1940’s Omega 2292

Hi Guys,

I was going to pick your brains for information please.
I have recently received my grandfathers watch as a birthday gift from my mother. The watch has sat unused tucked away for over 30 years. I have had it appraised for insurance reasons.
What I do know about the watch is the ref. number, that the bracelet and crown aren’t the originals and I have the serial number, I have no doubt that it’s genuine. But after some online research I haven’t been able to find any similar watches in gold. May it be the watch was reworked into a gold housing and bracelet?
Please if anyone can share some information I’d really appreciate it.

Welcome on OF, @TheNomad15 😀

It looks like a recased ref. 2292 as you say. I don't know how common gold recases are compared to steel ones, but perhaps @watchyouwant who I recall knows a fair bit about these can help out?

Re. "I have no doubt that it’s genuine" I can only say that when we are talking locally recased watches we are entering a slightly grey area. I am sure that others would like to share their feelings on the subject.
I assume that you have seen the inside of the caseback - any pictures of that or the movement? It would help a lot... I am guessing it is an English made case?

Hey,

Thanks for the warm welcome. Appreciate your reply.

Yes I can appreciate that it’s a grey area and that peoples opinions will be split. Although no I haven’t seen the watch with the caseback off, it was sent away for valuation. But I do have a detailed report from that, with serial number off the movement which I have checked and is from the 1940’s and the hallmark on the gold is London 1949 which is why I believe it has been re-cased.

Was your grandfather in the military?

It's either a recased military movement and dial or a recased military styled civie model

9 kt. Swiss wouldn't do 9kt and based on that. Guessing your UK based

You can check with Omega with the movement s/n and they should be able to tell you where it was originally shipped

DON

Hi Don,

Thanks for the reply. No he wasn’t in the military, nor were any other of his immediate family members I don’t believe

yes I am UK based. The movement serial number date is 1943 while the hallmark on the gold case states “London 1949” which makes me inclined to agree and believe your suggestion of it being a military watch re cased post war.

Its time like these I wish my grandfather and father were still around to fill in the gaps

Interesting. The dial and hands look original. The dial looks very clean - at a guess, less that it's been cleaned and more that it has never had tobacco/dirt/moisture build-up in the first place.

It hard to see how it could be other than a re-cased civilian or military (HS^8 or 6b/159) watch from 1943.

I've not seen another like it. Perhaps, it was a one-off re-case? I'd like to know the opinions of the experts on OF.

Thanks for the reply, I plan on contacting the independent appraiser to see if he any pictures of the movement or inside of the caseback were taken.
I agree it is very clean and knowing my grandfather it will have been work for special occasions as only as he had a Datejust for his day to day watch. So this will have been stored away for the majority of its life.
It is very clean, here’s a closer picture

Again. Could be a civie model. Both Omega and Longines did copies of the military dials for regular watches. As did LeCoultre

Even if a military dial and movement. Doesn't add any extra value to the current watch as the original case is gone

It's what is referred to as an Orphan movement (original case damaged and not repairable)

DON

From what I know, this is an RAF specification dial, with rail track around the edge and spade hands. This was used in the ck2292 case, and later Dennison cases. Some of these were sold after the war, as just movements, and people would put them into gold cases or stainless cases, so they could have an Omega watch. The 2292 case is an alloy of Aluminium known as Duralumin, and it is very hard to buy an empty caee, especially undamaged, as the metal gets brittle with age. The movement should be a 30t2sc, nickel plated movement, so silver and not gold or copper coloured. The fact it is so clean could mean it was bought as NOS after the war. The dial discoloured with exposure to sunlight, and many show signs of one side being exposed where the other side was covered with a shirt sleeve cuff. The crown looks like the original mushroom shape, and it is a beautiful watch, with no real way of knowing if it saw action or not. Whatever, it is a beautiful watch. The case may be Omega, or Dennison, and the fact it was your Grandads is all that really matters. Congratulations on being the owner of a very nice time piece
The RAF insisted on a white dial, with the rail track. A sweep second hand was needed, they said, and the watch should perform to chronograph accuracy levels. Although these movements were not stamped Rg, I have read that they were known as SR, special regulator, and built and tested to chronograph levels of accuracy, but this is all just information I have picked up, and I can not prove anything, except I spend too much time looking at the old RAF watches.