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  1. BFantom Mar 9, 2017

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    This was an innexpensive ebay item listed as a "Vintage Omega". I know nothing about vintage Omegas but was highly attracted to the fully numbered dial, so I picked it up.

    After opening, it appears to be a 28.10 cal 341, but I can find nothing that matches up with it (especially that face).

    Don't get me wrong. I collect watches that appeal to me aesthetically or those I used to own or wish I had owned. The straightforward face of this bumper attracts me a lot and I'll be keeping it. But it looks like it may be a conglomeration of parts, and if it is, I'm curious to what they might be.

    Does anyone recognize this is or know where its different bits may have came from?
     
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  2. Joe K. Curious about this text thingy below his avatar Mar 9, 2017

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    You are not likely to find a match to this dial because it is a redial. And a terrible one if I may say so.
     
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  3. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Mar 9, 2017

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    Do you have the caseback?

    That's where most of the information should be.
     
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  4. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Mar 9, 2017

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    1947 bumper movement with a bad redial.

    As noted the caseback should have the model number.
     
  5. X350 XJR Vintage Omega Aficionado Mar 9, 2017

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    What makes you think its a "conglomeration of parts"?
     
  6. WatchWarlock Mar 9, 2017

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    My eyes...
     
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  7. BFantom Mar 9, 2017

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    Here's the caseback:
     
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  8. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Mar 10, 2017

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    And we are out of my range of knowledge. That's an export case either U.K. or U.S.
     
  9. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Mar 10, 2017

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    That explains my doubt about the style of the case.

    You have a genuine "Omega Automatic" cased by the Wadsworth company and dating to somewhere near 1947 through to 1953.

    To quote a real expert ( @mondodec ) from a similar watch he advised on:

    "Below is the info held on the Omega database:

    US Collection

    Reference: F 6212 1952

    Movement: Type: Automatic (mechanical)

    Caliber number: 342 / 344
    Cal. 342
    Created in 1949, 17 jewels
    Cal. 344
    Created in 1953, 17 jewels, COSC

    Functions: Subsecond

    Case: Gold-filled

    Case back: Press-in

    Bracelet: Leather

    Your movement will be the cal 342. The case was made in the US by Wadsworth, the movement imported from Switzerland by the US agent Norman Morris Corporation. Quite a few Omega movements were imported and encased in the US, saving duty.

    With a little TLC you can have this nice heirloom purring or should I say bumping away on your wrist. The reference to bumper is because when you rotate your wrist you will feel a gentle thud as the rotor hits the covered shock spring of the movement.

    Depending on which parts need replacing service could cost around $200.00. Watch needs a new crown, but the hesalite crystal can be lightly polished to eliminate any scratches. As you live in MI, you should be able to source a good watchmaker in one of the bigger cities. Just make sure he has worked on Omegas of this vintage.
    Cheers

    Desmond"
     
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  10. BFantom Mar 11, 2017

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    Thank you so much JimInOz. This is exactly what I needed. Mine is Cal 341 and as 1949's Cal 342 has the hidden springs, more likely than not mine was made before 1949. Perhaps 1949 as had been pointed out is a little too fresh. Knowing that F6212 is the number I'll be searching for though, you've made me very, very happy.
     
    Edited Mar 11, 2017
  11. BFantom Mar 11, 2017

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    OK... I've located another Omega Automatic ca 341. It's listed as a Wadsworth 1947 T804477. Mine is 7,538 further on at T812015.

    OK, it's dated... Now my question is about the face. On another forum, I was informed my face is a redial (an extremely bad redial). It didn't look right to me either... However, compare the face of the black watch with mine. The black watch looks like a redial to me, but the features are the same... black printed logo and name, band and numbers... only the numbers on my watch look to be closer to period. The face on mine also looks aged as it would be.

    What's the verdict from the experts? Should I invest in a reface or is it wiser to leave it alone? The numbers are what attracted me to the thing in the first place. I'm thinking finding a correct crown might be enough. Any comments?
     
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  12. Joe K. Curious about this text thingy below his avatar Mar 12, 2017

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    You are correct, the black dial is indeed a redial.
    The fact that these redials share some features is not uncommon. Redialers usually have a collection of stencils they use to recreate the layout. Most of the time these stencils a very similar to the original dial design. It is the slight (or sometimes extreme) differences in the layout and quality of execution that give away the fact that its a redial.

    The decision to redial your watch depends on what your long term plans are. From a collectors stand point, even if you got a nice redial it would remain a redialed watch. So you won't be gaining any value, IMO. But is you just want a dial that looks closer to the original and don't care about value, then have a redial done by an expert. If it was my watch, I would sell it on eBAY and look for one with an original dial.

     
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  13. BFantom Mar 12, 2017

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  14. BFantom Mar 12, 2017

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    Thank you Joe: If I were younger, I'd do exactly as you. Finding a watch of this vintage without a redial can be a agonizingly long process. I don't have along time left, so I was looking to find a dial that looked as close to an original as possible. The numbers (compare the 9 & 3) appear to be more period than the black dialed one and there's a bit more printing in the second dial.

    The printing is pretty bad, but because these like watches look similar, I'm confident enough that it's close to being accurate, which is OK with me. The fact that it's aged as the watch is, is even better. How many ca. 341s were made before the springs were hidden anyway? 2,000?.

    That's the story I tell about the watch anyway, not the face.

    Same with my bucket list car. 856 were produced (and I'm "redialing" (customizing) it to fit my vision. If I had the time, It's close enough to the one I'd REALLY like that only 2 were produced of, if I had the money
     
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