Vintage Omegas

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I usually wear an 18kt gold Omega with a solid gold dial from 1958.

Pics or it didn't happen.

What can the hit rate be on someone actually selling something from this kind of spam nonsense. Isn't it just a waste of everyone's time?

Jeez.

It's not from Ebay. It's from a forum and the seller has around 2,000 posts. Checked the source of the photos and they came from a website. Check the e-mails of the poster and the contact info of the website and they were different but with the same first name. I think the guy is probably legit.

What do you think is a good price?
Cop or no cop?

Originally Posted by blackplatano

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It's not from Ebay. It's from a forum and the seller has around 2,000 posts. Checked the source of the photos and they came from a website. Check the e-mails of the poster and the contact info of the website and they were different but with the same first name. I think the guy is probably legit.

What do you think is a good price?
Cop or no cop?

Just judging from the case condition (since that's all we have to go by) it looks to me to be in pretty good condition. If you look on the case back all of the detail on the seamonster is visible and the machining on the ring outside the center emblem is visible. That indicates that it hasn't had excessive wear.

You buy the dealer on a deal like this. If you get comfortable with the seller, then I'd say that the price is in the range of reasonable and if you like the watch I'd say that you're unlikely to get anything in a new watch of this quality for twice the price.

Is this particular model going to become highly collectable and double in value in five years? Probably not. But it should give you very solid service for many years.

If you're happy with the value prop here I say go for it. Try to knock him down a bit, but he's unlikely to take a lot less. If you get it for $50 less I'd say it's a good deal. If it's $100 less I'd say it's a steal. All assuming that what he's told you is true.

JMHO.

EDIT: Let me restate a bit. He's marketing this as "mint" condition. If you get it and get a watchmaker to check out the movement and it is indeed mint (the case, dial and crystal all look good, I can't tell for sure if it's redial, but I don't think so) then IMO this is a great deal.

The fact that the original box(?) is present likely means it's been well-cared-for. However, there is the risk that someone could try something funny with the movement, or that it's been refurbished (not a big deal to some who like a nice fresh-looking dial face and hands, but might be to others).

I'd concur with Mark from Plano -- US$400 would be a steal indeed. This is actually the watch I have (not the steel version I posted earlier), complete with the date viewer. I am actually not sure if the latter is stock -- if it is its a less common model -- but I got mine from my dad, and it's complete with scratch in the crystal, so I'm pretty sure it's original.

Does the seller offer any kind of money-back-if-not-satisfied guarantee?

I would have to ask about the guarantee but I don't know. Is there anything I can ask to lower the risk of the watch having something funny? Serial #, etc?

Originally Posted by blackplatano

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I would have to ask about the guarantee but I don't know. Is there anything I can ask to lower the risk of the watch having something funny? Serial #, etc?

Well, the serial # will come off the movement, so if he can't open the case and see the back of the movement he can't give you the serial number.

I think you're going to have to develop a trust in the seller somehow. If he's a regular on a watch forum and an active seller and other people there know him and can vouch for him that probably would be enough for me to take the risk.

I've taken some risks like this that haven't worked out and then I've taken some that have been the best deals I've ever made. The ones that didn't work out were ones where I didn't know anything about the seller.

Based on what I know now I'd probably do the deal with maybe just a bit more due diligence on the seller. You're unlikely to get a lot more detailed info on the watch that will be helpful without opening it up.

are there any reliable ebay stores that sell vintage omegas? I've been looking on ebay, but I hesitate to try to buy anything shipped from singapore and india.

Here's a good resource for everyone on vintage Omegas.

Because the vintage market for Omegas has gotten so hot, they are pretty good on their website about giving information on particular watches. You can enter a serial number off a movement and they can tell you what kind of case that movement belongs to, when it was made, etc. so that you can tell if it's a frankenwatch or whatever. You have to register for the site, but it's free.

http://www.omegawatches.com/cu_vintage/main.php

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

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Well, the serial # will come off the movement, so if he can't open the case and see the back of the movement he can't give you the serial number.

I think you're going to have to develop a trust in the seller somehow. If he's a regular on a watch forum and an active seller and other people there know him and can vouch for him that probably would be enough for me to take the risk.

I've taken some risks like this that haven't worked out and then I've taken some that have been the best deals I've ever made. The ones that didn't work out were ones where I didn't know anything about the seller.

Based on what I know now I'd probably do the deal with maybe just a bit more due diligence on the seller. You're unlikely to get a lot more detailed info on the watch that will be helpful without opening it up.


Yea, dumb question about the serial #.
Well i did a domain search on the guy's website and got his name and it matches his screen name. So I'll take the plunge.

He is willing to deal and is selling for $550. You are saying to go for $450, correct?

Originally Posted by blackplatano

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Yea, dumb question about the serial #.
Well i did a domain search on the guy's website and got his name and it matches his screen name. So I'll take the plunge.

He is willing to deal and is selling for $550. You are saying to go for $450, correct?

Here's what I'm saying: If you go try to buy a new mechanical auto watch from even a mid-level maker (Raymond Weil, etc.) you're going to pay $1000 (probably less on sale). Now, with that you get a warranty and some stuff you don't get here. For me, I find panache in having a vintage watch that I just don't find in a new one...but that's just me, others feel differently.

This watch will cost you money over time. It's going to be expensive to work on and parts will be hard to find (perhaps). If that doesn't bother you, then I think it's a good deal at $550.

But...I always am trying to get a better deal. Why pay more when you can pay less? There's nothing magical about $450. I don't know what the market is on this watch and I don't really feel like going and doing research on it. I'm just saying that...for me...I would feel like I got a good deal anywhere in the range we talked about.

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

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Here's what I'm saying: If you go try to buy a new mechanical auto watch from even a mid-level maker (Raymond Weil, etc.) you're going to pay $1000 (probably less on sale). Now, with that you get a warranty and some stuff you don't get here. For me, I find panache in having a vintage watch that I just don't find in a new one...but that's just me, others feel differently.

This watch will cost you money over time. It's going to be expensive to work on and parts will be hard to find (perhaps). If that doesn't bother you, then I think it's a good deal at $550.

But...I always am trying to get a better deal. Why pay more when you can pay less? There's nothing magical about $450. I don't know what the market is on this watch and I don't really feel like going and doing research on it. I'm just saying that...for me...I would feel like I got a good deal anywhere in the range we talked about.


Gotcha.

E-mailed the seller, will let you know how it goes. Thanks.

Looking up this model on the Omega website, it's saying that they introduced it in 1962. It looks like it should have a calibre 562 or 565 movement (both had the center second hands like this one).

Doesn't say anything about the fish-eye on the crystal, but that doesn't mean much. Probably came in lots of configurations.

Retail in 1962 was 360 swiss francs (what that equates to in $, I have no idea).

INFO FROM SITE:
HELPSearch Results Results
Results: 5
Sorting: Reference or case number
Reference or case number Title Collection Case material Year from View: Detail
Simple List Image List Detail Lightbox 3x4 1
1 2 3 4 5 First Last This watch may have existed with different dials.
More product information
Case : round (34,4 mm diameter), 14K yellow goldcap on stainless steel, SS case back.
For leather straps of 18 mm lug-size
International Collection : 1962-1972
Swiss retail price (1962) : CHF 360.- (on leather) or CHF 495.- (on gold-plated bracelet).
Later replaced by ref. CD/CE 166.0033
Also existing in 14K pink goldcap under ref. CE 166.0020 (CHF 375.-), 18K solid yellow or pink gold (BA or BB, CHF 740.-), 18K solid white gold (BC, CHF 940.-), 14K solid yellow gold (BD, CHF 655.-) and stainless steel (ST, CHF 290.- on leather or CHF 350.- on SS bracelet).
JLM
Seamaster De Ville
Gents' leather strap
Reference
CD 166.0020

International collection
1962

Movement
Type: Automatic (mechanical)
Caliber number: 562 / 565
Cal. 562
Created in 1958, 24 jewels
Cal. 565
Created in 1965, 24 jewels
Both with central sweep-second hand

Functions
Date

Case
Gold-cap on stainless steel

Case back
Unishell (case opening on dial side)
Full metal
Dial
With hand-rivetted gold hour markers and "stick" hands.

Crystal
Armoured hesalite

Bracelet
Leather

Water resistance
30 meters

http://62.73.172.171/eMuseumPlus?ser...=Simage%2Fjpeg

Spoke to the seller and got the watch down to $450. Thanks for the help Mark.
I'll try and get the watch checked out at the shop when I get it, but If I notice everything seems fine I might not even bother.

timezone is a great resource for vintage watches. Much better than ebay. But, with anything via the internet, caveat emptor.


On TZ, I purchased a solid 14K '62 Longines automatic for $399, triple signed with minimum wear



and a 1970 Girard Perregaux Auto with black face for $160


The one recommendation I have for getting into vintage watches; buy only what you feel you would wear. Meaning, buy it first because you would wear it and not because of the collectability, vintage, etc. Also, be careful on sizes. Watches from the 60's and earlier tended to be made smaller <34mm and can look very small on big wrists. I tend to stick to watches only 35mm and greater because of this.