Advice/help with 6b/159 CK2292 RAF watch

Darayavaush · Oct 3, 2023

Hello all;
I have read you a lot of time, I love Omegas new and old (and have some of them) and now I’m a little obsessed with one of my favorite vintage Omega (I’m researching and looking for one)
It’s the famous Omega 6b/159 CK2292, the RAF watch from the 40’s.
As far as I know, it’s pretty common that these watches were recased and redialed in the past or adapted for civil usage.
There are two exemplars that caught my attention, neither have the military marks on caseback (well, the marks are cool but I can live without them). One has the “old” alloy Omega case, long lugs, fixed springbars, a decent cream dial. The other (it’s on the European Union, more convenient for me because I’m from Spain) has a Dennison steel case, but one of 33mm no screwdown back, shorter lugs and, I think, removable springbars.

As far as I know, in the 50’s, many watches were recased with bigger (36) Dennison cases with screwdown back, but my question is: a Dennison 33 case, no screwdown back and with both Dennison (“made in England”) and Omega written in the inner caseback is a wartime 40’s recase or a postwar one? I assume that it must be prior of larger 1956 recases. The dial is the old creamy one, pretty decent.
Thank you bery much and best regards

watchyouwant · Oct 3, 2023

Without pictures you will not get any meaningful advice.

Darayavaush · Oct 3, 2023

But of course, I forgot to attach them!

The one with Omega alloy case:

The one with Dennison (has omega archives paper

watchyouwant · Oct 3, 2023

That's your call. Alloy case: collectible. Good Dial. Allow middle case rim, that holds the back, destroyed around 9 o'clock due to Idiots open the back...
Dennison: Dial not very good. Not really collectable as a military watch.

Darayavaush · Oct 3, 2023

Thank you for the answer.
I’m not an expert, but in both cases dial and movement seem ok.
I’m no collector per se, I intend to use it (well, as a vintage, no hard or daily use), as far as all is legit and period correct.
Pros of the alloy one: more original, more military pedigree, seems better dial.
Contras: no caseback markings to be fully military, the caseback issue, alloy case is more fragile, is in UK (high taxes for me)

Pros of the Dennison: it’s still “period” correct, steel case, case appears to be in betted condition, is in Germany. War or postwar recase? That I don’t know.
Contras: less military, perhaps postwar, inferior dial (but still I kind to like the aging). Asking price is higher.

size11s · Oct 3, 2023

Dennison 13322 case is a post war surplus disposal case. It's a superior case to the alloy 2292 case, imo.

Darayavaush · Oct 3, 2023

size11s
Dennison 13322 case is a post war surplus disposal case. It's a superior case to the alloy 2292 case, imo.

Thanks for the detail. So, we can be sure that the Dennison is a postwar modification (but I suppose that it’s prior to 1956 bigger Dennison cases)

Darayavaush · Oct 6, 2023

Hi to all. Finally, I have purchased the alloy exemplar, as you adviced it’s more authentic and has a better dial (but in detail has spots). The watch is on his way, I post some pics in order to know your opinion. Seems Ok? Do you think that the crown is original? (I thought original crowns we were of steel). The damaged part of the case can be seen clearly on back, otherwise the case seems good.

Syrte · Oct 6, 2023

Congrats, it’s a nice looking watch- you’ll have to be careful wearing it as those long lugs are notoriously fragile and breakable.

This crown is not original, a collector named Antoine has had modern steel replicas made of the original.
He goes by the name of Antoine on the Military Watch Ressource forum and sells on Ebay under the name Latriaz.

Darayavaush · Oct 6, 2023

Syrte
Congrats, it’s a nice looking watch- you’ll have to be careful wearing it as those long lugs are notoriously fragile and breakable.

This crown is not original, a collector named Antoine has had modern steel replicas made of the original.
He goes by the name of Antoine on the Military Watch Ressource forum and sells on Ebay under the name Latriaz.

Yes, for that reason I considered too a steel Dennison-cased one, but I love the authenticity of the alloy one, the long lugs and the heritage. I intend to wear it a lot buy carefully.
Many many thanks for the crown advice!
Kind regards.

Darayavaush · Oct 17, 2023

Hello there,
the watch has happily arrived. In person looks better, great dial and case (except the dent at the back, but is less pronounced as expected).
I have not open it yet, since I have pics of the inside. The results in the timegrapher just out of the box seem decent to me: (standard 51 degrees, I must search the correct lift angle) dial up 310/280 amplitude, 1.1 beat error, +14 secs, in other positions variates 260, 1.4, -8 secs and crown down +1/0 secs. I must check further. I suppose that the values can be better with service, but I think they are not terrible.

Serial number is from 1943 and alloy case makes it a wartime watch, but no RAF markings at the back. There were civil versions during the war or simply the military ones were removed the official markings and casebacks?
By the way, in case someone can help me, I registered at the recommended MWR military watch forum but I can’t access to the page.

watchyouwant · Oct 17, 2023

Congratulations! These are nice watches and have an Aura of the turbulent past ...

OllieOnTheRocks · Oct 17, 2023

I love my one - a little bit of a good luck charm seeing as they made it through WW2. Enjoy it - it looks great 😀

Syrte · Oct 17, 2023

Darayavaush
Hello there,
the watch has happily arrived. In person looks better, great dial and case (except the dent at the back, but is less pronounced as expected).
I have not open it yet, since I have pics of the inside. The results in the timegrapher just out of the box seem decent to me: (standard 51 degrees, I must search the correct lift angle) dial up 310/280 amplitude, 1.1 beat error, +14 secs, in other positions variates 260, 1.4, -8 secs and crown down +1/0 secs. I must check further. I suppose that the values can be better with service, but I think they are not terrible.

Serial number is from 1943 and alloy case makes it a wartime watch, but no RAF markings at the back. There were civil versions during the war or simply the military ones were removed the official markings and casebacks?
By the way, in case someone can help me, I registered at the recommended MWR military watch forum but I can’t access to the page.

Very nice and those metrics are very good for a vintage watch.
Indeed a good idea to share on MWR, what user name did you use to sign up there? Feel free to shoot me a private message with the email address you used to sign up and I can flag your account to the admins.

Darayavaush · Oct 17, 2023

Syrte
Very nice and those metrics are very good for a vintage watch.
Indeed a good idea to share on MWR, what user name did you use to sign up there? Feel free to shoot me a private message with the email address you used to sign up and I can flag your account to the admins.

I really appreciate it, sir. Same user name.

sathomasga · Oct 17, 2023

Darayavaush
...(standard 51 degrees, I must search the correct lift angle) ...

Lift angle for a 30T2-SC is 49°

sathomasga · Oct 17, 2023

If you're interested, A.F.0210 sells a replica of the original strap. I've put mine on a vintage military single pass from RSM.

sathomasga · Oct 17, 2023

Darayavaush
There were civil versions during the war or simply the military ones were removed the official markings and casebacks?

I've never come across any civilian versions with fixed bars. Even the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm HS↑8 version (which is what mine is) had spring bars. If the watch has been worn a lot, the engraving could have worn off. Possibly the original "owner" polished out the issue markings when he decided to keep the watch. It is my understanding that, technically, the watches were the property of the British government.

Edited to add:

I don't know if the 6B/159 watches have the same engraving, but on my HS↑8 the issue number is also engraved inside the case near a lug. It's very small and easy to miss, but perhaps you can find something similar if you're comfortable opening the caseback.

Darayavaush · Oct 17, 2023

sathomasga
I've never come across any civilian versions with fixed bars. Even the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm HS↑8 version (which is what mine is) had spring bars. If the watch has been worn a lot, the engraving could have worn off. Possibly the original "owner" polished out the issue markings when he decided to keep the watch. It is my understanding that, technically, the watches were the property of the British government.

Edited to add:

I don't know if the 6B/159 watches have the same engraving, but on my HS↑8 the issue number is also engraved inside the case near a lug. It's very small and easy to miss, but perhaps you can find something similar if you're comfortable opening the caseback.

Thanks for the advices. Your strap (and watch) looks great. At the moment, the watch comes with a leather strap glued to acommodate the fixed spring bars, similar to that of the old Omega advertisement. In a future, I intend to get period correct single pass straps as yours. I have a pic, not made by me, of the inner case. Not sure if there is engravings; at some moment I will open the caseback and inspect carefully with a loupe.
Kind regards

Advice/help with 6b/159 CK2292 RAF watch

Darayavaush

watchyouwant

Darayavaush

watchyouwant

Darayavaush

size11s

Darayavaush

Darayavaush

Syrte

Darayavaush

Darayavaush

watchyouwant

OllieOnTheRocks

Syrte

Darayavaush

sathomasga

sathomasga

sathomasga

Darayavaush

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