1960's Omega id help needed

[Spice_Weasel]

I've been asked by my mother to help with some info on her friend's old Omega watch which I understand originally belonged to said friend's uncle. All I have to go on currently are the two (poor) pictures below - I have advised her that it would be useful if I could take a look at it and examine the movement.





I've been asked to find out what it is worth and what it would cost to service/clean it. I'm told it does wind, starts to work, but keeps stopping.

I've done a bit of research and concluded it is probably a 1960's model, obviously gold or gold-capped and could be a calibre 268 (maybe a 491). I'm a bit concerned that the hands may not be original as I can only find models with Dauphine-style hands as opposed to the narrow pencil-style hands on the pic above.

Any help with identification and a view on service costs would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

[Shaw Tarse]

Is it worth wearing for a while?
May get it to work?

There is an Omega website that gives details of the watch, if you can enter a number?

[Spice_Weasel]

Shaw Tarse said:

Is it worth wearing for a while?
May get it to work?

I don't have the watch and I doubt that mum's friend would remember / be able to report back on how well it ran.

Shaw Tarse said:

There is an Omega website that gives details of the watch, if you can enter a number?

You can cross-reference the movement id against Omega's database, but as I don't yet have the watch, I can't take the back off to check the movement.

[Spice_Weasel]

Any views on my take on the watch, guys? Especially the hands as I just can't find anything similar. I was planning on using Steve Burrage for a service/clean but as the watch is in Hants maybe Eddie would be convenient for my mother to drop it into?

Any info on the model would be appreciated too...

[snapper seven]

Yep looks to me like a Seamaster 30 with sub second register. The "30" denotes the size of the movement apparently.

Photos below is of my Seamaster 30 with central sweeping second hand. These are manual wind with calibre 286 movement as you thought. Not sure if your movement will be different though given the second hand arrangement??

My hands look similar to yours, though hard to tell without better quality pictures, but I have a question mark over mine as most that I have seen are lume centred.

Austin Kaye seem to be one of the biggest movers of these old Omegas, might be worth checking their website or running it past them to see if they can offer any more info.
Anyway, a lovely watch you have there. Here is mine.


Omega Seamaster 30 1963 2 by snapper seven, on Flickr


Omega Seamaster 30 1963 by snapper seven, on Flickr

Cheers
SS

Edited by snapper seven on Monday 3rd February 13:49

[snapper seven]

Sorry meant to add. On the servicing front, from Goldsmiths I was quoted there 'blanket vintage' cost of £260 but from other local independent jewellers who specialise in such things the quote was more £180-200.

I guess Austin Kaye may be able to provide a valuation too. Whenever I look at their website it is just a sea (excuse pun!) of Seamasters with a wide price range and I don't know enough about the different models to know which are the more valuable. I would bear in mind that AK's prices are going to be absolute top end.

Cheers
SS

[Spice_Weasel]

Thanks very much for the help. I do know Austin Kaye and agree that their prices are toppy. They have really pushed up the prices of the vintage Omegas in the last few years. I can remember seeing them at £300-£400 for a manual wind steel case but they are at least double that now.

I'd agree with your estimate on repair/servicing/cleaning. I've advised my mother to tell her friend that in terms of value, it's probably worth about £150 now in its current state, but may be worth £400 (once serviced/cleaned) in a private sale. I'd guess Austin Kaye would bid £200-£300 for it (assuming it's working) and ask £800-£900 for it.

[GC8]

To correctly identify the watch you need to open it and read the case number from the rear of the case back.

Then use this on Omegas vintage database. Post up a photo of the number if youre having a problem, because it isn't uncommon for there to be reference number vagaries (where you need to enter a slightly different number in order to make it work) in their lookup system.

Id send this to Steve Burrage, as jewellers prices are comical with ridiculous margins all around.

With regards to the hands: of all of the old Omegas that I own and have researched, few have dials and hands similar to those seen in catalogues and Omegas reference site. From memory I have a Chronostop and a Megaquartz 32MHz which match and this is because there weren't any dial or other options. In the sixties there were manifold combinations available. Im surprised that dauphine hands were depicted, as I have really struggled to find another Seamaster 600 which has dauphine hands or a 1/5th of a second Chronostop-style dial...

Omega link: http://www.omegawatches.com/planet-omega/heritage/...

Thatll take you to one of the watches that I have mentioned, but you can search further case references from that page. The number will be similar to 135.011 - if you have a problem with the site then post and Id hope to be able to get around it.