Vintage Seamaster

[saint18355]

I just bought a vintage seamaster. it is the first manual wind watch I've owned and I have some noobie questions about use.

1. How many times should I wind it?

2. Is it possible to over wind the watch?

Thanks

[deltatahoe]

do you know if the watch has been serviced recently? with vintage watches, i would typically send this off to be serviced by ziggy immediately after i received it -- for vintage watches, you typically never know how long it has been since the last servicing (or even more important, the quality of service it received).

if you must wear the watch in the meantime, i'd carefully wind the watch (read: slowly) until you feel tension in the mainspring and it won't wind anymore. you'll be able to feel the spring getting tighter (ie. close to fully wound) based on the growing pressure it takes in each subsequent turn of the crown to wind the watch.

hope this helps

deltatahoe

ps, let's see some pictures

[Nanuq]

Well said, Delta. As for how often to wind it, make a habit of winding it up every morning, and wearing and storing it the same way every day. Then after a month or so you'll start to get a feel for its accuracy. It ought to run for almost 2 days after a full wind, but if you get it "used to" running with the same spring tension every day it will run the most consistently.

I've been told by a watchmaker that it's not possible to overwind a watch manually. But regardless I'm still darn careful because parts get harder to find every day. Follow Delta's advice and you'll be fine. Get that baby serviced soon.

And post some photos! As long as it's not a vintage 300...... then I'll just fall over and die.

[deltatahoe]

And post some photos! As long as it's not a vintage 300...... then I'll just fall over and die.

yes please do not post ANY photos of a vintage 300

i might die as well (of regret). i passed on the opportunity over a year ago to buy a franken vintage 300 that i'm still kicking myself over

deltatahoe

[saint18355]

Thanks for the tips. Ill start winding it conservatively at first until I get comfortable with the watch. As for the servicing, the seller informed me that it was recently serviced and adjusted. I think this is probably true as the dial is obviously restored, a fact that I'm ok with.

Sorry its not a 300, but I'll keep my eyes open.

Also, its still shipping so if something about it screams fake, please advise. I'm new to the vintage market.

[dluddy]

Looks nice.

[Kahn]

Not a fake buddy...that's a Gen Military Seamaster from the late 50's early 60's. I'd check inside the caseback and movement for dating the it though. Very common and desireable depending on condition and originality of the piece. Some even had some engravings on the back for military units. Wish they had not touched that dial, or the hands. Some patina or actual aging woulda been really nice. Looks like you got some pitting on the case too...but overall an extremely nice piece! I envy you! Wear it well, that watch is a stunner.......!

[Shundi]

A lovely old piece...I'd say have it serviced and wear it in good health for a long, long time (and if you ever get bored with it, I'll buy it!). As others have said, wind it slowly and carefully and enjoy!!

[saint18355]

I agree about the dial. Some aging would be appropriate for this piece, but for me it wasn't a deal breaker. Below are some pics of the case back. According to the omega webpage, the case number for this watch indicates that it was produced between 1954 and 1959. (http://www.omegawatches.com/cu_vintage/main.php, with alternative dial).

For those of you who care, or are looking to kill some time, the movement looks like the 30mm 1939. Omega gives the following information about this movement

The 30mm, 1939

Designer: Henri Kneuss (under the direction of Henri Gerber)

Description: Due to its exceptional flexibility, its regulating performance, its robustness and ease of maintenance, this legendary calibre was for Swiss-quality Gentleman's wrist watches what, from 1894, the 19''' had been for pocket-watches of the period. Extensive research enabled ideally proportioned components to be used, which accounted for its top quality performance. The surface area of the barrel and the balance was designed to be as wide as possible to allow a first class regulating performance. The most efficient transmission of power was found by paying meticulous attention to the dimensions of the gears: the smallest escapement possible was used for such a high quality calibre.

The 30mm would mark the history of watchmaking for a quarter of a century, from 1939 to 1963. This was reflected in the fact that its first big customer was none less than the British army who ordered the watch en masse during the Second World War to equip its sea and land troops as well as its RAF pilots (110 000 watches in total, which accounted for more than half its total sales at the Swiss watchmakers). In chronometer testing, it continued to make its mark until 1967, the last year of the competitions at which, thanks to its incredible precision, it reigned supreme practically since its launch! Its performance made the 30mm the most precise wristwatch calibre ever tested at Neuch