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Thread: Birth year watch

  1. #1
    Grand Master
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    Birth year watch

    The concept of buying a birth-year watch has never appealed to me, but plenty of watch fans are drawn to the idea. They go to great lengths to acquire a watch and enjoy the pleasure of knowing it was produced in the same year as their good self.........or was it?

    Original bills of sale are foolproof, but that's about the only reliable evidence. Usually the box and original papers are long gone, so that only leaves the serial number to date the watch. Most modern watches have the serial number on the case and the movement, but that didn`t happen in the past and the serial number was often only found on the movement. That's where the fun begins, a watch that's 40+ years old may have had the movement swapped, but it's even easier to 'alter' the age of some movements, where the serial number is stamped on one of the bridges that can easily be swapped.

    The Omega 550/560 is a good example. These movements were produced from around 1959 to 1976, possibly later. They were used in vast numbers of different Omega models which are good targets for the birth-year hunters. Here's an example of how easy it is to modify the year to suit the buyer, the serial number is stamped on the train wheel bridge and nowhere else. Today I was building a 565 movement from one of my own watches so I took a couple of pics to illustrate this point:



    The bridge on the left is the correct one to this watch, the watch was bought by me in 2003 as new-old stock and I`m 100% certain it's never been messed with. The serial number dates it to 1970 which is right for the model. The train wheel bridge on the right dates from 1976 according to the data I can find, it's taken from a movement I acquired for parts.



    Here's a picture of the train wheel bridge back in place, there are no other markings that refer to the serial number so it's easy to see how the age of a watch can be altered to suit.



    It's unusual for a train wheel bridge to need swapping but if a jewel was damaged it's easier and quicker to fit a replacement bridge if a spare one's available. If a watch is being restored to sell there's no issue of the owner being upset because his watch has changed serial numbers, but the result is a watch that's become older or younger in the eyes of a potential buyer.

    In this case the watch is a first generation Omega Dynamic, which was produced from approx. 1968-1972, so the 34000000 serial number (1976) wouldn't tie up. To compound the confusion, the Dynamic has a monoblock case so it isn`t easy to see the movement and check the number.

    This example's interesting because despite being 50 years old the condition of the movement is like new, never worked on one in this condition before. The watch should be on my wrist tomorrow, that's another of my own watches sorted out!

  2. #2
    Master Neilw3030's Avatar
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    That’s interesting info, thanks. But would it be easier to buy up old not working movements for parts and get lucky finding a birth year bridge, then making your own franken, to appease your inner self😳

  3. #3
    Party pooper!

  4. #4
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neilw3030 View Post
    That’s interesting info, thanks. But would it be easier to buy up old not working movements for parts and get lucky finding a birth year bridge, then making your own franken, to appease your inner self
    It would be just as logical!

    Unless clear evidence exists ( original papers, bill of sale etc, inscription) to confirm the exact age of a watch there will always be doubts, if the aim is to own a birth - year watch that’s the only way to be sure. If the model in question was produced over the same time-frame as the movement ( based on serial number) it’s a fair bet that the watch can be dated to within 1-2 years.

    Gold watches with UK hallmarks can be dated on that basis, that confuses things even more.

  5. #5
    Grand Master Velorum's Avatar
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    Well unless all or most of the constituent parts are manufactured in the same 'birth' year and the watch is then assembled in that year then I would have thought that the best you are going to get is something that is circa your age. Even with a non franken watch at the point of assembly then I would have thought that some parts would have been hanging around in the stock for a while etc so at best its a collection of components from round about the year in question. The whole concept lacks logic to me.

  6. #6
    Craftsman
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    I bought a birth year soeedmaster many years ago. As time passed and access/info to archives improved turns out it was a year later than I thought. Still love it


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Interesting post and a useful warning to anyone spending big on a birth year watch.

    I have an Omega Seamaster 30, which the serial number says was built in 1961 (I was delivered in 1962 ), which I thought stood an even chance of being sold in 1962, but I paid no more than the going rate (probably a little less) for it.

    I also have a Novus, which is a very similar watch, but with more interesting numerals and it's engraved with a date in 1962, which I discovered was a 21st birthday, but again it was the going rate and I bought because I liked it, for once an engraving, though, was a little bonus.

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  8. #8
    Master
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    I bought a speedmaster off chrono24 last year that on the description said it was 1978 and had various paperwork from a private seller in the Netherlands.

    When i received it I was not confident about the paperwork and it was not a 1978 model. When i queried this on chrono24 as he was a private seller then was little comeback. Chrono gave me a 100 euros or so.

    In the end i managed to sell it on eBay for a loss of a couple of £s a month or two later.

    I would love a birth year watch, but not sure I will bother as I do not have the know how to make sure it is genuine and really I would want a 40mm(+) size watch of which there were few made.

  9. #9
    Grand Master
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    Just buy something from the era of your birth, don't get hung up on the exact year, and don't be tempted to buy a watch you don`t really like simply because you believe it to be birth-year.

  10. #10
    Craftsman
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    I bought a seiko that looked nice. Serial number matched year to the birth year: didnt research beyond that.
    Of course, if you are buying an expensive birth year watch, one may be interested to check that the details match as well.

    Keeps about 30s/day, so rarely wear it.

    Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Master Neilw3030's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    Just buy something from the era of your birth, don't get hung up on the exact year, and don't be tempted to buy a watch you don`t really like simply because you believe it to be birth-year.
    I’m beginning to believe you are right Paul, I’ve been looking for so long and can’t find anything that works for me, at a reasonable cost at least.

  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    Just buy something from the era of your birth, don't get hung up on the exact year, and don't be tempted to buy a watch you don`t really like simply because you believe it to be birth-year.
    I'm not one who falls into the category of wanting a birth year watch. But if I were, I still wouldn't buy one, because I think my birth year falls within one of the most boring decades for designs of watches in my view.

  13. #13
    SydR
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    I did not specifically set out to buy a birth year watch but came across one that was hallmarked in Edinburgh in my birth year. Though most likely sold as new the year after that was good enough for me and I bought it at a fair price.

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