John Brozek information packed book
imitation Rado watches
John Brozek information packed book, based on ten years of experience, looks at the world of Omega from yet another angle. While the two Schiffer books (The Best of Time by James M. Dowling and Jeffrey P. Hess, and Vintage Omega Sports Models by Martin Skeet and Nick Urul) look at Omega primarily from a historical standpoint, this book really dissects the more modern Omega models from a consumer-buying standpoint. Don’t get me wrong; there is much the buyer/ collector can learn from the other two books, but this 288-page book by Brozek really gets down to the nitty-gritty. He writes in great detail about the various modern Omega models and their differences and similarities. He tells how to disassemble most models, and how to operate the functions of the more complicated models, like the GMT Master and the Cosmograph.
And perhaps most important, he spends an enormous amount of effort (more than 100 pages) telling readers how to avoid buying “doctored” and outright counterfeit Omega watches. The Omega Report has many side-by-side enlarged photos showing the “real thing” alongside the counterfeits.
The problem of fake and converted Omegaes has reached epidemic proportions, especially since the explosive increase in Internet trading. Brozek addresses these problems in a section titled, “Omega or Replica? Don’t get e-screwed!” The Internet in general has turned into a thieves’ den of counterfeit watches, and Omega models lead the pack.
The problem, as Brozek points out, is that the replicas are getting so incredibly good, it’s almost impossible to distinguish them from the real thing without opening them and looking at the movements. In a kind of twisted paradox, the very finest counterfeit Omega watches have evolved into fine watches in their own right—with finely finished cases and automatic mechanical movements with second hands that sweep (the older, cheaper fakes had quartz movements where the second hand beat in precise, one-second increments). But they are fakes nevertheless. And you will learn how to distinguish even the best fakes from the real thing.
The author spends about thirty pages presenting a short history of time devices (leading up to the wristwatch) and Omega. This is a nice touch, not only for the beginner but also for the more experienced Omega fancier who wants to look up a certain time period in Omega history and find it fast. Another section breaks down the most popular types of Omega watches and gives a brief summation of each, including such vital facts as year of introduction, first model (i.e., reference number), and first caliber movement used in the watch.
Again, a nice, concise reference for those who, for example, don’t know the subtle differences between a Turn-O-Graph and a Submariner. Next is approximately forty three pages of price information taken from the 2002 Omega price lists and reveals wholesale and retail prices. It is not to be taken as the “perfect” tool for buying and selling Omegaes because prices on some models change on an almost weekly basis.
The last section, of about sixteen pages, is a case reference number index and is absolutely invaluable. It is simply a listing of known case reference numbers (the little number stamped on most Omega watches on the edge of the case between the lugs at the 12 o’clock position) and the type of Omega watch that number corresponds to. It’s great for telling whether a given specimen has been converted, or if various case parts from different models have been put together to make what I call a “Franken-watch” (with apologies to Mary Shelley).
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