Hi!

I recently inherited this Railmaster when my grandfather passed away. He lived a tough life as a logger here in Sweden and this is something that is quite apparent given the condition of the watch..

Pictures can be found here:
http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/Anton_Wigge/library/Omega 2914-4

I really want to bring this watch back to life but I don't know that much about vintage Omegas of this sort. My main concerns are:

* The case is in terrible shape with deep gauges on both sides. Besides this it looks quite heavily polished. I was thinking about sending this case off for laser welding, is this a terrible mistake?
* The dial looks as if it could be OK but shows some uneven patina. Small spots and rust stains might go off with a gentle clean?
* The crown is not original. What crown should i search for?
* I need to find a new crystal, does anyone know what crystal I should search for?
* Also, the retainer ring holding the magnetic shield/dust cover in place inside the case appears to be missing, any help here?=)

Please share your knowledge and I'll try to provide pictures and documentation of the progress!

Thanks!
Anton

 

Full service a new crown and crystal and wear it with all your grandfathers scratches. Then be proud when you explain that this was your logger grandfathers watch

I got this advice when i posted a similar post a while back and glad i listened

 

I agree.

Get the movement serviced, a new crown and crystal and minor case work to remove the top of the dings and gouges, but only to bring them to surface level.

No tarting up or polishing!

That watch worked for a living and holds many pointers to that, keep them in respect of what it has done in it's life.

 

That is a fantastic watch, and a great family heirloom!

The case can be repaired (laser welding) if you so choose. But since you plan to keep and wear it, also your choice to keep it as is - the way your grandfather last wore it.

 

That looks great. I'd echo what has already been said. Get a full movement service with new crystal and this will make the dial appear cleaner. I'd leave the case as it is. That's how your grandad wore it.

Make sure you use a watchmaker experienced with vintage watches.

If you are still thinking about going down the laser welding route, just give it some time. You could always do this in a year or two if you really want to, but if you do it straight away and change your mind, it can't be undone.

 

Agree completely. Nothing wrong with welding your watch (it won't appeal to collectors, but why care?), but just like you need to live in a new house a few years before deciding on big refurnishings, you need to live with a watch for some time to get a feel for it.

Btw, fantastic watch.

 

correct. new crystal with the wide chrome pressure ring. and a movement service. every experienced watchmaker can do this. crown maybe not correct, but not that important, if you want to keep it. if you do not like the case in the present state, do the following: buy a nail file thingi with 2-4 different surfaces. use the very coarse one for filling down the heavy gouges to level . then smooth a bit with the next finer surface. the sides should be not polishes anyway, but be matte` in the surface. do not overdue it; this is a toolwatch and a heirloom. wear it with pride; this is a very rare watch and part of your family. you become a guardian and have to pass it on. dial is fine; hands are fine. I`d not use laser welding ; find a nice leather NATO strap and be happy ! kind regards. achim

 

Great advice guys. When you wear it you will think of your grandfather. This watches shared a lot of memories with him and will share many for you in the future.

 

I personally think it is beautiful, as others have recommended service, crown and crystal and you have a wonderful memory of your grandfather.
Obviously a man who never shied away from hard physical work. That case may even have saved his wrist from serious damage.

 

thanks for all of your advice, I think I will skip the laser weld for now and just clean up the deepest gauges a bit!

A couple of more questions that you might be able to answer:

* I'm trying to find the correct crown for this watch, do any of you know what reference/part number the correct ahould have? I found some post saying it should be the 45009 crown but looking at otto frei, that crown does not see, to have the omega logo on it, which I believe the original crown should have?

* What do you say about the hands? I think these dauphine/alpha hands should be correct for a 2914-4, right? However, I've seen these hands both with the triangle shaped lume on the hour hands like my watch has and examples with lume like the one one the link below, what is correct?

http://www.chrono24.com/en/omega/ra...ilmaster--mod69.htm&SETLANG=en_US&SETCURR=USD

Thank you for your knowledge and assistance!

 

Both were apparently found on early Speedmasters so I would assume that both straight and triangular was used.

Don't forget to post a picture when you've had it serviced!

 

Yes this needs to be kept as original as possible, the dial has got the right amount of patina and wants to stay like that. All the above advice is good and I like the idea of not too much work done on the case. I had one many years ago and the case was heavily pitted and in a very poor state. These are a true tool watch so you have to expect a bit of wear and tear.

 

Thanks guys!

Any input regarding what crown to search for? I wrote in an earlier post that I'm having problema finding what part number the correct crown should have.

Also, does anyone know where to find the retainer rinf holding the magnetic cover/dust cover in place inside the case back?

/Anton

 

Crown listed on the Extranet for the 2914 is 069ST45008.

Cheers, Al

 

anton, do you need the inner amag lid only or the retainer /mvmt. ring and the lid? what is missing? both sell for around $ 800 cpl. the inner amag.lid should be around $ 100. I think, we have some left for our restorations..... kind regards. achim

 

Thanks for your reply! What I think I need is the ring seen on the far right on the picture below (not my picture). Right now, the antimagnetic lid sits kind of loose...

 

ahh....., you want the springloaded ring, that fits into the groove on the back. many years ago we had them manufactured in india on request of members of the vintage watch forum. but all gone long ago. hard to find...... use a rubber ring in the meantime. kind regards. achim