How to navigate dangerous waters ?

[LeCorbusier]

As a rookie with limited knowledge, what tips do people have regarding buying/bidding for bargains?

For example ... what should one think about this Omega?

 

Is the fact that the serial no. is obscured an alarm?

 

Is the case back genuine? (to an inexperienced eye it seems very crude when compared to other examples). 

or is all what it appears ... a very 'well worn' watch ( what has happened to the watch face!) with damaged hairspring?

If this is a topic that is already well worn .... perhaps someone could point me in the right direction.

Tim

Edited February 18, 2022 by LeCorbusier

[watchweasol]

Hi   Just looking at it it looks rough, dial is a mess the balance spring looks a though its caught up on the regulator boot, although the movement looks ok,  why has the serial number been scuffed off. To bring this back to life will not be a cheap option.  So if interested fix a price in your mind adding the restoration costs then work out the re sale value and dont get carried away. best to loose the watch than waste you money

[LeCorbusier]

29 minutes ago, watchweasol said:

Hi   Just looking at it it looks rough, dial is a mess the balance spring looks a though its caught up on the regulator boot, although the movement looks ok,  why has the serial number been scuffed off. To bring this back to life will not be a cheap option.  So if interested fix a price in your mind adding the restoration costs then work out the re sale value and dont get carried away. best to loose the watch than waste you money

I think its beyond my skill set .... but I posted because I wondered if it was genuine. To my eyes the watch case back looked as if it might be fake (the inscription looks very rough) and I couldn't for the life of me think why you would obscure the movement serial number ..... but perhaps to more experienced eyes it looks genuine - if not worth the effort unless as a vehicle to demonstrate what might be possible?

[jdm]

13 minutes ago, LeCorbusier said:

I posted because I wondered if it was genuine.

I believe it is. You can compare to others on chrono24.com. In the end the best place to discuss this kind of subject is a specialized owners/collectors forum of which there are various.

[LeCorbusier]

My question was more general really .... but I now suspect unanswerable!

As it was raised out of curiosity we should perhaps leave it there.

[Nucejoe]

Looks genuine.

 Due to water damage, the movement no longer qualifies to join your collection.

Its worth more as parts than a watch, yet it still can show accurate time for a life time. 

[jdm]

1 hour ago, LeCorbusier said:

My question was more general really .... but I now suspect unanswerable!

Why unanswerable. When it comes to authenticity of vintage pieces you need to consider that at the time, fakes were crude affairs with ultra cheap pin pallet mov.ts, and only leading models were counterfeited, these are actually well known in the enthusiast communities. Back then as now, nobody was able to credibly realize the fine rhodium plating of Omega, actually they were not even trying.  Concealing S/N is normally done by some sellers, I suppose they do that to avoid that the pictures of their genuine pieces are eventually used in scams, etc. Personally on this particular watch the damage on the dial is much more toward the "patina" that collectors find desirable, and I think is due to normal aging and reaction of the paints and metals.

All that being said, if it's a good buy must be judged comparing the price asked to the ones similar watches, that is what market commands.

[LeCorbusier]

Thanks JDM ... that's very helpful.

I keep on reading about 'Franken' watches ... where genuine parts are mixed and matched along with after market parts?

[jdm]

2 hours ago, LeCorbusier said:

I keep on reading about 'Franken' watches ... where genuine parts are mixed and matched along with after market parts?

Normally Franken watches are cheap stuff cobbled up in India, having little to do with big brands.

However in 2022 it's easy to quickly learn about what is what using the Internet. You enter the reference number or whatever you know on chrono24 or Google, look at the pictures, read the history and all that stuff. That enables you not only to make an informed buy/not buy decision, but to become more knowledgeable about your favorite brands and model. That is how many people that write on the Internet have done, as those that actually have handled this kind of pieces for decades may not be able or interested in hanging out on forums or social networks.

[spectre6000]

That's a pretty rough watch, but I gotta be honest, it grabbed me personally... Something about that dial having been totally wasted like that... In classic cars, you'd call that a patina monster. It looks like someone dug it out of the bottom of a pond, then cleaned it up and got it working. The crystal is new, the case isn't caked with schmutz, there's no real visible active rust with a fair amount of likely recovered rusted areas... I think the hairspring might actually be in good shape based on that. If the price was right, I'd probably put in a bid of my own for my personal collection. I like it. Would it be uncouth to ask for a link since it sounds like you're taking a pass?