Hi everyone
this is my first thread here, happy to share with all of you
First, sorry for my bad english from france
i have this really old 18k gold omega 33.3 chronograph. this watch is in my family for a long time ago. it was my gran father ,father watch.
for shure someone tryed to re build/paint the dial...
many times i tryied to found informations about this watch , but impossible
if someone can help me to know from when is this watch, it could be really nice.
i bringed the watch to Omega in Geneva, and they just proposed to redial the watch with a brand new dial, and also put a brand new steel gold plated chronograph button .for this they asked me more than 4000€. what a joke from omega
impossible for omega to told me a date for this watch...
here is some pics of the baby

 

Oups i forget to tell you this is an oversized jumbo. diameter without crown is
38 mm size

 

Hello Hubert,

On one hand you're very lucky to inherit such a piece, on the other you've got a major project on your hands.

The serial on the movement dates the watch to roughly 1940.

Around here we rarely suggest going to Omega with vintage pieces like you have here, but in this case you would probably spend more time and money trying to find donor parts (if it's even possible) than what Omega has quoted because your watch is so far gone.

You may try to ask around watchmakers in Switzerland if someone has a weathered old original dial, but one in good condition is going to run you more than 4k Euro easily and finding an exact fit may not be possible. You also need a service with untold number of parts, crown?, correct hands, and pusher.

It may make sense to give it to Omega, get a full restoration and have a working watch for yourself and your family to enjoy

 

Bonsoir Hubert,

first of all, even in this state it is a great heirloom!
What you need is a good watchmaker who restores vintage watches. He may be able to help you with parts.But the olive pusher may be tricky.
Personally, I would not assess the situation so negative like @Rman does. There are currently some hand sets in ebay for around 250-300 Euros. And for the dial, you can also give it to a professional redialer. Your watchmaker may possibly suggest one. A redial should cost you around 500 Euros depending on how your dial should look like (multiple colors and scales are more expensive than single and simple prints).
Even with a service, it costs you less than the restoration with Omega.
And the next years you can then save some money and search for an original dial.

Good luck with that!

 

hi , and thanks for helping The problem with Omega restoration service in switzerland, firt time they told, around 2500€ .second time 4000€ and third time more money again...but not happy whe they told me to use a gold plated stainless steel , a stainless steel crown changing hands...
for the pusher no probs, i have a friend can rebuild a new one in 18 k yellow gold...For the hans i was thinking it was the good one...
Do you think crown was changed also ??

 

Yes, crown is later.
A quick google search found this pic:

I think your watch once looked quite similar.

 

Hi yes i stay positive to found a good watch maker who will do a good job.
As i say before, i have a friend who is jeweler and work with gold. I show him the pusher, and he told me ok , no probs to make a new one in gold like the original...
For the dial,i will try to found pics from 1940 models , and try to found one around the world

 

Thanks for the pics, yes its really look like mine...lugs , dial.

 

There is a good chance, that the pushers are not massive Gold. Too soft for a long operating life. So, plated will be fine. Change both for a consistant look. Dial restorer: talk to Causemann in Germany. He should have the correct Font . Kind regards. Achim

 

Hi Achim
i think pushers are massive gld because the other one have a deep scratch,and always look like massive gold.
For the dial restauration i will contact CausemannThanks for helping
regards from France
Hubert

 

FYI: Causemann is no more in business - he has sold to Bethge...

 

Don't think so. The Son is still doing it. Same address......when was a Sale? Kind regards. Achim

 

So, if I send dials to Causemann in Frechen, it will be sent on to Bethge in Pforzheim????

 

No, I don´t think so - you have to mail it directly to Bethge - Causemann is out of business (a fellow collector from Germany told me some days ago that Causemann sold his business several months ago).

 

Yes.

 

These are not good news. Bethge's results are somewhat random...

 

First hand information is the best: Causemann is still in business!
Anything else is fakenews. He hasn't sold and still prints/restores dials.

No, Causemann still has nothing to do with Bethge. Good news!

 

Dear members,

my sincere apologies for spreading wrong news - it was not done on purpose.

I was fowarded this information by a fellow collector from Germany and I relied on his words.

Obviously it was fake news or "alternative facts" as Donald would say...

This morning I called Causemann and asked him about his plans - he confirmed that he will be in business for some more years...

What I have been reminded (although I already knew that it is the best way when doing research): always go directly to the source whenever you can and don´t rely on what others might tell you...

best regards
Erich

 

Hello Everyone
writing since I have similar need as the one in this thread...time by time I check in internet if there is any crown with pusher available for my omega 33.3 and found this thread

I attach pictures here in case there is anyone who can help me

I sincerely apologise with the thread owner for the interference

Wishing you a nice weekend

Giorgio

 

Hi Achim, i just return on my Omega 33.3 forget after two years in a box and, what a surprise, i just discover the watch is working really well without any service. Maybe omega cleaned the watch during the control before work on it. i will planning a service soon
Second surprise is, after a control you 're right pusher are not massive gold but massive plated.
Third suprise , and the biggest!! is, i just found two gold plated pusher (NOS) on ebay, with both screw system to fix on the watch.
Only one part is broken : the system who fix the start/stop pusher screw to the caliber.... i don't know the name of it
So happy now , because with a little service, the 33.3 will be okay soon i think.

One more question; serial number of the case and the caliber are different
Is it normal ???? or it mean something was changing??
Wish one is helping to found the Watch year ???
case : 9 175 XXX
caliber : 9 597 XXX
Thanks for helping
regards from France