18 K omega 33.3 chronograph

H HubertB

Wish one is helping to found the Watch year ???
case : 9 175 XXX
caliber : 9 597 XXX

Oku

second one, but it's not the caliber, it's the serial no of the movement.

H HubertB

Dial was probably restored by my grand father, dad... as you can see on the picture, and hands too
for the moment i will live it like this with patina and many default.
i'm not shure watch look better with a totaly restored dial....

H HubertB

Not for the moment...i totaly forgeted the watch in a box for long long time (2 years or more), and after take it of from the box and realize watch is working totaly good, i just decid to make a service, change pushers, and maybe a light polishing on glass & gold, to give a second life
I'm a bit afraid to have a totaly restaure dial on a watch with a beautiful patina...maybe try to found an other one more "bright"

OllieOnTheRocks

With all due respect the dial is a mess. It can only get better especially if you get the right person to do the work. Perhaps you can ask Omega for a quote, they'll make the dial like new! In my opinion if you can get the watch working as you are suggesting a dial renovation is a no brainer. A donor dial for a watch like this might come along - but you might have to search high and low for the rest of your life lol

H HubertB

i had a bad experience with Omega for this watch, so if i decide to go forward for dial, for shure i not gonna return with them.
i asked them for a complete restauration, and the price was growing and growing everytime... so....definitly no
priority is to get the watch functionnal, repair pushers,a good service after all this years without start...
Dial can wait a bit...
A "cadranier" dial specialist coast around 500/1000€...to restaure mine, probably half of the "Omega" price 😲)

OllieOnTheRocks

Was the omega quote itemised or all combined into one price? I would ask for a price just for the dial restoration. It’s unlikely anyone will do a better job - plus outside of having an original dial which this is no longer having Omega restore it is the closest way to retain the integrity of this piece. If you want to create an heirloom for your family that will be a beautiful watch Omega is the way to go. Forget your bad experience just ask the question. You don’t have to say yes to their quote. As they have already seen the watch they might be able to amend the quotation for dial restoration only without seeing it again? If you love the watch already you’ll love it even more once it has returned AND you won’t regret it.

H HubertB

No I will certainly not go back to "Omega"
Not only did they not detail the estimate, but in addition I was taken for an idiot. The watch remained for several months for an estimate which has continued to increase for more than 150%
It's not just Omega that knows how to restore dials, and I'm not even sure that it's them who do it anyway...
I live not far from Switzerland and the French watchmaking region...and I have already found several dial restorers for the rest...
I'm really in no rush for the dial....
the emergency is the broken part of the pusher so that I can send the complete watch for revision and have the pair of new pushers installed

OllieOnTheRocks

In that case I think it all comes down to whether you are of the mind of most collectors here that agree that original integrity is the most important factor in a vintage watch and indeed the dial is the most important part of a vintage watch - in fact more important than the movement.

I buy watches with broken movements but rarely do I buy watches with damaged dials, unless for parts. This is because parts can be fabricated and movements can be repaired but a quality dial can’t just be made by anyone.

99% of refinished dials are not to the standard that collectors enjoy, so I am just trying to look out for you and your investment. If you’re going to pay to have it done might as well have it done right.

Ultimately it is up to you and what you feel comfortable with. If you decide to go with someone locally please do provide us some examples of the work done by your chosen dial restorer on vintage Omegas from this period before going ahead so we can vet the quality of their work.

Best wishes, Oliver

H HubertB

After carefully examining the dial with a magnifying glass, I managed to find some details:
- the "base 1000" at 11/12 o'clock
- in the small right dial of the chronograph: 3 large lines
- At 9 o'clock just to the left of the seconds dial: a remnant of a scale
It is exactly this original dial on the attached photo ( 1000% shure )

when it is restored, it will be exactly as it was originally to respect the DNA of the watch

To come back to the restoration quote at Omega....
After my bad experience with them, personally I prefer to find "THE" good craftsman
The Omega restoration service had not even been able to date the watch and have any information about it. It started very badly from the start. when you see that they charge 120 Ch fr for a watch history, and do not know how to find the info....I allow myself to ask myself questions....
the dial he offered was a screenshot found on the internet,
which had nothing to do with the original. They didn't even bother to examine the watch in depth.
I prefer to take the time to find a "restorer dial maker" in Switzerland or nearby France. I have the chance to live near the Swiss Jura, the Vallée de Joux and would move to meet the person.
Of course I will give the link of a craftsman, and examples of work as soon as I am in contact with the right person 😀
Oliver I did not have the choice of a dial in good condition when this watch was bequeathed to me...so when I decide to have it restored I will indeed do my best to obtain a result as close as possible to original

H HubertB

It is exactly this original dial on the attached photo ( 1000% shure )