Help Identifying and Evaluating Vintage Gold-Filled 33mm Automatic Dress Watch

[d3adrock]

Hello, I'm seeking some help getting some information on behalf of my father about his vintage gold filled automatic watch. It's in pretty miserable condition with a cracked (I'm assuming unoriginal crystal) and the crown is definitely not original. Overall it's been pretty heavily abused but it still somehow runs. The case size according to my calipers is 33mm. He doesn't remember where or when he bought it so no help there.

Ultimately he is trying to decide if it is worth it to do a full restoration on the watch at an official omega dealer. I offered to take it in for him when I took in my Speedy for a service, but he wants to know beforehand if it is worth the cost of restoration. Ultimately he is not sentimentally attached to the watch and just wants to know if it's worth the cost of a full restoration and would like whatever info he can get on it.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[JimInOz]

It's a US import watch with the movement dating to about 1959/1959. The OXG mark is the import code for OMEGA USA.
The caliber 490 was introduced in 1955.

I don't know the exact model, but if you provide a shot of the inside of the caseback it will help.

If there is no sentimental value then just put it on eBay as it is with a low reserve price and good photos.
If you spend any money on a restoration you would be over-capitalising and will not recoup the cost of the service.

PS: Thanks for a decent explanation and good photos 👍.

 

[d3adrock]

JimInOz

It's a US import watch with the movement dating to about 1959/1959. The OXG mark is the import code for OMEGA USA.
The caliber 490 was introduced in 1955.

I don't know the exact model, but if you provide a shot of the inside of the caseback it will help.

If there is no sentimental value then just put it on eBay as it is with a low reserve price and good photos.
If you spend any money on a restoration you would be over-capitalising and will not recoup the cost of the service.

PS: Thanks for a decent explanation and good photos 👍.

Sorry I forgot pictures of the back of the case. I really appreciate the help. I honestly didn't expect such a thorough answer.

I don't think he wants to sell it, just know if it's worth repairing which thanks to you I can now tell him in confidence. If you don't mind my badgering you for more questions, what is a US import watch, are they distinct from Omegas other watches? I'm a little rusty on my Omega history and would love to gain some insight. Thanks again!

 

[JimInOz]

Due to import regulations, it was expensive to bring complete watches into the country (US and many others).
To reduce import taxes, watch companies used local agents to import movements and then have them cased in locally made cases.
Import taxes were a PITA as even the reduction of a single jewel in a movement could reduce the import tax, thus some US destined watches had one or more jewels less than similar movements found in Swiss examples.

Your case was made by the Star Watch Case Co for Norman Morris Corp of New York, the US Omega agent for many years.

Original price for a 10K gold filled model would have been approx USD$80 to $100 at the time.