# Omega Seamaster....or is it?



## Bugbyte (Dec 26, 2017)

Hi,

For the past couple of months I have been obsessing over vintage watches, buying the odd cheapie and tinkering around. I have even sold some on and experienced 'beginners luck' - one Timex I got as part of a job lot ended up being extremely rare. Anyway, decided to spend my winnings on a Valcain Cricket or similar. By luck I came across an extremely (and I mean extremely) cheap Omega Seamaster. The owner thought it was a Franken. The dial and strap are Omega, but said he thinks the movement although signed 'Omega' is just a quality generic Swiss movement. Any thoughts?


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Sorry. Pure fake.


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## andyclient (Aug 1, 2009)

As above definitely fake I'm afraid, not a Franken , there's nothing omega there unfortunately


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## JDMdenon (May 11, 2017)

I've often found that the omega movements to have a slight "pinky" appearance. The 'seamaster' font is waaaaayyyyy out. But the movements the biggy!


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

See, that's actually not a bad looking watch if it had some kind of generic name on the dial - - could be an H.Samuel or a Beaverbrooks even! 

Shame that a perfectly good enough looking piece is a possible fake-oh! Me being me, I'd keep it and wear it, it's only a watch after all - - others mileages vary from hammers to burial at sea or worse¬


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

The fake 750 hallmark but plated case is a big no no. More than just a trdademark violation, it needs destroying.


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## Bugbyte (Dec 26, 2017)

Ha, thought so! As I said, it was only cheap. I still think it is a good looking watch which is my main criteria for choosing what to wear - I do like the very small bezel. Just hope it doesn't turn my wrist green!


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## Gaspode (Mar 17, 2014)

Bugbyte said:


> .....Just hope it doesn't turn my wrist green!


 Looking at that caseback, I'd be more concerned that your hand may fall off... :biggrin:

Secondhand vintage Omegas (in fact, make that ALL Omegas) are an absolute minefield when it comes to identifying original watches versus frankens and fakes. If you ever get the urge to buy a 'real' one, spend a lot of time researching so that you can spot the obvious faults - and take anything you're told by a potential seller with a pinch of salt unless they can back it up with their seller reputation or documentary evidence. Some sellers genuinely don't know what they're selling, but I'm afraid the world is full of folk who see a tidy profit passing off known fakes as the genuine article....


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## longplay (Sep 27, 2017)

Looks like an AS cal. 1130 movement

http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&&2uswk&AS_1130


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Padders said:


> The fake 750 hallmark but plated case is a big no no. More than just a trdademark violation, it needs destroying.


 Why destroying? Come on, it's around 30 to 40 years old at the least. So an expert comes along and tells you your Chippendale chairs were actually made by Fred Bloggs in Giggleswade, but labelled Chippendale. Are you going to destroy them as well? And then there's your Chinese Dyson/i-Phone/Rolly's as well.

Now you can give us the old hackneyed child labour drugs fuelled money laundering stuff about the modern fakes (Dyson etc) but *IF *any of that existed when this cheap Omega copy/fake was made, it's long since been purged by age and multiple ownerships.

And what are you going to do in twnety years time if that solid African hardwood table turns out to actually be made of Amazonian fireood? It's served you your dinner for twenty years or more? destroy it? 

Rant over, fireproof gear on!


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

But what if your chairs were made of paper mâché? It wasn't the intellectual property I was concerned with.

A rather unnecessary rant and rather misdirected. I was commenting specifically on the fact that it has a fake hallmark. That is a much more serious matter than mere copyright abuse and was doubtless designed originally to deceive. People who have gone to prison for faking UK hallmarks and items like this are routinely destroyed when seized. Now this isn't as far as I can tell a UK mark so it wouldn't come to that but it was from this POV I added on that rider.


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## Bugbyte (Dec 26, 2017)

Its not going to be destroyed, it was sold to me as a franken and I will wear it with pride, and if anyone ever asks I will tell them its a franken. Interestingly, the previous owner said he spent quite a lot on the bracelet which he claims is genuine. As he stated the movement was not Omega and was honest about that I have no reason to disbelieve him. The bracelet is stamped 'Omega 5200 Plague OR L 20 Microns, ACIER INOX. There are 6 expanding sections each side all marked OMEGA apart from the first one which is stamped 1264. The clasp itself is quite long and has the Omega symbol, just like lots of others on the net. Interestingly, it does not appear adjustable as there is no adjusting spring pin holes. As it is too large for me and I prefer a good quality leather strap anyway I will probably sell the strap on once I have worked out what it is!


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Fair enough but It's not a franken it is a fake sporting fake hallmarks. A franken takes genuine parts and combines them in a way the factory didn't. If you like it absolutely wear it in happiness but don't kid yourself or more seriously try to kid anyone else that it is something it is not. There are no original Omega bits on that watch head. The bracelet could be legit for all I know but a cursory search using those terms turns up nothing similar unfortunately. The balance of probabilities suggests it too is hooky but if it is genuine will be worth likely much more than you paid.


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

Afraid I am with @Padders here. It's not close to a franken, made up of various Omega parts. It is an outright fake :thumbdown: and the faked hallmark is seriously illegal - faking logos and copyright infringement is naughty, but faking hallmarks is proper naughty, and is treated the same as printing your own money. That's prison time for those who made the fake serious. Please refrain from posting any more pictures of the watch on the forum, as fakes are not allowed. :nono:

If the bracelet rescues the situation then I am pleased for you. The end links do not seem to match the bracelet, so it may be a later replacement and someone could have bought an Omega bracelet to fit to their fake watch.


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## mr.chef (Sep 5, 2016)

Bracelet is also clearly fake


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

We used to have a dancing padlock emoji, but no more so I'll just say, "Dance, padlock, dance," cha cha cha.

Before someone gets their pants in a twist, this used to be used as a prediction, not a call to arms or request to the mods, imho.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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