Hi Guys, I have recently been handed down a watch that belonged to my grandads dad. After some research I believe that it's a CK 2375 c.1943. I guess my questions are... Can the glass/ crystal be replaced to remove the scratches? Is there any history in the creation of the watch. Was it built as a military watch during the war? Is it the original strap, or should it be leather? Any recommendations on getting it cleaned and restored in the U.K Finally, a rough value would be great. Any help or advice, is greatly received. Thanks in advance Ryan
Use Polywatch or Novus for removing crystal scratches. As a quick check of your watch being a 1943 with a 981xxxx serial number, I looked to this link showing Omega movement serial numbers by date: http://chronomaddox.com/omega_serial_numbers.html . 1943 looks about right. I'm unable to help with some of your other questions, but I'm sure others will be able too.
Hello, congrats on getting this watch from your family. The band is a later replacement, watches of the 1940s came mostly on leather bands. It's not a military watch. The dial is sadly a redial, which reduces the value a lot. I would guess 300$ is the value of it, the sentimental value is much higher and is what matters. Just enjoy the watch and the memories linked to it.
Hi, thanks very much for your reply. Whats a redial and the signs of it? I'd love to put a leather strap on it, so that's good news. Thanks
Here is an example of a Ref. 2375 with an original dial: https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.a...a1943-militar-de-verdad-service-_JM#stayOnWeb There were other dial styles for sure and some could have been in black. But the fonts and the logo are much different than anything Omega would have done in the 1940’s. Hope this helps, gatorcpa
And just to elaborate on @gatorcpa's statement, the reason watches are redialed is to "fix" the damage you see on his example dial. This is done at an effort for "restoration" but to a collector - not necessarily to a ordinary wearer - it ruins the value. Back in the day when watches were more daily tools this was a very common service to get a little more wear out of a piece; sort of like a retread on a tire.
Thanks for all your help. really appreciated. I'll get it cleaned up and put a leather strap on it. love the look of still. Do they place a totally different face on, or is it painted over? Just a random question... on the back where the model number is i can see a load of numbers barely visible to the naked eye? Is this some sort of record of maintenance or changes? Thanks again
Yes those are watchmakers marks; the ticket number or some other code. And they use the original dial - sometimes, like yours, it's totally painted over.