The Omega case reference can normally be found on the inside of the caseback. The 5 to 9 digit long number containing no dots, spaces or letters may be the serial number which can be decoded using the Omega serial number decoder.
What year is my Omega Speedmaster? I get this question on just about every Omega Speedmaster that I have sold or have for sale on TamboWatches. Knowing the year of production of your Speedmaster is definitely something good to know. There is no real way to know 100% when your Speedmaster was produced unless you get an Extract of Archives directly from Omega. You may have the filled out warranty card for your Speedmaster, but that only tells you when it was sold, not when it was produced. Also, just a side note, a lot of Speedmaster owners look at their warranty card and mistake the 2011 on the card as the production date. 2011 is the country code for the United States.
So, How can you determine what year your Speedmaster was produced?
Make sure everything is spelled correctly and evenly spaced on the dial. Does the design show. Each Omega watch has a seven-digit or eight-digit serial number etched somewhere on it. For most Omega watches, the watch’s serial number is in fact the movement serial number, which is etched on a bridge of the internal movement. This chart is in no way a substitute for contacting Omega Vintage Information with the Serial Number of an Omega movement and requesting information as it is a very inexact guide (perhaps as close as +/- 1-2 years). However it is potentially useful for narrowing down the vintage of Omega Watches.
Omega Serial Number Check
So, How can you determine what year your Speedmaster watch was produced? Below, I am going to provide some different charts that are available on the web to help finding out what year your Speedmaster was produced. Bear in mind, these charts will give you just a close guesstimate of production year. Most of these charts have been around for years and are incomplete. Even with non public access to Omega’s website, I am not able to get production years of a particular watch or movement without paying for an Extract of Archives. Based on the different charts below, It seems that starting around 1961 Omega was producing around 1 million watches a year. You can use that number of sales to get a rough estimate where the charts below stop. Again, it can be frustrating not to know for sure. Until myself or someone else comes up with a complete chart, the information provided here is a good starting point.
Where is my serial number?
There are several places where the serial number is located on Omega Speedmasters. The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moon watch serial numbers are located on the movement or on the back of 7 O’clock lug. The watches with the serial number on 7 O’clock lug have a matching serial number on the movement. Other speedmasters will have the serial number on the caseback below the Hippocampus-Seahorse. Some of the late 80’s and very early 90’s models will have the serial number stamped on the inside of the caseback. The newer, 2006 and up, non professional speedmasters have a serial number located on back of 7 O’clock lug with a matching serial number on the movement.
Omega Speedmaster Serial numbers and Year of Production
Omega Speedmaster Professional Moon Watch Serial Numbers and Year of Production
Final Thoughts
Omega Serial Number Check
As stated above, these charts have been on the web for years, are incomplete and only give you a good guesstimate of production year. If you absolutely have to know 100% when your Speedmaster was produced, get an Extract of Archives from Omega. It is a great value at about $150.00 if you can get one. Currently, Omega does not seem to be providing this service in the U.S. I personally think it is good to know, but really not that important unless you are talking about a Vintage Speedmaster worth a considerable amount and a record of it’s provenance is necessitated.
This page will enable you to track down the production year of your vintage watch.
If you want to know which year your vintage watch was produced?– Then take a closer look at ” Serial numbers by year”.
While Omega keeps the serial number on the inside of the backcase Certina leaves the serial number visible on the out site of the watch back case accompanied with a reference. The two numbers serves the same pourposes as explained in the Omega chapter above-written. Though in the periode dating from 1958 to 1974 the reference number on Certina watch carried an encrypted message giving away, which calibre the watch was equipped with, which material the case was made from and which watch model you are dealing with.
Together with a reference number, the brand Omega placed their serial numbers on the inside of the backcase. One serial number indicates in which year or periode the watch was produced while the other number (the reference number) indicates which model or serie the specific watch belongs to.
In some cases, such as the watches produced by the brand Eterna, serial numbers were not used as markers to know the year of origin. Instead Eterna made sure we can date watches since their calibers were only used in short periods of time.
Omega Serial Numbers
To put a date of production on your vintag Longines watch you have to locate the serial number which most often is found on the in- & out-site of the back case. When you have got the serial number then look it up in our Longines serial number matrix. While seaching for the serial number please remember to enjoy the sight of your Longines watch movement.
The very early Tissot watches had the serial number engraved on the back site of the dial. Later on the serial numbers were made easier to locate. On most vintag Tissot watches you will be able to find the serial number engraved into the watch movement. While your are at it remember to note the calibre number of your watch it may come in handy some day.
Introduction on how to find & use serial numbers