Hi all - I've been lurking for a while and hoped I could tap into the vast knowledge here.

I'm looking to identify an Omega which I have inherited from my grandfather. Pictures attached. The chronologist I handed it to for stabilising the watch face (it was a bit loose and starting to rattle) despite my requests hasn't sent me any serial numbers and was v unresponsive so I collected the watch after it sat around for three months without being worked on. Apparently replacement parts were hard to obtain. I've been informed by him that it is genuine but I can't be 100% sure, so I'd like some other opinions as to (i) if it looks legit and (ii) what model it actually is...

The backstory is that the watch was purchased in Poland at some point after the second world war (I am guessing 1950s/60s but I am not sure) and that it originally contained an automatic winding mechanism. This broke and was replaced in Poland by a manual winding mechanism because Omega parts were v hard to come by in Eastern Europe at the time. The strap was replaced five or six years ago as the original one was totally worn out and the glass was also replaced as it had been slightly scratched. The bases of the points and the hour hand are (weakly) phosphorescent (glow in the dark). The back of the watch case is not original I think - however I'm not sure whether this was a result of the original repair or whether the work was more recent.

I'm looking for an indication of what era this watch is from - obviously if anybody recognises exactly what model it is that would be great. I've had difficulty in finding something online that looks like it exactly although I've seen ones that come close.

Ideally (if it's genuine...) I'd like to have the original mechanism restored and change the strap to something nicer. If it's some sort of knock off I will just get the manual mechanism working again as it's quite a nice design in any event. Whatever it is I'm not looking to sell.

Many thanks in advance for any help!!

VG

 

Ill do it..

sounds like a sorry state of affairs i'm afraid

its not "orriginal" anymore it is one of the worst cases of a franken watch you can get..

it should have a caliber 28.10, 30.10 and then 33X, 34X and 35X from roughly the 1950s case back looks fine and should be internally marked

however its not really "what it says on the tin" if the movement has been changed for something else it's a "Franken" watch at best this means bits from other like for like watches at worst the example above (and having the wrong movement in your watch is why its rattling around in there)

Your dial is also not orriginal it's been repainted so also not very omega...

On the plus side your case looks ok if heavily polished...

 

Hah thanks v much for the post! No doubt something was improvised back in the day to make it work again. I wasn't invested emotionally in the piece, just wanted to know where it came from and if it isn't the real deal that's ok.

Any other views welcome - I will probably just go and get the manual winding fixed.

VG

 

I actually really like that dial design from the very early 50s, find it very pretty even though it may have been refinished indeed.
If original, the dial should be marked "automatic" if it had originally housed an automatic movement.
What makes you think it initially was an automatic watch?
With that dial, one would expect a handwound 30mm movement.
Those were high quality and if the watch has sentimental value it could worth getting serviced and wearing, but you need to find a good professional watchmaker who will not charge you absurd prices.
People here might be able to give you suggestions depending on where you live.

You should also be aware if indeed the dial was refinished and the movement changed the watch doesn't have much value in and of itself--except for its sentimental value which is in fact what counts most.

It would be interesting if you could get it opened by a professional watchmaker near you so that you could get pictures of the movement inside the watch, and also pictures from the inside of the case back.
Don't let it be opened by some random jeweler or a person who changes batteries, they might damage it while attempting to open it.

 

Interesting Syrte! Re it originally being automatic, this is just something I heard mentioned in some discussions about the watch with my uncle. However, he may well have misrepresented the story. I do have some bits and pieces in a plastic pouch including a different Omega winder which are apparently what was left over from the original repair but God knows what they are. Perhaps it really is supposed to be hand wound and it was just that mechanism which broke. The winding mechanism has seized up again so at the moment the watch is in need of a repair anyway.

I live in London - in my desperation I was thinking of going to an Omega shop and getting them to have a look. If anyone can recommend a good and trustworthy watchmaker in central London that would be great - I went to a well known horologist off the Edgware Road but have found them increasingly unresponsive and oddly standoffish, which is sad, but it is what it is. Maybe they didn't like the frankenwatch aspect or something.

Perhaps I haven't expressed myself properly re valuation, but my concern here isn't really monetary value at all - I don't need to know if it has any value to a trader as I will not be getting rid of it, but I do want to get some more clues about the provenance and what the hell it has been thrown together from . I also don't doubt that if the watch was beaten up in the 60s/70s, my grandfather was the kind of man who would just get the face refinished etc rather than crying over spilt Omega...

I will try to get pictures of the movement inside somehow.

 

A well known horologist in London probably wants to charge high prices for services on high value watches, hence their attitude.
Likewise, Omega will want to charge 500 ++ euros as they do for modern luxury watches. In your case it's best to avoid them.
But it looks like @FullyWound is willing to take it on? (unless I misunderstood?).

Also there's a British certified watchmaker who's a member here, lives in France but has clients sending watches from the UK (Rob Horan aka @Horlogerie).
People on the British forum TZ-UK also seem to like a UK based watchmaker named Brendan Hoey.

Perhaps you should post other parts you have in case they help tell the story.
Members here are very knowledgeable and helpful if you're a bit patient.

 

were in folkestone =)

 

Could be a replacement - considering what seems to have been the story of the watch - but I am not sure this dial has been redone. Better pictures would tell.

The minute track is touching the subdial, but we know those things come or happen on old Omega dials. And the overall quality (scripts, hour numbers) seems good enough.

By the way, the idea of changing the complete movement from an automatic one to a hand winding one seems very odd to me. Of course I do not know the story of your watch and everything is possible. But that is not common practice!

 

I think the dial is original.

But until we get clear hi-res pictures of the dial and shots of the inside of the caseback and the movement we are all in the dark.

 

Interesting gents, I'm really glad you think the dial may be original, that was my initial reaction until I noticed and got worried about those indexes biting into the edge of the subdial, and perhaps some thicker script (the "A") on the Omega logo.

I find it beautiful.

 

I think @FullyWound is right on most counts: a redial with a bumper movement. Looks like a Seamaster 2493 with calibre 33x.

It's possible to find a donor movement and have the dial redone properly. (The current minute track is a bit small in diameter leaving the minute hands a bit too long. It's also missing the lume plots at 6, beside missing scripts.)

 

lume on the inner is wrong colour (it is hard to see BUT) looks like the indexes have been painted around note pointy end of arrow.. The colour "silvery grey" is a very popular redial colour it wont show up dings dents and imperfections in the dial.. It all just looks too "colour by numbers" nothing is "refined" like other period omegas sharp slim lines even if fading are usually very fine.. AND... I dont recognise it! i dont recognise the dial..

 

I'm humbled by all this input - I will get better pictures as soon as I can! Thanks again

 

I have not said that this dial is original, but that I am not sure it is not!

There are some issues, but the scripts look OK. And the overall quality does not seem bad. But it is hard to say without a good front picture.

By the way, I cannot comment the color of the lume and of the dial because I am not sure I can guess what there truly are from those pics.

Maybe Fully Wound ant TNTwatch are right, I am just not sure. Of course, if the movement appears to be a bumper, we would have then a clear clue that it is a redial.