1.The best identifier of a watch is its serial number. Recent OMEGA watches usually carry their serial number somewhere on the back--but they will be in extremely small laser-etched digits requiring a magnifier to read. Older OMEGA watches (and new ones bought from certain illegitimate sources) may only have the serial number on the inside of the watch, requiring a jeweler to open it for you. The serial number itself only means something to OMEGA. See below for more information on having OMEGA look up the details of your watch by its serial number.
2.The second best identifier of a watch is a photo. An expert seeing a photo of the watch can quickly see which are the unique identifying features of your watch. A photo can often be sufficient to tell if a recent model-style OMEGA is a counterfeit. See the Chronocentric Rogues Gallery for more details.
3.The third best identifier of a watch is a model number. OMEGA model numbers are not stamped on the watch, but may appear on the box or warranty card. You might think that knowing the model number would be better than having a photograph. But outside of OMEGA, hardly anyone has the ability to look up model numbers older than about 10 years. And since models numbers do not appear on the watches themselves, collectors and vintage watch dealers may not even know the model numbers of watches they have. So like with a serial number, you would need OMEGA to convert many older model numbers into useful information.
4.Focus on what is truly unique. Virtually all watches have hands, a crown, a logo, a bracelet. Mentioning these is completely pointless unless there is some particularly unique characteristic of them that really stands out different from other watches and that you can clearly describe.
5.The information printed on the dial is not sufficient for identifying a watch. Except for a few Limited Edition models, the printing on the dial at best identifies the brand and sometimes a broad model line. While this is helpful information, it is far from enough to clearly identify a specific watch.
6.Model names usually refer to an entire collection, not a single watch design. Even more detailed names like "Seamaster Cosmic 2000," "Constellation Manhattan," "DeVille Symbol," and "OMEGA Geneve" still refer to dozens of related model styles. Only in rare cases was a single style marketed under a particular name--like the "X-33," "Seamaster Ploprof" or one of OMEGA's various Limited Edition series.
7.Knowing the year the watch was manufactured can be a big help. Styles of watches change over time. So in describing a particular model, it helps greatly to know the year it was made to clarify which of the variations over time you have.
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