seem to be redials by sellers taking advantage of the fad. An awful lot of black dial Omegas did not leave the factory that way. So, be very wary and ask advice here first!

 

Ah, so they're quite sought after are they? Disappointing to hear. I assume that means my budget of $1500 is optimistic?

 

whereabouts in the UK are you?

 

I live close to Southampton.

 

hmmm. I don't know Southampton very well.... If you find yourself in London there are places like Portobello market or greys market off bond st with a high concentration of vintage stuff (dealer prices and often polished) but theres no substitute for hands on viewing. There's also the Heathrow and Birmingham watch fairs (google them for dates) but I'm not aware of anything specifically south. Hth.

 

If it's your first vintage Omega and you want a black dialed Seamaster, I would strongly suggest you keep a frequent eye on the FS forum here. They do come up from time to time and it's a minefield on ebay if you're new.

 

Thanks for all the advice gents.

 

It's the Don Draper effect. The main character of Mad Men wore one (and it was a redial too) which sparked a craze for them.

No, you can find a decent original example for that money. The problem is finding one amongst the dreck - and there's a LOT of dreck.

 

Check out this thread......
https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-black-dials-only-lets-see-them.1361/
There are most definitely some BEAUTIES out there. Check it out and see, maybe ask if any are available. Id rather be buying off here than buying on eBay. That's what some of these sites are for..... knowledge and buying/selling