Interest in vintage seamaster 300

[mjk2613]

Hello all,

I have recently gained an interest in the vintage seamaster 300s, similar to those made by watchco. Does anyone have any advice into sourcing one of these? There is a few interesting examples on the bay, but as usual the authenticity is questionable on some. I am particularly fond of the ones with bracelets and no date. I have done numerous searches and found lots of great information, but would like to probe the community again for some opinions. I am unsure of the rules on links but will post an example of one I have in question if allowed. I look forward to reading your responses.

[dieseldragon]

The watchco look great, but are built up from new parts, so not really vintage. If you want it to keep and not flip, then go for it.

[beaglehusky]

PM sent

[mjk2613]

Thanks Beaglehusky! I was actually thinking something more along the lines of this...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Omeg...#ht_500wt_1183

[Saxon007]

I posted this on WUS a couple of weeks ago - all you need to know about building your own SM300. Despite the movement being 45 years old it is not vintage. It wears like a new watch, just with a vintage vibe. I like it much better than the 2254.50 I used to own, mainly because it has an acrylic crystal and no HE valve.

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For several years I've considered getting a no-date SM300 from Watchco but never got around to it. I was unsure of the size and supposed that it would be needlessly thick and ungainly. Regardless, I thought it looked nice in photos and kept the idea on the back burner.

Earlier this year Watchco sold off quite a few SM300s on ebay but I didn't buy one since I wanted a watch without a date function and all the ones I saw had dates. I did see they were selling the no date dial so I grabbed one - and it sat, still sealed in its wrapper, for several months. Then the rumors of Omega tightening parts availability began swirling in earnest so I began hunting for the bits and pieces I would need to complete the watch. In case the rumors turn to fact I figure I've gotta grab my parts before the well dries up.

I got a new case, clamps and screws from CousinsUk. For whatever reason they were convinced I was a criminal and wouldn't ship unless I wired them the money. I wasn't thrilled about it but they were a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than Otto Frei so I went ahead and wired the money, receiving the parts about a week later. I got the hands, stem and springbars from Otto Frei - the seconds hand was on back order so it took about a month to get that order delivered. I ordered an 1171 bracelet from Watchco's ebay store and it was delivered in a little less than a week. Two days later I received a second 1171 in the mail from Watchco. After checking to make sure I had not been charged twice (I hadn't) I contacted them and returned it with them paying for the shipping. I am such a good boy, lol.

So now I have a handful of parts, all brand spanking new in their wrappers but no motor to run them. Back to the bay to go fishing for a movement. A few weeks of digging around and losing out on a couple of auctions I finally nabbed an old Omega Geneve dress watch with a 552 movement from a Canadian seller. It arrived after a few days and seemed to run okay but was somewhat rough to wind. The tiny (34mm) Geneve case was engraved on the back, it had been presented to a gentleman for 25 years of service to his employer in January of 1969. The movement, as near as I can tell from the serial number tables, had been produced in 1967.

Okay, I've got all my stuff, now what do I do? I don't have the skills needed to service the watch before it gets assembled and although I could probably put it together I am too chicken to try on something this expensive. I don't have a local watchmaker I trust. This interweb thingy is coming in pretty handy so I turn to it to find my watchmaker. And I found him on this forum. Actually, I already knew when I bought the dial I was going to use Al of ArcherWatches.ca to do the assembly. I had seen his posts on the Watchmaking forum and here on the Omega forum. He seemed like a competent, helpful guy who actually liked his job and the best way to get something done right is to have it done by someone who loves his work. So everything was packed up and shipped off to Al. The watch was on its way back to Canada.

Ebay is world of bargains, swindles and just plain silliness. A few days after I shipped the watch off I got an email from Al. Bad news. The dial screws were missing. The guy who had worked on the watch previously hadn't needed dial screws, he apparently had an ample supply of glue which he generously applied when attaching the dial to the movement. Crap, this could get ugly.

Luckily Al was able to separate the dial from the movement without breaking anything and also remove the glue. The movement wasn't in terrible shape but needed a few parts - mainspring, hour wheel, a setting lever. And dial screws, lol. Nothing terribly expensive, certainly not as bad as I had feared. Also, there was good news. I had asked Al to pressure test the case to 300m and it had passed. Only afterward did I learn that the case, per Omega's brochures from the sixties, was apparently only rated to 660 ft, or 200m. You can see a copy of the SM300 page from a 1966 UK catalog (or catalogue, as they spell it in the old country) which mentions the depth rating here: http://www.old-omegas.com/pics/catuk66/p31.jpg I suppose the 1966 cases had the old style non-screw in crown so perhaps the later cases with screw in crowns were in fact supposed to work to 300m. But why would they call it a Seamaster 300 if it only was supposed to work down to 200m? Something to ponder, I suppose...

A couple of weeks after I sent it up north I got the watch back from Canada. I picked it up Thursday at lunch, set the time and threw it on a NATO strap to wear that afternoon. In the two days since I have yet to wear anything else. Thursday was the first time I had actually seen the parts since I had sent them up to Al still in the original and somewhat opaque packaging. The watch is, in a word, outstanding. The case, with its domed crystal, raised rotating bezel and classic lines looks both archaic and brand new at the same time, it is simply fantastic. The bezel turns and solidly yet silently clicks 60 times per rotation, the bezel pip lines up at 12 perfectly. The non hacking movement was a bit of a pain for me to set at first but has been keeping fantastic time showing the capability of the old work horse of a movement when properly serviced.

So now I have a more or less NOS Omega SM300 that was not assembled by Watchco. I know what you are thinking - this thread (or novel! sadly, the Hemingway - minus the whiskey, women and shotgun - in me seems to have surfaced) is worthless without pictures. Fortunately, when Al services a watch he takes photos and includes them in a nicely prepared CD that he send back with the watch. Since he in a much better photographer than I am I have shamelessly posted a few here, hopefully he will not mind. All of the photos except for the first and last photo were taken by Al and included on the service disk included with my watch. Going through the several dozen photos (with captions) provided is really quite a treat.


Here are the parts prior to unpacking.



The donor watch.



The movement after the rotor has been removed.



Good grief, look at all that glue. :(



A few parts needed replacement.



Ready to be cleaned.



Here the dial (using dial screws! Yay!) and handset have been installed on the newly cleaned and serviced movement.



The case is being pressure tested. Note the watchmaker's watch - obviously, a man with refined and impeccable taste.



All cased up and ready to go.



And on my wrist, where it belongs. :)



So far I am loving the watch. Omega could sell a boatload of these if they still made them.

For those of you interested, here are the parts I ordered. If you have a dial with a date you will need a 565 movement and appropriate date wheel. For a non-date wheel you will need a 552 movement. I've read that a 550 movement can also be used but cannot verify this as accurate.

From Ofrie:
Genuine Omega Sweep Hand Case 165.024 HAN-4220 $16.10
Omega Silver w/Luminous Hour And Minute HandsFor Case 166.068 HAN-4224 $32.00 (yes, the case number is different but they are the correct hands)
20mm Omega Springbar OME-SPRING-BAR-03 10 at $2.73 each
Omega Regular Stem Caliber 550 401/435 $15.00

From CousinsUK:
OMEGA 2255 Screws 2 at £2.21 each
OMEGA 550 1974 Case Clamp 2 at £4.66 each
OMEGA 055SST1660324 Stainless Steel Case - Complete £595

From Watchco via their ebay.com store:
Omega SM300 Non-date dial
Omega 1171 Bracelet

Service and assembly from ArcherWatches.ca

Parts sourced from 3 continents, serviced and assembled in Canada and delivered to one happy Texan.

[Brisman]

Hi there, unfortunately the vintage SM300 is one of the most faked vintage watches out there.

I personally think you should always try and buy one of these that has some sort of proof of history or know where it has come from, as you will be aware there is always a premium to be paid when buying like this.

Buying from the bay is very risky in my opinion, although the one you posted looks okay. In saying that a vintage replacement bezel would cost a small fortune and I wasn't quite sure about the T Swiss Made T on the dial, it looked a bit odd.

Anyway I spent a bit more on mine and purchased it from a local watchmaker, it came with an extract from Omega and have been told I am the third owner. Of course you can never be 100% sure of this.

Best of luck in your search and hope this helps in some way.

[1675-David]

heres my baby, on an old rolex strap and on leather, good luck with your search

[mjk2613]

Great post saxon007! Seems like a great experience making the watch even more special. Great responses from everyone else too. Going to keep my eye out for one of these. Although I would love to build my own it might just be less of a headache to buy one already finished. Keep the pictures coming!

[Jakey]

I'm in the process of building my own one. Several advantages including a saving off several £'s

I would certainly recommend this option, plus it's more fun sourcing the parts

Regards

Jake

[mjk2613]

Does anyone have a complete parts list? I see saxon007's, but is there one that's all inclusive, ie all the miscellaneous screws etc? Also would someone be able to provide a total cost break down? if your not comfortable posting prices please feel free to pm me. Thanks!

[mjk2613]

His thread has some great info for anyone else looking

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=208671

[wokafu]

not vintage...watcho wears just fine...good luck with your search..

[mjk2613]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Omega-Seamas...ht_1306wt_1168

Anyones opinion on this?

[Saxon007]

Originally Posted by mjk2613

Does anyone have a complete parts list? I see saxon007's, but is there one that's all inclusive, ie all the miscellaneous screws etc? Also would someone be able to provide a total cost break down? if your not comfortable posting prices please feel free to pm me. Thanks!

That list is everything you need except the movement. The case comes with crown and crystal already installed. The case clamps and clamp screws are on the CousinsUK list.

[Loch Ness Explorer]

My favorite part about rebuilding one from parts is that you become an expert in that particular watch. You get to pick and choose where you get the parts and create the history of the watch.

[Mickey®]

Watches made from "parts" new old used former reconditioned revived renewed or NOS don't excite me.

If I could find a NIB 300 or if Omega would make them again....sign me up.

No doubt they'd make it bigger and ruin it though...

[T5AUS]

Originally Posted by mjk2613

Thanks Beaglehusky! I was actually thinking something more along the lines of this...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Omeg...#ht_500wt_1183

This looks good but again, you really have to know the seller or take the gamble basing it on his feedback, your call. The watchco watches are fine but they are nos and have no wear or patina or character, it's a personal thing, they will certainly give you years of service.

This is mine, a date one but a yard sale find so beggars cant be choosers

[Jakey]

Originally Posted by mjk2613

Does anyone have a complete parts list? I see saxon007's, but is there one that's all inclusive, ie all the miscellaneous screws etc? Also would someone be able to provide a total cost break down? if your not comfortable posting prices please feel free to pm me. Thanks!

PM me if you don't already have a parts list.