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Impossible to say without seeing it and knowing exactly which model it is.
Coincidently, I bought myself a Seamaster Deville a couple of weeks back after looking for one for 2-3 years. That's the model to go for IMO, Omega made DeVille models in the late 60s that weren't waterproof, can`t remember which movement was in them but I know the model and it's somewhat less desirable than the Seamasters. As this one's automatic it's likely to be waterproof even if it doesn`t say 'Seamaster' on it. However, I think they also made the same case as the Seamaster Deville without the Seamaster logo and with no Seamaster script on the dial....it gets a bit confusing with these models and that's why I`d need to see it before coming up with a figure.
Look for decent edges top the lugs and case, don`t expect perfection, gold wears and edges softens with age, but avoid anything that's been badly/overpolished......what I refer to as the 'melted chocolate' look. Crowns are now getting harder to replace too, often a waterproof crown can be rescued by replacing the seal. sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn`t.
The dial needs to be in good/excellent condition. Cleaning dials rarely gives much improvement so be sure you're happy with what you see. Likewise with the hands, getting replacement Omega hands is now getting v. difficult unless you're an Omega Accredited repairer, look for tarnish and poor condition of the plating. Don`t worry about or missing paint, hands can easily be relumed or repainted but replating is very hit and miss in my experience.
Automatic movements can be expensive to restore properly, hand-wounds are a better proposition and tend to be cheaper. On this one you need to check the rotor isn`t touching the movement or caseback, rock it back and forth whilst holding it to your ear and listen for metallic noise. It's fixable but it's an indication the watch needs a bit more than a service. Also check hand-winding, if the crown feels 'gritty' and not smooth that's another problem that'll need sorting (reverser).
Jewellers tend to make extravagant claims that a watch has been 'serviced'. Unless there's paperwork to back this up I would disregard it, they usually do the bare minimum to get a watch running reasonably well but no more. Servicing costs money, no-one works cheaply thesedays, and a good repairer won`t put his name to a skimped job.
I suggest you have a very close look at the watch, considering what I`ve just posted. Forget the price, initially you need to decide whether it's worth buying or not. If it clears those hurdles you have to decide what you're prepared to pay. Looking on ebay at completed listings can be helpful, but prices asked for gold watches vary hugely.
That's the way I view any potential purchase, if it doesn`t clear the hurdles in terms of condition and desirability it doesn`t matter what the price is. At the other end of the scale I`ll buy a watch cheaply to restore, and I`m happy to do that.
It's the 'in-betweenies' to be wary of, they look reasonably OK but end up needing as much spending as a somewhat rougher watch that could be bought much cheaper.....same applies to houses and classic cars!
Here's the one I bought from eBay. I paid £850 and I think I got a very good buy. Watch runs fairly well albeit 70+ secs/day fast, so I`ll end up servicing it soon.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...70#post4651370
Paul
Originally Posted by walkerwek1958
