: I friend of mine, a reputable dealer, has a Seamaster which has had
: the tiny serial number on the lug removed. Is this a problem,
: and why would someone remove it?
It could be several reasons. The most likely one is that its a gray market watch. The gray market items are sometimes sold with no serial number,
no papers or warranty cards and sometimes no box, is a genuine Omega product but has no warranty by Omega. They are sold to other dealers
at a discount because it didn't sell or it was an overstock and many small dealers have to order several watches at a time to get what they want.
Most gray market items sold the last few years usually have the serial numbers intact and most accessories with them, just the warranty cards
aren't stamped for the warranty to be valid.
Nothing the matter with a gray market watch. It makes little difference after the warranty expires. Keep in mind that if you have a problem
within the warranty period, Omega will not fix it. Its rare that there is going to be a problem with the watch anyway. I own several
and have had one problem that I paid to have fixed. Its going to come down to: are you willing to take a chance?
If it was a great deal and the seller was going to warranty it himself, it may be worth it.
jim
