zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

I started this thread, and unfortunately contributed to the rumors that Omega bid on their own watches (in earlier threads). Let's examine what we know and how I contributed to the rumors.

The auction was 348 watches sold in 300 lots. (There were ten lots with multiple watches, from 3 to 23.)

Omega's Museum is acknowledged in the catalog as the owner and seller of ten lots and ten watches.

Collectors are acknowledged in the catalog as the owner and seller of 146 lots.

Thus, ownership is known for 156 lots.

There are 144 lots for which no ownership is noted; four of these watches are prototypes.

I contributed to the rumors by stating I believed these watches were supplied by Omega. I assumed these watches, because of the lack of attribution, must have come from Omega. I apologize for contributing to the rumors based on my apparently incorrect reasoning.

Others have suggested that they were supplied by "the trade", meaning watch dealers. This is apparently true and not uncommon.

We don't know who owned these 144 watches, nor do you ever know who owns most items at public auctions, unless it is an estate sale or sale of an individual's collection.

Is it possible Omega or some other part of Swatch Group sold these watches? Yes, but it requires you to become a conspiracy theorist.

What do we know about purchases?

I know personally of 6 lots purchased by individuals.

There are another 7 purchased which I am reasonably certain of the purchaser: Omega. None of these purchases by Omega are of lots they sold. We know that Omega purchased a total of 47 watches, leaving 40 others unknown.

If you know who purchased other lots, please let me know by e-mail or pm.

Summary: a writer successfully told a story which had impact and started rumors. There is a lot of "smoke" and little "fire". Tony Blair, the former UK Prime Minister recently stated in a speech that the press today is unconcerned with "revealing the truth" and more concerned with "having impact". This may be what happened here.

There are very little hard facts other than Omega & Antiquorum successfully had an auction which promoted the brand and boosted vintage prices. Omega bought one watch for an extraordinary high price. The two companies skillfully used legal and previously proven techniques to create publicity.

There is a private company (Antiquorum) over which control is being contested, contributing more "smoke". Nothing was stated which connected the two events.

Inappropriate behavior is not overtly suggested in the article. It merely allows the reader to make their own implications. I certainly did.

Now we want the perpetrators of this "alleged fraud" to come clean. We want them to disclose information that no one has ever disclosed before because they are accused of -- what?

I was -- and am -- suspicious by nature. But I have no hard facts and no basis for which to demand additional disclosure.

A couple of weeks later: tell me what Antiquorum did wrong and what proof you have of it? Tell me what Omega did wrong and what proof you have of it?

-- Omega "secretly" bought watches for their Museum. If I were a well-known collector, I wouldn't bid openly on a watch. Others observing me would believe the watch must be valuable and bid the price up.

-- The price paid for one of these watches was extraordinary, but no one has any proof that it was anything but a bidding war.

I think we have underestimated how much publicity Omegamania generated. How many auctions has Antiquorum had since Omegamania? Did you even notice there were auctions? There has basically been one a month, all passing with little attention.

It may be much more believeable that the high prices at Omegamania were due to the most extensive publicity campaign ever mounted for a watch auction, than to advance a conspiracy theory.