Hello Robert,
Thank you for sending in this wristwatch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s stainless steel, self-winding, waterproof, wristwatch with flexible Speidel steel bracelet, Serial number?, ref. CK 2767, made by Omega, Geneva, Switzerland, circa 1952-1955.
PROVENANCE:
“Owned by my wife’s grandfather, who was in the Navy for his career.”
DESCRIPTION:
Case: 1.25” (31.5-32mm) diameter, two leaf, stainless steel round wristwatch case with broad polished flat steel bezel, setback harp-shaped steel lugs, polished pan shaped back cover with the edge engraved ‘Seamaster waterproof’. The case is integrated with a mid-20th century Speidel flexible steel link bracelet. The inside of the back cover is not shown and the reference number could not be verified.CK 2767 was made in at least 7 slightly varying styles. The back of the case is engraved “A. Bosshart”, likely the owner of the watch.
Dial: Silvered dial with applied steel Arabic hours at the quarters, applied steel faceted dart-shaped hour indices at the balance of the hours, each with a radiumed dot at the distal end of the dart.
At the proximal end of the dart indices there is an open bar enameled minutes/seconds track, Dauphine pointed hands, center seconds and the dial is marked with an applied steel Omega logo above the enameled ‘Omega, Automatic’, while in the lower dial is the script, ‘Seamaster’. **Of note, is that at the base of the dial there is no inscription of ‘Swiss Made’ or simply ‘Swiss”. Also noted is that the Omega logo applied to the upper dial makes contact with the word Omega.
Movement: Not shown, but will guess that this is the Omega Caliber 354, a 28mm diameter, automatic bumper copper colored movement with center seconds, 17 jewels, vibrating at 19800 beats/hour with a power reserve on a single winding of 42 hours and has a pelican bill shaped jeweled regulator. The watch should be triple signed. The caliber 354 was made from 1952-1955
CONDITION:
Case – Case, lugs and bracelet have moderate amount of surface scratches. Condition- good.
Dial – Here is where I have problems with this watch and I believe that the dial has ben repainted at some previous point in time. I have already noted that the Omega horseshoe is too close to the name Omega in the upper dial and that there is not reference to Switzerland in the bottom of the dial and the replacement of the dart hour indices sometimes show the round dot at the proximal end and in other places it does not show. Repainted dials are a big hurt to value.
Movement – Not shown but will assume it is original, genuine and functioning.
HISTORY of Omega Seamaster’s Original Design:
Jumping back a little bit: in 1932, Omega debuted its Marine watch which was worn by the “father of modern diving” Yves Le Prieur, a French navy officer and inventor of the modern scuba mask and tank. Later, in 1936, explorer Charles William Beebe wore the Omega Marine watch while riding in a bathysphere (which was an unpowered sea submersible that was lowered into the ocean via a cable) to a depth of 14 meters off the coast of Bermuda. By 1948, Omega was a brand well-respected for its robust divers’ watches, and it further bolstered that reputation with the introduction of the Omega Seamaster.
The first Omega Seamaster was modeled after the waterproof wristwatches made for and worn by the British military during World War II. What distinguished the Seamaster from its diving watch predecessors was its O-ring gasket which improved its water-resistance. Previously water-resistant watches relied on lead or shellac gaskets which were easily affected by temperature changes like those a diver would experience at various depths. Omega turned to the submarines used during WWII for inspiration and included a resilient rubber gasket in the Seamaster’s final design. This new case remained intact at depths up to 60 meters and temperature ranges between -40 degrees and 50 degrees Celsius.
Omega engineers was so confident of the Seamaster’s durability, they attached one to the outside of an aircraft and flew it over the North Pole in 1956.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/88957044_1950-s-omega-seamaster-turler-automatic-watch (In 14k gold this model sold for $450 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/87480459_omega-sea-master-gent-s-wrist-watch (sold for $350 in 2020)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OMEGA-SEAMASTER-2767-10-Two-tone-Dial-Automatic-Vintage-Mens-Watch-Cal-354/284086144999?hash=item4224da8fe7:g:osMAAOSwV6lfj3E5 (Offered on eBay for $900 with no takers)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Omega-Seamaster-Bumper-Automatic-Wrist-Watch-Cal-354-Running/114561730053?hash=item1aac694605:g:miQAAOSwv4xfzSY8 (Currently being sod on eBay, a slightly later but similar model stands at $242. This one has the correct dial.)
PRICING:
Although some sellers on eBay offer such watches for $2000+, they are outliers who never sell their watch. The legitimate fair market value of your family wristwatch, if it were in very good condition would be in the vicinity of $500/$600, and these tend to sell in average condition today in th $350-$450. With a repainted dial the fair market value would drop to $225-$275.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for this appraisal.
My best,
David