NOS Seamaster from the 80s

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gaf1958
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NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by gaf1958 »

This is/was planned to be my last Omega purchase for quite some time. Note that I wrote planned, as nothing is ever ironclad, but I do intend not to purchase any more Omegas for a while.... maybe even a year or two. Hmmm, let’s make a year before planning for two. I also wrote was, as I bought the white and blue Seamaster professional 300m shortly afterward, but it arrived earlier than this international purchase did. Nonetheless, the statement still stands, for all that it’s worth. ImageImage

Anyway, I’ve been looking at two closely related models for, I don’t know, years I guess - this TV dial Seamaster from the Eighties and the very similar round dialled model with almost identical case and 100% identical bracelet. The trouble with these is that they seem to come in two varieties. The first is, if not a wreck, certainly not something that I’d want to wear even allowing for some restoration work. The second are those that have been restored, I won’t say beautifully as many (if not most) of them have been overworked; at first glance they look like a new watch, but details like clasp logos almost polished out to remove scratches reveal that these started out as category one watches... Typically, as the dials have aged poorly, they come with an amazing rainbow array of refinished dial colours, very few of them bearing any resemblance to the original Omega colours (afaik these ones came only white/silver, black & blue/grey - these are later than the odd colourful dial that Omega genuinely did produce, mostly in the seventies). Some of them look very good in the photos but I have my doubts as to how well some of the unseen work/details were attended to. Additionally, many of the parts, like entire bracelets, are aftermarket parts of varying quality. I think they generally aim for maximum attractiveness, letting the innards look after themselves, regardless of what is claimed. Hopefully.

Patience does pay off, not that I’m really all that patient. A fairly rare new old stock blue/grey TV dial showed up a little while back and after a bit of to and fro with the vendor I bought it. It arrived today and while not in any way a “showy” watch, I’m very pleased with it - these were normal everyday watches of their age, not fabulously collectible rarities, but they *are* a watch that I like. It still has some remnants of the protective wax on the case back and the clasp, but that comes off easily.

The watch is really in remarkable condition, with hardly a mark to be seen anywhere and even the dial shows virtually no signs of ageing. Only the hesalite crystal evidences a few marks, but the one big piece of NOS evidence is that one of the day plots and one of the date plots show some yellowing from light. The other six days and 30 dates are all nice clean white. It shows that it’s been sitting on that day and date for forty odd years yellowing them a bit, but no others. I can live with that. Image

It’s moderately sized at around 35mm across, but the squarish shape means it’s realistically sized (and wears) more like a 38-39mm watch. I’ll get it serviced shortly and then it can be enjoyed without worrying about damage to the movement after forty plus years of idleness.

Of course, there are some very poor photos (quite a dull overcast day here today), but you’ll get the gist.

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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Very nice indeed, Gary. And the date in Spanish – that’s classy!
I made the mistake of looking at the pictures first and wondered what on earth the excrescence was that covered the hippocampus. I am mightily relieved to read that its protective wax! :lol:
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by Thegreyman »

Looks superb Gary, you uncovered yet another classic Omega as only you seem to be able to do! The TV dial certainly is of the time and very cool imo.

Like Steve, I also momentarily wondered about the caseback but relieved it's only wax!
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by nbg »

Another cracker Gary. :thumbup:

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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by gannet »

agree with the others - love the look of that :D
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by H0rati0 »

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? :D
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by JAFO »

Some older watches have a very modern/timeless styling. That doesn't scream "old" to me. The yellowing of the day/date is great provenance really, isn't it? I assume that VIE day is either Italian or Spanish for Friday. (I see AVO says the latter). Is that user-adjustable, or does a watchmaker have to adjust the date wheel?
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

JAFO wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:31 am I assume that VIE day is either Italian or Spanish for Friday. (I see AVO says the latter). Is that user-adjustable, or does a watchmaker have to adjust the date wheel?
VIErnes = Spanish

VENerdi = Italian

It’s almost always a bilingual day wheel. At the change over the day jumps two spaces. I would assume the other language is probably English. my Orient Mako does this and I keep it set to Spanish.
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by JAFO »

Yes - I think all of my watches with days have a bi-lingual date wheel. What I meant was, is it possible for the user to set the active language, or does that have to be done by a watchmaker actually disassembling the watch.

I decided to try, and realised the owner can just adjust the day to the desired language with the quick set, and then the midnight day change complies with the new setting - which I am sure I knew anyway, had I stopped to think!
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by Thunder1 »

Hmm, another looker from awhile back..you've got me looking at 'TV' shaped watches again!!...now that I think about it again, I wonder why they aren't any more popular then they are.. :-k
Ebels are a lot like women that lack a lowcut dress that zips up the side..neither gets the love that they deserve..
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by stefs »

I don’t know how on earth you keep finding these gems.
Cracking looking watch. Got the ingredients of the desired modern sports watch. Blue dial, stainless steel, integrated bracelet etc.
Be pleased with that one myself :thumbup:
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by watchaholic »

:heart: Been looking at these TV dial Omega's for years, but due to many of the same reasons you stated, ie various states of repair or disrepair, have never pulled the trigger. A great grab and go, do anything watch. :clap:
Time and money? I’ve spent most of mine on booze and women. The rest I just wasted…
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by gaf1958 »

Thanks for all the comments everyone. It’s 11:30pm here, so I won’t check the day dial for the alternate language just yet, but will do so tomorrow when it’s safe for the movement. As much as I’d like to indulge everyone’s curiosity, I’m off to bed - don’t fancy resetting the watch again at this time of night...

Oh and rest assured, the brown gunk on the case back is not earwax or something equally unpleasant even though it looks like it... I think it’s probably a combination of the protective wax and what was once the price sticker - commonly placed on the case back, back in the day. The wax on the clasp was more the usual purple colour and rubbed off easily.
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by gaf1958 »

By the way, apologies to Steve (AVO). I had no idea what the days of the week are in Spanish, so I simply left it as is. And yes, it’s Spanish as the watch came to Oz all the way from Argentina, which is of course, a mainly Spanish speaking country.

I’ve owned day/date watches before that have only one language on the day wheel, with either a repeat of the same day in the second “ghost” position or sometimes simply blanks... Don’t know if this has an alternate language or not. Yet....
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Re: NOS Seamaster from the 80s

Post by Viognier »

Congratulations Gary! Please consider starting a YouTube channel where you can take us through the process and journey of you buying these!!! Fascinating
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