One of the first things I joined this forum to find was a rep of the Omega Seamaster Ploprof. I soon learned that they're damn near impossible to get...long out of production, only available (rarely) for a few minutes M2M, and with the gen just unrealistic to purchase (I can justify 5 figures for a watch I'll wear every day, but for an obsolete "niche" item that scratches an itch but mostly sits in the box, it's just not something I can do).
This watch will probably be worn for a few days a year, so I don't want to go overboard, just to fill a (to me) glaring hole in my collection of mostly vintage tool watches. When I first started collecting watches, about 25 years ago, I came THIS close to buying a gen more than once, but couldn't convince myself to blow $1-2k (at the time) for such an ugly watch...but the design has grown on me.
There are a couple homages made of the Ploprof (rumored to be made from the same parts) by Steeldive and San Martin (and others), which a few members here, most notably Frank_NRW, have done some pretty impressive mods to approximate the Ploprof. Based on a lot of research, and some recommendations here, I reached out to manodeoro for help, guidance, and a custom dial. He did not disappoint.
There were some delays, some frustrations, and a little bit of rough handling in transit, but I finally managed to put it all together for a test ride last night. The dial had come loose from the feet in transit, so it's attached with sticky feet for the moment (and the date window is a little off), but that will be addressed in the next couple days, once the honeymoon is over, lol.
I also plan on sourcing a sterile case back and having it engraved like the Omega (since this isn't intended to be a 1:1 rep, I'll probably go with either an Omega symbol or the Seahorse or some combination of the two that look vaguely '60s...or just parallel lines, like the original). There's no crown in the traditional sense, so I don't have to worry about that.
Future mods will probably be limited to finding a clasp or mesh bracelet with Omega branding (hello, AliExpress!) and some aging of the exterior parts so it looks like a tool watch that's seen some use. Of course, I'll keep an eye open for a rep to come up M2M (or the factories to start producing them again (I'm talking to YOU, VSF, this is a crown and tube even you can't screw up!), but for now, I'm very happy.
So I'll end this with a thank you to both Manodeoro and Frank_NRW for the help, the heavy lifting, and the inspiration...now to the (low quality, cell phone at my desk) photos.
This watch will probably be worn for a few days a year, so I don't want to go overboard, just to fill a (to me) glaring hole in my collection of mostly vintage tool watches. When I first started collecting watches, about 25 years ago, I came THIS close to buying a gen more than once, but couldn't convince myself to blow $1-2k (at the time) for such an ugly watch...but the design has grown on me.
There are a couple homages made of the Ploprof (rumored to be made from the same parts) by Steeldive and San Martin (and others), which a few members here, most notably Frank_NRW, have done some pretty impressive mods to approximate the Ploprof. Based on a lot of research, and some recommendations here, I reached out to manodeoro for help, guidance, and a custom dial. He did not disappoint.
There were some delays, some frustrations, and a little bit of rough handling in transit, but I finally managed to put it all together for a test ride last night. The dial had come loose from the feet in transit, so it's attached with sticky feet for the moment (and the date window is a little off), but that will be addressed in the next couple days, once the honeymoon is over, lol.
I also plan on sourcing a sterile case back and having it engraved like the Omega (since this isn't intended to be a 1:1 rep, I'll probably go with either an Omega symbol or the Seahorse or some combination of the two that look vaguely '60s...or just parallel lines, like the original). There's no crown in the traditional sense, so I don't have to worry about that.
Future mods will probably be limited to finding a clasp or mesh bracelet with Omega branding (hello, AliExpress!) and some aging of the exterior parts so it looks like a tool watch that's seen some use. Of course, I'll keep an eye open for a rep to come up M2M (or the factories to start producing them again (I'm talking to YOU, VSF, this is a crown and tube even you can't screw up!), but for now, I'm very happy.
So I'll end this with a thank you to both Manodeoro and Frank_NRW for the help, the heavy lifting, and the inspiration...now to the (low quality, cell phone at my desk) photos.
