To make a long story short, I spend a lot time and money understanding the value of original items, the value of an old vintage watch working with its original pieces.
Today, I collect Omega, and this guide as the goal to give beginners a couple of tips to understand how to properly choose a Vintage Omega – before 1975.
My first Omega Watch was offered to me by my grandfather, in 1988. A beautiful gold Genève from the 1960s.
I was 18 and loved Swatch, Hamilton and brand new watches, so I never wore that watch.
In the late 90s I tried to wear it, but it didn’t work, it was completely dry. I went to a so called “specialist” that charged me 120 € – 150 $ – to clean it, change the glass and the original crown for a non branded one – never understood why he changed the crown.
My second Omega was a 30T2, gold plated, very big, with 38 mm. Beautiful watch with a small problem: only the mechanism, dial and hands were actually Omega; the case was a stunning Cauny, the crown from a Certina…….
There are far more watches than you think, and many seam perfect Omegas, including their case, dial, hands and mechanism, but were never designed or made by Omega.
So, how to spot a fake or a Frankenstein Omega?
Both fake or a Frankenstein Omega are bogus watches, but the main difference is the fake, or replica, will not use 100% original factory parts. They will use similar parts to the original ones, with different materials or design mistakes; they will use different movements: quartz instead of mechanics or a white label mechanical movement instead of the original one.
A Frankenstein Omega is far worse because it uses 100% original factory parts to build a watch that was never designed by Omega. For instance, you can have a case from the 50’s with a movement of the 40’s. That’s when things get tricky.
The only way to be 100% sure about what you are purchasing is to ask Omega. But there a couple of rules that a beginner should know about before buying a Vintage Omega:
Mechanical movements
The mechanical movements let the sweep second hand glide around the dial chapters, so if you see a sweep second hand that ticks every second is made with a quartz movement and a fake.
Almost every watch before 1975 was mechanical, mining that the sweep second hand will glide around the dial, the Omega exception is the F300hz, in this case it’s an electronic movement and it will make a small buzz noise, instead of the usual tic tack. This is not a fake. But in the dial has to say F300hz.
So, you should observe the sweep second hand and analyze the way it ticks, and if it does what is supposed to do, according to the movement that equipped the watch: mechanic or quartz
Serial number and Caliber
Never buy a watch without seeing and confirming if the serial numbers match.
First you have to check if the serial number is stamped on the watch movement, this will tell you the production year and the caliber. Have a look:
| Serial Number | Date | |
| 1,000,000 | 1894 | |
| 2,000,000 | 1902 | |
| 3,000,000 | 1906 | |
| 4,000,000 | 1910 | |
| 5,000,000 | 1915 | |
| 6,000,000 | 1923 | |
| 7,000,000 | 1920 | |
| 8,000,000 | 1934 | |
| 9,000,000 | 1926 | |
| 10,000,000 | 1944 | |
| 11,000,000 | 1947 | |
| 12,000,000 | 1950 | |
| 13,000,000 | 1952 | |
| 14,000,000 | 1954 | |
| 15,000,000 | 1956 | |
| 16,000,000 | 1958 | |
| 17,000,000 | 1959 | |
| 18,000,000 | 1961 | |
| 19,000,000 | 1962 | |
| 20,000,000 | 1963 | |
| 21,000,000 | 1964 | |
| 22,000,000 | 1965 | |
| 23,000,000 | 1966 | |
| 24,000,000 | 1966 | |
| 25,000,000 | 1967 | |
| 26,000,000 | 1968 | |
| 27,000,000 | 1968 | |
| 28,000,000 | 1969 | |
| 29,000,000 | 1969 | |
| 30,000,000 | 1969 | |
| 31,000,000 | 1969 | |
| 32,000,000 | 1970 | |
| 33,000,000 | 1971 | |
| 34,000,000 | 1972 | |
| 35,000,000 | 1972 | |
| 36,000,000 | 1973 | |
| 37,000,000 | 1973 | |
| 38,000,000 | 1974 | |
| 39,000,000 | 1975 |
Now you know the year the movement was made, please cross that with the following list:
| Movements between 1910 and 1970 | |
| 1910 | 19”’ LO |
| 1920 | 19”’ LO, 27,3 S, |
| 1930 | T-17, 25,5, 26.5, 26.5 S, 33.3 CHRO, 35.5 S-T1, 37.5 L-15 R |
| 1940 | 37.5 T1, 38,5 Lépine T1, R 17.8, 20 F, 23.4 SC, 30-T2, 140, 265, 286, 333, 342 |
| 1950 | P 17.8, 267, 268, 283, 285, 302, 321, 342, 352, 353, 354, 420, 471, 491 |
| 1960 | 268, 269, 286, 321, 482, 500, 501, 504, 505, 551, 552, 560, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 601, 611, 613, 861, 865, 1130 |
| 1970 | 552, 565, 613, 620, 661, 671, 684, 750, 751, 752, 861, 911, 980, 1002, 1011, 1040, 1045, 1250, 1310, 1330, 1350, 1352, 1510, 1611, 8260 A |
| Automatic Movements and when they were Introduced | |
| Year | Movement |
| 1943 | 28.10 RA PC, 30.10 RA PC, 330 |
| 1945 | 28.10 RA SC PC |
| 1947 | 331 |
| 1949 | 332, 351 |
| 1950 | 343, 350, 352 |
| 1951 | 353 |
| 1953 | 344, 354, 355 |
| 1955 | 450, 455, 470, 471 |
| 1956 | 490, 491, 500, 501, 502, 503 |
| 1957 | 504, 505 |
| 1959 | 550, 551, 552, 560, 561, 562, 570, 571 |
| 1960 | 590, 591, 592 |
| 1961 | 593 |
| 1963 | 660, 661, 670, 671,680, 681 |
| 1966 | 563, 564, 565, 710, 711 |
| 1967 | 712, 750, 751, 752 |
| 1968 | 672, 682 |
| 1969 | 980, 1000, 1001, 1002 |
| 1971 | 683, 684, 685, 1040 |
| 1972 | 1010, 1040 |
| 1973 | 1041 |
Source: OMEGA – A Journey through Time – Marco Richon and Chuck Maddox website.
This way you can know if the watch has the proper date.
Example: caliber 564 began production in 1966, the serial number is 25.728.669 with as the estimated production year: 1967, you can establish that they coincide!
Caliber Color
Another technique is to change parts of the caliber, especially, the bridges that have the serial number or caliber number, this way you can “make” and older or newer caliber to fit a case and sell it as an original. Normally you can check this because they age differently, and the parts colors are different.
The first thing I do, after receiving a watch that I purchase, is to check if the color of the mechanism seems even. In my case, I prefer to sell separate part than to sell rebuild watch, because the value for the buyer is not the same.
Case Reference
Also, cases will indicate if they are the correct ones or not. Check the case number located inside the back case:
This is how it works: data for case numbers goes back as far as 1946 and case numbers are still used in model present day Omega watches, you can see a digit case code number:
Source: OMEGA – A Journey through Time – Marco Richon and Chuck Maddox website.
So, if the case is 168.017, it means that:
· 1st Digit is a 1 – then it’s Gent’s Watch
· 2st Digit is a 6 – then it’s Self-winding centre second
· 3st Digit is a 8 – then it’s Water-resistant chronometer with calendar
Remember that these rules are not “bullet proof”, there are a lot of other things that can go wrong when buying a watch, so always do your research before spending the money.
Swiss, US or Argentina Made
During a period of time, third party companies manufacture and assemble certain components for Omega. Companies like JB Champion or Star Watch Co in US and Industria Argentina in South America. I believe it was made under Omega license, but I´m still checking thoroughly which to be 100% certain. This occur for many different reason like economy, taxes or demand and supply time.
I would say that these watches are no Frankenstein, if they were made in agreement with Omega, but the fact is that they are not 100% Swiss Made, and for a purist Omega vintage collector the value isn´t the same as the one´s manufacture and assemble in Switzerland.
This doesn´t mean that they are bad collectables, there is a proper marketplace for them. They are also part of Omega´s history together with the history of countries where they were assembled.
If you have any doubt, please don’t hesitate; fill free to drop and email, and I will use the following tools to help:
- Omega Watches: A Journey through Time: written and designed by Marco Richon, former curator of the Omega Museum
- Omega Designs: Feast for the Eyes author Anton Kreuzer
- Omega Official Spare parts catalogue
- Omega Watches Brochures, Catalogues, Adverts & Owners manuals
- Different websites of collectors and sellers, including spare parts suppliers.
That’s why I only buy with Ebay and Paypal; if it’s a fake or a Frankenstein, you have the buyer protection program.
I hope this was helpful, please let me know, just tick below.
