Comments on: Watchco NOS Omega Seamaster 300′s: Authentic?

By: Hector_Mia

Hector_Mia — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:12:52 +0000

People people people, is pretty obvious, if I’m the manufacture, and i see a company selling my products with my logos and my name on them, and haven’t yet sue them, is because the hare real, because, don’t you guys think that omega will be on their butt for selling non real omegas products? A Multimillion dollar company like omega wont allow a company like Watcho to sell Counterfeit parts. Specially that many watchmakers knows them all around the world and every individual who had bought from them, had restored a original watch with an original part.

I think they are real, but that’s my opinion.

To me it doesnt make any sence, also the

By: Sam the Sham

Sam the Sham — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 05:20:04 +0000

The California seller of these SM300′s gets them direct from watchco–personally, I think they are great.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:32:33 +0000

I think it’s important to always specify that these are WatchCo/new construction watches to potential buyers.

I’ve seen these consistently described as NOS, which they are not. Nothing wrong with the fact that they are new construction, but that is vastly different from actual NOS items.

My personal suspicion is that WatchCo stockpiled the newly Omega-made replacement/refurbishment parts direct from Omega’s parts department, and are making these watches, perhaps part of why they are no longer official Omega affiliates.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:19:40 +0000

Chuck is dead on the money. As a former Omega vendor I can tell you that the likelihood is very slim that WatchCo’s parts are 100% new old service or that assemblages of such are fully produced with genuine Omega parts. The fact that they are *former* Omega AD’s and not current ones suggests that they had a fall from grace, either by fraudulently over-stocking parts and cases and passing them off as factory-made, by servicing with Asian-made parts, or most likely both. In any case, they are NOT NOS and in passing them off as such they are acting in poor faith.

By: GregB

GregB — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:50:45 +0000

I, for one, have no trouble believing that Watchco has the vintage supplies necessary to build these watches from genuine parts. Why? Because I’ve been buying vintage JLC, Omega, Cartier and other parts from Watchco for many years. The things I’ve found in their vast inventory have absolutely astounded me…. EXTREMELY rare parts in quantity. There is simply no way that it would be cost effective to manufacture such a wide array of vintage parts for so many brands and models.

I’ve probably spent $50,000 on Watchco parts and vintage watches over the years and have never received a fake or counterfeit of any kind.

By: Rrryan

Rrryan — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:56:27 +0000

Every Watchco SM300 I’ve ever seen has contained a movement that had a finish that was fresh, clean, and bright, with no signs of corrosion or wear that would hint at prior use.

By: John Wilson

John Wilson — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:53:30 +0000

Bit late for a reply to this Chuck, just picked it up. But if you checked watchcos’ activity on ebay around now you’ll not they’re selling a lot of rough cases/dials which all once housed 565/552 cal movements so I’m with you. Whoever’s making the cases, beit Omega or the Chinese, and no matter how good they are the end result is not what it purports to be. Made up watch..yes. N.O.S. definately not. You noticed a sudden increase in the availability iof N.O.S. plongeurs recently too?

By: snak

snak — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:39:30 +0000

As one who owns a Watchco, bought directly from them a couple years ago, I’d venture to say that that all the parts, aside from the movement, are of new manufacture. Case, dial, crown, bezel & bracelet – what other parts besides movement parts would you need?. You can buy these from Ofrei today. These are the same parts Omega uses to refurbish a watch sent to them today.
Also as to the other Watchco eBay seller, I believe that Watchco Australia uses two names, but there are others who don’t seem to be connected at all.

By: Rrryan

Rrryan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:01:10 +0000

I don’t know what to say, Chuck. If say you’ve been in the business 30 years and these have been around nearly 10 years now, I have no idea how you haven’t encountered these sooner if you habitually deal in vintage Omegas. They are common knowledge among collectors.

And again, for the most part these parts weren’t saved for 40 years. Most if not all of them are recently manufactured from an assemblage of vintage and recently manufactured spare parts.

You don’t have to take my word for it either. Ask around, these are well known to serious Omega watch collectors.

By: Chuck Atkins

Chuck Atkins — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:50:53 +0000

I’ve been in the business for 30 years. If it is true that they have saved all these parts for one of the most popular watches in the vintage market – it would be the best story I a have ever heard. It’s the “Raiders of the lost Ark” of the watch business!

Why doesn’t he have any explanation on his web site? He offers no explanation – and I asked him! In these times of amazing, pervasive fakery he accused me of being unreasonable!