So I just bought this watch which instantly raised some questions. I'm not sure if I will make friends with my long post and numbered questions, but I just don't know how to put in structure without all the numbers. I hope you won't mind.

Now first of all, some facts about the watch!
- Watch was bought in Switzerland which may be important for my third question.
- The watch doesn't run which is no wonder given the presence of dirt, also on the inside.
- Horizontal diameter size is approx. 29mm without the crown.
- Vertical diameter size is approx. 32mm without the fixed links between the lugs.
- Case material is supposed to be silver.
- Serial No. is 6.9 m. which makes it hard to date. According to Richon's AJTT it is the following:
5 m. - 1915
6 m. - 1923
7 m. - 1920
8 m. - 1934

1) So my first question starts right here: As it is a 6.9 m. serial number, is it closer to 1923 or 1920?
The inside of the caseback shows the number 7.7 m. which might be the case number. According to AJJT that dates it to 1929. The ref. in AJJT is 757 whereas I suspect mine has a ref 609 (even though I don't find anything by looking up this ref...)
I found a very similar watch in AJTT which is dated to 1925 (cf. pictures). What is your guess on the date?

All the different dates seem to point towards a Frankenwatch, but I can't believe somebody put such dirty and dysfunctional pieces together to sell it for only a couple of bucks. It simply doesn't make any sense to me...

2) To the second question: By comparing movements on AJTT, it seems the watch has a caliber 26.5. Is that correct, and if so, which one is it exactly?

3) One of the most interesting points of the watch IMO:
There is a part of a band still attached, as you can see in the pictures. The writing on the inside though irritates me a lot. "Br. + Dep." . The style of the cross is used in Switzerland to represent (official) federal use. It is not necessarily linked to military use, but the sign may also appear on military stuff.

Now BR most often stands for "Bundesrat" which means "federal council" or "federal councillor".
"Dep." normally stands for "Departement" which means "Departments". Federal councillors are head of a department. That would make sense so far, but it doesn't make any sense why it should appear as writing put on the inside of an old watchband...
Ok, new try!
If it is not the civilian abbreviations, let's take a look at Swiss military jargon then:
"Br." stands for "Brigade" or "Brigadier"
"Dep." stands for "Depot" which means "stockyard".
It still doesn't make any sense to me....
Is there anybody who has an idea about these abbreviations and why the federal cross should be there?

4) What is your opinion on the lume? It looks to me as if the hands had been relumed at some stage but it doesn't glow in the dark, neither with or without having put a flashlight on it for a while. Does this indicate it was done at an earlier stage, if it really is a relume job?

5) On the inside of the caseback, there is a funny hallmark on the left which I have never seen before. It seems to be a half-moon next to a crown and a letter G. Does anybody know more about that hallmark?

6) There is the number 609 on the inside. I thought it was the ref. number, but I don't find anything on omegas vintage database. If the three digits don't stand for the ref, what else are they referring to?

 

I've had a couple of Taliskers so all I can offer is the following.

The marks on the clasp probably indicate "Brevet Depose", which simply means patent applied for or some sort of copyright.

The movement looks like a 26.5 but I'll investigate later.

The case is sterling silver if the hallmarks are genuine, I'll check them tomorrow.

The case is French made based on the details of the Omega symbol.

The gold dial is unusual, rather nice I think.

The hands have been abused by somebody, but could be saved by a hand doctor.

Try not to play with the dial too much, there is enough radium to keep a Gieger counter ticking for another thousand years.

Will follow up tomorrow.

Cheers

Jim

 

Wow, what a fast & helpful reply even after a couple of Taliskers!
Thanks a lot so far!

 

I use this for age
http://www.thewatchguy.com/pages/OMEGASERIAL.html

 

Thank you all, I do appreciate your replies!

My next task will be to get it repaired & serviced. I guess it will be hard to find a new band for it as the springbar & lugs are one soldered-on piece...

 

Not at all for th band. There are many. Can I give an URL on this thread?

 

Have a look here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/strap-for-watch-with-fixed-lugs.37993/

 

That's great, thanks. I didn't have an eye on the open discussions yet...

 

watchbancenter too in Germany, they have a lot of stuff.

 

Update: I just found out that this symbol in fact is a German silver hallmark found in German cases. I didn't even know that existed...


Doesn't that contradict to the French case marks?