Having looked for a gold 1960s Seamaster Deville for approx. 3 years on and off, I finally found one at a sensible price!
Lots of these turn up in the USA, often 14ct gold-filled with inscriptions on the back, they were very popular as presentation watches and the cases were made locally in the States. 14ct solid gold models with the seamonster logo are rarer, more desirable,and expensive; factor in the import tax and the watch starts to get too expensive. Sourcing in the UK makes more sense but it's surprising how hard they are to find in good condition thesedays. They're either 18ct or 9ct, 18ct cropping up more often. I wanted a 9ct, to fit on a bracelet I`ve had for years, I used to have a 14ct gold-filled version so I know it'll fit perfectly.
This 9ct one came up on UK eBay last weekend, looked good on the pics, asking price wasn`t silly, it ticked all the boxes. My offer was accepted and the watch arrived this morning. The pictures the seller posted were good, I was confident the watch would be fine, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it's better than I expected. Although the case has been polished most of the edges are still defined, it's in very good condition and it doesn`t really need any more work. More importantly, the dial and hands are near-mint original and that's what I was looking for. The crown's wrong (I`ll replace that) and there's a small scratch in the glass that'll polish out. The caseback's in great condition with the all-important Seamonster logo still fairly sharp and no evidence of an inscription that's been removed. I haven`t looked at the movement because the watch is a front-loader, it needs the bezel and glass removing to get it apart, but it's running OK with reasonable amplitude although the rate's approx 70 secs fast. The hand-winding's a bit 'gritty' so it may need a new reverser, I`ve got a few new ones in the parts box so that's no problem. It'll definitely benefit from a proper service in due course!
To say I`m delighted with this one's an understatement. a worthy addition to the collection. As an added bonus the watch came with a 9ct gold Omega buckle and a period 60s Omega box that I wasn`t expecting.......and a new brown Hirsch strap!
Paul
Paul
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by paskinner
