An Omega Seamaster is typically worth $300 – $5,500, depending on reference, condition, originality, and provenance.
Market values current as of October 2026"Seamaster" is Omega's longest-running name, used since 1948 on everything from slim gold dress watches to professional dive watches, so values range widely. Most Seamasters that owners have, such as a 1950s or 1960s automatic dress watch, a 1990s Seamaster Professional or a modern Aqua Terra, typically sell for $300 to $4,000. Vintage Seamaster 300 dive watches are the exception and can bring $5,000 to well over $20,000.
What decides the price is which Seamaster you have, whether the dial is original, the case metal, and whether the box and papers survive.
A vintage steel Seamaster dress watch typically sells for $300 to $900, and an 18k gold one for $1,500 to $3,500. A Seamaster Professional 300M such as the "Bond" ref. 2531.80 usually brings $2,000 to $3,500, an Aqua Terra or Planet Ocean $2,000 to $5,500, and a vintage Seamaster 300 ref. 165.024 $5,000 to $20,000 or more. Check the reference inside the caseback and the movement caliber first.
Which Seamaster do you have?
- Vintage dress Seamaster (1948 to 1970s): Round 33 to 35 mm cases, often with a hippocampus (sea horse) caseback. Automatic calibers 500, 501, 550, 552, 562 and 565 are typical. Steel, gold-capped, gold-plated and solid 18k gold all exist.
- Seamaster 300 (1957 to 1970): The original diver, refs. CK2913 (1957) through 165.024 and 166.024. Many 165.024s were made for British forces with a circled "T" on the dial and fixed strap bars. Omega has since reissued modern Seamaster 300 models, which are a different, lower-value market.
- Seamaster Professional 300M (1993 onward): Wave dial, helium valve at 10 o'clock. The blue ref. 2531.80 is the watch Pierce Brosnan wore as James Bond.
- Aqua Terra (2002 onward) and Planet Ocean (2005 onward): Modern sports and dress models with long reference numbers such as 231.10.39.21.01.001.
- Ladies' Seamaster and De Ville: Small manual-wind or quartz watches from the 1960s and 1970s, often with integrated gold bracelets. De Ville began as a Seamaster sub-line.
Dating it: reference, serial and caliber
The reference number is stamped inside the caseback on vintage watches (for example 2846, 14765 or 165.024) and on the case or papers of modern ones. The movement serial number gives an approximate year: about 14 million in 1954, 20 million in 1963 and 32 million in 1970. Charts are only approximate, so for an exact date Omega's Extract of the Archives (about CHF 120) confirms the production date and the country of delivery. Omega's Certificate of Authenticity (about CHF 800) also inspects the parts. A watchmaker can photograph the movement for you; to start, photograph the dial, caseback and clasp.
Is it real, and is the dial original?
For vintage Seamasters the bigger problem is the redial, not the outright fake. Cheap vintage Seamasters were refinished in huge numbers, often with bright colored dials that Omega never made. Watch for:
- Thick, uneven or wrongly shaped "Omega" and "Seamaster" text, and a missing "Swiss Made" at 6 o'clock.
- Bright red, blue or green dials on a 1950s or 1960s dress model, which are almost always aftermarket.
- A dial that looks new while the case is heavily worn.
- On a Seamaster 300 or 300M, wrong hands, bezels or service dials, which are common and lower value.
- Modern fakes of the 300M and Planet Ocean: check the helium valve, crisp engraving on the caseback and a serial number that matches the papers.
A redial typically cuts a vintage Seamaster's value by half or more, and service replacement dials on divers also lower value.
What Omega Seamasters sell for
| Item | Typical value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vintage dress Seamaster, steel or gold-plated | $300 to $900 | Redials sell at the low end. |
| Vintage dress Seamaster, solid 18k gold | $1,500 to $3,500 | Gold weight sets a floor. |
| Ladies' Seamaster or De Ville, gold-plated | $100 to $400 | Most common scan; small and widely made. |
| Ladies' De Ville, 18k gold bracelet | $1,200 to $3,000 | Largely driven by gold weight. |
| Seamaster Professional 300M (2531.80 and similar) | $2,000 to $3,500 | Box and papers add value. |
| Aqua Terra and Planet Ocean | $2,000 to $5,500 | Priced well below new retail. |
| Vintage Seamaster 300 (165.024, 166.024) | $5,000 to $20,000+ | Military "T" dials bring the most. |
| Seamaster 300 CK2913 | $20,000 and up | Specialist auction only. |
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Results we could confirm on the auction house pages:
- CHF 100,000: Seamaster 300 ref. CK2913-7 SC, 1958, with box and Omega archive extract, Phillips Geneva, May 2018 (verified).
- £11,520: military-issue Seamaster 300 ref. 165.024, circa 1966, cal. 552, Bonhams London, June 2025 (verified).
- SEK 28,000 hammer: Seamaster Professional 300M ref. 2531.80, Bukowskis, November 2021 (verified).
- HK$14,025: 18k pink gold Seamaster with honeycomb dial, ref. 2846/2848, cal. 501, circa 1955, Bonhams Hong Kong, 2021 (verified).
- AU$2,952: ladies' 18ct white gold De Ville bracelet watch, 37.0 g, Bonhams Sydney, August 2025 (verified).
- £1,187.50: steel Seamaster Aqua Terra Co-Axial, circa 2007, with box, Bonhams London, February 2019 (verified).
These include buyer's premium. Dealers buying from owners typically pay 50 to 70 percent of their expected resale price, and their asking prices online are higher than what an owner is paid.
What to do now
- Do not polish, open or redial it. An original worn dial is worth more than a fresh refinish.
- Find the papers. The warranty card, box and receipts can add 10 to 20 percent on modern models and help prove originality on vintage ones.
- Check the gold. For a solid gold case or bracelet, use our gold melt calculator as a floor, not a price.
- Get a value range first. See our watch valuation page; the Omega Speedmaster value guide covers the same serial and reference checks.
Where to sell and what it costs
- Under $1,500: eBay or a local dealer. Marketplace fees typically run 10 to 15 percent.
- $1,500 to $15,000: Online or regional watch auctions such as Bonhams or Heritage. Sellers usually pay 10 to 20 percent commission, buyers about 25 percent on top.
- Vintage Seamaster 300 and rarities: Specialist sales at Phillips, Christie's, Sotheby's or Antiquorum. Find a specialist in our watch and timepiece directory.
Trusted resources
- Phillips CK2913-7 lot: a fully documented early Seamaster 300.
- Bonhams military 165.024 lot: what to compare a British-issue diver against.
- Bonhams 18k gold Seamaster lot: a 1950s dress Seamaster described in detail.
- Bonhams ladies' De Ville lot: gold weight and marks on a ladies' bracelet watch.
- Watchonista on Omega's Heritage Department: Extract of the Archives and Certificate of Authenticity.
- Fratello on the Extract of the Archives: how to request one.
- American Society of Appraisers: credentialed appraisers for insurance and estates.
What Drives the Value
- Model — a vintage Seamaster 300 is worth many times more than a vintage dress Seamaster.
- Dial originality — original dials, even with patina, are worth roughly double refinished ones.
- Case metal — solid 18k gold beats gold-capped and gold-plated cases, which have no real melt value.
- Military provenance — British-issue 165.024 and similar watches with T dials bring the highest prices.
- Box and papers — warranty cards and boxes add value, especially to 300M, Aqua Terra and Planet Ocean models.
- Original parts — service dials, hands and bezels reduce value on dive models.
- Case condition — unpolished cases with sharp edges sell better.
- Archive documentation — an Omega Extract of the Archives supports value on vintage pieces.
Identification Checklist
- Open nothing: read the reference stamped inside the caseback via a watchmaker, or on the papers for modern models.
- A hippocampus (sea horse) emblem on the caseback is the classic Seamaster mark from the late 1950s onward.
- Vintage dress Seamasters use automatic calibers such as 500, 501, 550, 552, 562 and 565.
- Seamaster 300 references run from CK2913 (1957) to 165.024 and 166.024; British military examples have a circled T on the dial and fixed strap bars.
- A wave-pattern dial and a helium valve at 10 o'clock identify a Seamaster Professional 300M; the blue ref. 2531.80 is the Bond model.
- Modern Aqua Terra and Planet Ocean models carry long references such as 231.10.39.21.01.001 on the papers.
- Movement serial numbers give an approximate year: about 14 million in 1954, 32 million in 1970.
- Look for 750 or 18K stamps on the case back and bracelet clasp of ladies' gold De Ville and Seamaster watches.
How to Spot a Fake
- Redials are the most common problem: look for thick or misaligned printing and colorful dials Omega never offered.
- Check that the caliber matches the reference; a mismatch suggests a swapped movement or dial.
- On a 300M or Planet Ocean, check the helium valve, clean caseback engraving and a serial that matches the warranty card.
- Seamaster 300 bezels, hands and dials are often replaced; compare with documented auction examples.
- Gold-plated cases show base metal at worn edges; solid gold cases carry karat stamps and hallmarks.
- For anything likely worth more than $3,000, get an auction specialist's opinion or Omega's Certificate of Authenticity before selling.
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