Watches - another OCD problem
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Sooooooo, I know nothing about watches really… but I like them, and I've always been particularly interested in the Omega Seamaster. Whenever I do some basic searching, it seems like there's an overwhelming amount of information and a pretty wide range of options in terms of age and price, so I figured I should pop over here and see if anybody would like to give me a little bit of education / advice.
First of all, this is just a sketch of an idea at this point, not in any kind of hurry at all. Secondly I feel like it makes the most sense for me to look at a vintage one. That said, I could be wrong there — would it maybe make more sense for me to get a second hand Seamaster that's not quite that old? For what it's worth, I figure a new one is totally out of the question price-wise for me.
I'd love to hear anybody's thoughts. I've always loved the idea of one with a stainless band and a black dial / bezel. That's really the only starting point I have! Thanks in advance...
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Along these lines, @popvulture? Or would you be amenable to a black dialed dress version? Price is worth considering as the vintage Seamasters can command $13k+ depending on condition. I always like hunting around on Shuck the Oyster (out of Berlin). Great seller and superlative quality who's also willing to strike a deal.
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I suggest you go on Chrono24.com and run a search on "omega seamaster". You'll get a huge range of model variations and that will help you narrow down the model you like - colors, etc. The Seamaster is really an entire collection that nowadays comprises several families that are quite different in terms of design & size. A pre-owned Seamaster 300M (the old James Bond watch) can be had for <$5k and is a great watch if the condition is good. I still wear mine from 14 yrs ago.
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Ahhh, see this is why I need to ask questions here
13K would be waaaaaay out of my budget — I think the only thing I'd spend that much money on would be a pre-CBS strat, haha.
I was imagining something in the $3Kish range, but maybe I'm out of my mind? I did a quick google and found this, made in the oughts:
Sorry for the link gore. But yep, something in that price range and look.
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And yes, @JDelage — precisely! The Bond watch. This is all super helpful!
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^^^From the pre-owned watches at Hodinkee. Maybe check that out for reference at least, @popvulture?
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Right on!!! Thanks so much, man. This'll be a fun thing to geek out on — what do you have / what are you into, @henry_david ?
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Also not that I'd pull the trigger right now, as I'm not really in the place for it at the moment, but this one's pretty spot-on:
https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/omega-seamaster-300m-2264-50-00-10-10-ome-3guhnv
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@popvulture ive got a pre-bond seamaster which my Mum got for my Dad as a wedding present, actually a quartz watch. Really good looking and obviously keeps excellent time. If you’re not into horology you won’t go far wrong with one of them. I won’t let mine go because of the history, but they’re easy enough to find a pretty cheap really
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@LewisStonehouse that is really good to hear — thanks, man. I certainly don't plan on going deep into the horology scene — between guitars, recording gear, and IH, I've got enough terrible habits to keep me busy and financially drained, haha.
It's funny because I'll totally admit that I'm a bit of a fancypants, but watch fancypants is way out of my comfort zone / financial bracket.
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@popvulture – This is my daily:
It's a 1972 Datejust (ref. 1601) and I just love the size of it. I was inspired to get it because my father had a contemporary Datejust when I was growing up and I loved it/anything my father was into. This is what he currently has and I want to steal it from him:
It's a 1980 Datejust Oysterquartz (ref. 17000) and the bracelet is just … wow.
I generally like smaller watches although, were I in a position to do so, I'd snag a Rolex Submariner Date (ref. 1680 most likely). As it is, I'm trying to find contentment with what I have rather than yearning for what I can't have!
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Dude I love Rolexes — those are both beautiful! I'd totally have a Submariner or an Oyster Perpetual Datejust. Not sure how out of my range those would be but I will definitely have a gander.
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@popvulture if you can, it's worth seeing whatever you go for in person. Some watches look great but don't photograph well, and others the reverse. I've had several occasions where I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, tried it on and was distinctly underwhelmed. On two of them, my heart was ambushed by something I had barely considered.
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Haha nice, the Pulp Fiction golden briefcase moment, watch edition
Yep I definitely need to go try some on, at the very least to get a good feel for case size.
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Dude I love Rolexes — those are both beautiful! I'd totally have a Submariner or an Oyster Perpetual Datejust. Not sure how out of my range those would be but I will definitely have a gander.
A quick search via eBay (merely for reference):
Neither the best prices nor the best examples, but some idea of what can be had. I did a lot of research and ended up with choosing a watch spot here in San Francisco (HQ Milton) however, were I to buy vintage again, I would probably go with Shuck the Oyster or Tropical Watch (the latter is also here in San Francisco and is run by a former partner of HQ named Jacek Kozubek). All the best with your hunt, @popvulture!
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Don't sleep on Oris, Seiko, Grand Seiko, and especially Breitling (Superocean has many options close to what you're looking for) for great divers in your range, @popvulture
But Seamaster is definitely great!
@Graeme will no doubt weigh in with some helpful thoughts as he is wont to do on horology and luggage.
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Oh and one more thing! I never intended to haggle on price when buying my watch. When I went to HQ Milton, they asked me if I intended to pay with cash to which I replied 'yes' I did. The list price of $3,200 was then promptly dropped to $2,600 on the spot. Be aware that list price is almost always flexible, @popvulture.
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I also second @mclaincausey here, especially with Oris. Such a rad watch brand.
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Hell yes to all of this! Tremendous help, y'all. @mclaincausey one of my best friends in college had a girlfriend who worked for Breitling — I hadn't thought about them in a long time. I'll def give em a look, as well as Oris for sure.
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Perfect!
One other suggestion is to check out the sale forums on rolexforums.com. It is worth getting an account and monitoring the Rolex and non-Rolex sales forums there to get a feel for the secondary market. Even if you never buy from there you can see good examples of watches and the value they command on the secondary market (and some are BNIB).
I scanned the first page of the non-Rolex sales forum and saw something similar to what you're looking for (shitty photography on the listing, which is atypical): https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=833589
