An excellent service

My opinion is that Omega offers an excellent service with their 'Extracts from Archives' and I am very surprised by the comments I have read so far.

Technically, I think it is very good: request via the Omega website, electronic payment, usually less than 2 weeks to receive the document.

In term of content, it is a reliable service : Depending on the watch, if the archives are precise, you have many details ; if they are light, only few data are provided... It may seem obvious, but I know other brands that try to complete the blanks and estimate the missing fields (example: I have seen an official "Extract from the Archives" delivered by JLC where Production Date is "circa 1935" !!! )

The Omega Extract contains all the standard fields that I expect to see in such a document (same as Patek, JLC, IWC, Longines). The only extract that gave me more details about a vintage watch came from Breguet. The extract also mentioned the original price of the watch.

Concerning the price of the service, I am OK with the 75 CHF fees which include the search in the Archives and the shipping of a formal document. Even when archives are incomplete, you always get an information about the production date and the distribution network.
If we compare with other brands, a similar service was charged 50 CHF by IWC (but I don't know if IWC still offers the service); It is more expensive for Patek Philippe (100 CHF) and much more for JLC (300 CHF).

Therefore, I will continue to use this service for my vintage Omega although I know how frustrating it can be to receive sometimes so many "Not mentioned"

This extract refers to my beloved Seamaster Chronometre.

Omega 'Extracts from Archives'

By: aroma : May 25th, 2011-01:22

Hi Experts, A quick question:- I have often thought of getting the official 'Extract from Archives' for the most collectable of my vintage Omegas but at £50 a time it seems overly expensive for what you get. For example and I'll use one that I already hav...

Hmmm . . . what if the extract proclaimed . . .

By: Dr No : May 25th, 2011-09:28

. . . the case metal to be gold? In that event, you would know the movement didn't match the case. Perhaps someone had two identical models save for case metal, but the movement in the gold version was sub-par; the incentive to swap movements would be ove...

An interesting thought Art.................

By: aroma : May 25th, 2011-11:17

are there any other benefits to be had? Cheers

I've heard that the extracts often don't provide much [nt]

By: mrsnak : May 25th, 2011-10:06

No message body

i do sort of agree with you Aroma. proper research can negate the need for an extract

By: G99 : May 25th, 2011-12:18

funnily enough, the majority of my Omega's have -64 after the ref number. i always try to buy ones with the date on the caseback as it pretty much seals the deal date wise which as you know is important to me. i havent yet figured out why some watches hav...

Sharing Aroma's opinion:

By: DeGeus : May 25th, 2011-13:19

Understandable that the Musée has instituted a fee since they became inundated with requests from all over the world. Probably a half-day's job for one or two people. The available info however is very meagre to say the least. In the archives the countrie...

For that matter, Omega is still unable to...

By: mrsnak : May 25th, 2011-13:59

...implement the new watch archive ("Omega Traditions") that's been under construction for at least a couple years, now. We can still access the old one, but it is an insight as to their priorities.

Although the information is minimal

By: Aless156 : May 26th, 2011-09:45

I think it is a really useful service and I'm glad Omega is bothering to provide it. I have one for my 105.003, while there are a couple of unknowns, I'm still glad I have the additional information. I think being able to accurately know the production da...

Yes but surely..........

By: aroma : May 26th, 2011-10:46

if you had a say a Seamaster with a 552 cal and gave Omega the case reference number together with the movement serial number there is no way you could tell if the movement and case had always been together. Yes, the serial number would tie up with the ca...

If you have 1 or 2 Omegas

By: hoipolloi : May 26th, 2011-16:06

If you have 1 or 2 watches in your collection, you can give your beloved watches that service but when it comes to 50 then 100 or more watches , I would save that money to buy more watches or buckles or straps .... Regards. Hoi.

Main advantage is matching movement to case

By: MSNWatch : May 26th, 2011-18:05

to make sure the watch is not a "put together." Hoi's point is well taken - not a practical exercise when you have many vintage watches. Perhaps omega should institute a system wherein they will confirm to you via email whether the case and movement match...

It doesn't really guarantee anything.............

By: aroma : May 27th, 2011-11:28

I would never do this but if you had say a Sm300 with a knackered cal 552 you could buy another old dress Seamaster or any other watch with a cal 552 and fit that movement and provided you swaped the bridge with the movement serial number on it, the archi...

It depends how you order the extract...

By: mac_omega : May 27th, 2011-12:58

Hi all, It depends how you order the extract... When I order an extract from Omega I provide as little information as possible myself! I do not fill in all the blanks which are offered, just only the movement serial# So I am sure that all the information ...

re

By: mondodec : May 27th, 2011-18:13

I see the value in extracts as an indicator that watch is to factory specifications. That is, it has a movement that matches the case style (As evidenced by serial number and case number) I remember quite some time ago in the Jean-Luc Miranda period that ...

Erich, Desmond, thanks for those nuggets of ........

By: aroma : May 28th, 2011-01:21

information. I think that to give them as little info as possible and make them search the records is a good ploy. This illustrates the value of a forum like this - I would never have thought of using such tactics and would have given them all the info th...

An excellent service

By: Marv : May 28th, 2011-16:07

Not mentioned is there for a reason

By: MSNWatch : May 28th, 2011-16:19

The cal. 352 movement of your watch originally belonged to a french case - not a swiss case (which would have provided the case ref. number). If your movement is now in a swiss case, then that is not its original configuration.

No doubt about the French origin

By: Marv : May 29th, 2011-01:47

A "Fab. Suisse" dial, a French case with eagle's head marks and the most important: a known origin. The scan was just to illustrate how light some archives could be for some watches and to mitigate the disappointment that I could feel in this thread altho...

I have the same SM...

By: mac_omega : May 28th, 2011-21:46

Hi Marv, I have absolutely the same situation with the identical SM chronometre model... It has Cal. 352, same dial, and the same case model in pink gold - there was also the movement only delivered to France... What a coincidence! Some collectors do not ...

French case vs Swiss case

By: Marv : May 29th, 2011-02:16

I agree with you. Some collectors see greater interest in Swiss cases (vs French one) It is also the case for other brands, such as Longines. And I don't understand the rationale. Therefore, I do not use this criteria when it comes to collectionning vinta...

Here is mine...

By: mac_omega : May 29th, 2011-03:40

Hi Marve, I dived deep in my picture archive and luckily I found a picture of mine (as the watch is in the bank vault)... Here it is: It houses a cal. 352 and it is like fresh from the factory! enjoy Erich...

Pristine indeed

By: Marv : May 29th, 2011-04:48

Thank you Erich for this photo. Your watch is splendid and looks like new. Best

This one is for you Marv

By: hoipolloi : May 29th, 2011-06:34

Hi Marv. I have a French Case stamped T.K Co. Made in France. It's a very nice waterproof case and it hosts a 283. It looks like at that time, Omega sold only the movements to France and people can put them in any sort of case they like. Regards. Hoi. Wel...

Not missing a thing.

By: Sharky409 : June 2nd, 2011-05:18

Hi, I am faced with the same problem. Too expensive for little extra added. I decided against it. It seems to me Omega would better serve themselves by drastically reducing the cost of this service. Why not incorporate this service into a PR campaign of s...