WTB: Omega Seamaster 2531.80

MaverickFerg

Looking for a good condition 2531.80 to add to my collection. I’ve been checking on watch forums too, but just thought I’d see if anyone here is looking to sell. I’d prefer original box and papers. Thanks!

JBW

chrono24 is a great place to start. Usually in the $2500 range; looking to pick one up myself!

MaverickFerg wrote:

Looking for a good condition 2531.80 to add to my collection. I’ve been checking on watch forums too, but just thought I’d see if anyone here is looking to sell. I’d prefer original box and papers. Thanks!

MikeG77

Keep in mind that if you buy off of Chrono25 you have to pay a 5% tax on top of the purchase price!

HalfMonk HalfHitman

https://theoandharris.com/shop/vintage-watches/omega-seamaster-300m-2531-80/

It's interesting how the lume has really yellowed on some of these; that particular color combo does not enhance the look for me.

frommeyer

I agree with you, H.M.H.H.. I know that serious watch collectors pine for that patina but I have a strong distaste for it. Higgins was giving me grief for having Omega swap out the old dial and bezel on my Bond Blue. I appreciate his perspective but it just looked dirty to me.

Also, what am I? A University of Michigan alum? No thanks.

Asp9mm

It doesn’t go with blue. But it looks great on black.

Cheverian

MaverickFerg wrote:

Looking for a good condition 2531.80 to add to my collection. I’ve been checking on watch forums too, but just thought I’d see if anyone here is looking to sell. I’d prefer original box and papers. Thanks!

Have you tried WatchRecon? You can set an alert for the 2531.80 when one becomes available across a number of watch sales sites (Watchuseek, Rolex Forums, etc).

I had the 2531.80 until just a few months ago when I traded it for a JLC. It's a lovely watch (I'll be buying a newer Seamaster 300m in 2021). That Seamaster served me well for years and brought me a lot of joy. But as someone who's not a fan of the Pierce Brosnan era, I never truly connected with it the way I have, for instance, with my QoS Planet Ocean.

Happy hunting!

HalfMonk HalfHitman

Asp9mm wrote:

It doesn’t go with blue. But it looks great on black.

Agreed - a Sub with creamy yellow markers is fantastic.

MaverickFerg

I totally agree with you guys - patina may be highly sought-after by some serious collectors, but I'm with frommeyer here, if I could buy one of these brand spankin' new, I totally would.

In fact, now after reading about your experience, frommeyer, I'm planning to do the exact same thing (send if off to Omega for a total restoration with new parts). If it patinas over the next 20 years, so be it - but at least I'll get to experience the slow joy of watching it happen.

Asp9mm

They only used tritium up until 1999, after that they used Superluminova which doesn’t patina.

frommeyer

Sorry to get too off topic, but this got me thinking: is there a chart or something that explains a lume's exposure to a light source and it's effect on lume brightness and duration? Like, how many minutes under direct sunlight for a full charge (for lack of a better term) vs how many under an incandescent bulb? Do different color temperatures of light affect the lume differently?

Asp9mm

Exposed to bright sunlight, seconds. Same with a black light, or high powered torch/flashlight. UV/black light is the quickest though. Tritium is different. It’s radioactive so emits it’s own light. This degrades over time.

MaverickFerg

Finally pulled the trigger on a 2531.80 that I found online (decent shape, original boxes and papers).

Frommeyer, when you sent yours off to Omega, did you tell them that you wanted everything replaced up front or did they reach out and offer you the options? Since I don't live anywhere near an OB, I'm going the route of contacting Omega for a mailer (It appears that they pay the FedEx both ways!) and sending it off that way. Did you have them replace the bracelet as part of the service, or did you just order a new one from the spare parts department?

frommeyer

I went into the boutique. One of my condos is a couple blocks away so that was the easiest. I can't remember where but someone on the forum here recently said by doing a mailer you get access to a special Omega website. Therein you can check boxes on what you want replaced. So that feels like the next best thing. As for the bracelet, I took off the original, put that away for safe keeping, and just sent them the watch sans bracelet. Whether the new bracelet was processed as a repair or replacement I couldn't tell you. I dealt with Dario (who think has since moved to the New York office). I'm sure he'd be willing to help:

Dario.Mainella@swatchgroup.com

Asp9mm

Put everything you want done in writing with the watch. Saves time with back and forth communication and simplifies things.

MikeG77

MaverickFerg wrote:

Finally pulled the trigger on a 2531.80 that I found online (decent shape, original boxes and papers).

Frommeyer, when you sent yours off to Omega, did you tell them that you wanted everything replaced up front or did they reach out and offer you the options? Since I don't live anywhere near an OB, I'm going the route of contacting Omega for a mailer (It appears that they pay the FedEx both ways!) and sending it off that way. Did you have them replace the bracelet as part of the service, or did you just order a new one from the spare parts department?

Where did you end up buying from?

MaverickFerg

MikeG77 wrote:

MaverickFerg wrote:

Finally pulled the trigger on a 2531.80 that I found online (decent shape, original boxes and papers).

Frommeyer, when you sent yours off to Omega, did you tell them that you wanted everything replaced up front or did they reach out and offer you the options? Since I don't live anywhere near an OB, I'm going the route of contacting Omega for a mailer (It appears that they pay the FedEx both ways!) and sending it off that way. Did you have them replace the bracelet as part of the service, or did you just order a new one from the spare parts department?

Where did you end up buying from?

I found a site Watchcharts.com that compiles listings from multiple sources (eBay, RolexForums, WatchUSeek, Reddit) and provided pricing data (averages, charts, high/low/fair price). It also provides feedback ratings for sellers so you can buy with a little more confidence. It was a little outdated (a couple of the places I emailed had already sold the watch) but it was easy enough to compare all of the options. Most of the sellers provided phone or email info to contact them directly. Many of them are businesses, but a couple are individual sellers. Just make sure you do your research on the seller and buy using a relatively protective payment method.

I already got an email back from Omega that my FedEx box is on the way, but I will reach out to Dario and see if there’s anything else he recommends I do before sending it back.

MikeG77

MaverickFerg wrote:

MikeG77 wrote:

MaverickFerg wrote:

Finally pulled the trigger on a 2531.80 that I found online (decent shape, original boxes and papers).

Frommeyer, when you sent yours off to Omega, did you tell them that you wanted everything replaced up front or did they reach out and offer you the options? Since I don't live anywhere near an OB, I'm going the route of contacting Omega for a mailer (It appears that they pay the FedEx both ways!) and sending it off that way. Did you have them replace the bracelet as part of the service, or did you just order a new one from the spare parts department?

Where did you end up buying from?

I found a site Watchcharts.com that compiles listings from multiple sources (eBay, RolexForums, WatchUSeek, Reddit) and provided pricing data (averages, charts, high/low/fair price). It also provides feedback ratings for sellers so you can buy with a little more confidence. It was a little outdated (a couple of the places I emailed had already sold the watch) but it was easy enough to compare all of the options. Most of the sellers provided phone or email info to contact them directly. Many of them are businesses, but a couple are individual sellers. Just make sure you do your research on the seller and buy using a relatively protective payment method.

I already got an email back from Omega that my FedEx box is on the way, but I will reach out to Dario and see if there’s anything else he recommends I do before sending it back.

Ok good to know and glad you were able to get a watch. If I could make a suggestion I would take pictures of your watch before you send it in to Omega!

frommeyer

This site is great. Nice find, MaverickFerg.

MikeG77

frommeyer wrote:

This site is great. Nice find, MaverickFerg.

I've been using mywatchmart.com for the last few years to keep an eye on prices and it has paid off for me. Earlier this year I practically stole a white Omega DeVille Trésor for a a third of the retail cost! Another site to keep an eye on is watchrecon.com