I would keep all of the pieces for the rest of my life, however long that would be (I'm 46; 47 in December).
You guys were really helpful (thank you, seriously!) so I'm going to push my luck by being pushy and asking for just a little more help. I'll explain the free drinks part after but I assure it's the real deal and I'm a very gracious host

I know very little of anything pre 1955ish Omega but some of you guys are as as learned as anyone on the planet regarding true vintage Omega. Don't blush; it's a fact. Lol

Question: would it be OK to take an original dial and movement with a "plain" case and move it to the almost perfect condition case which I have??

Numbers / Maths:

The redial I have was 120 USD

The "good" watches I'm looking at are 650 USD + shipping from Europe (figure 40 bucks).

Labor would be around 100 USD

So all-in would be around 850 - 900

I would keep all of the pieces for the rest of my life, however long that would be (I'm 46; 47 in December).


Please don't be shy

Below are the watches I'm looking at:



*EDIT - I accidentally erased the rest of the original post. Sorry! This ^^^^ was the 2nd to last sentence.

I would NEVER put a watch together and then try to pass it off as something it's not.

 

+1

The dials on those 2 shown are useless/ worthless

You'll need a "Fab Suisse" if it shall be a correct dial for your watch. Furthermore you'll need one with the right diameter. You must measure the one you have, and start hunting for an original one that will fit your case.

It won't be easy, to get both a good one, and the right measurement

 

Mike / @MSNWatch and Steve / @cicindela have done exactly what you're talking about, but with NOS replacement dials.

 

Hi,
I see nothing wrong putting a correct period dial for this watch, as long as you disclose it if you're reselling it one day. For me it would even not affect the value if the dial is one that was put on this model.
You should also change the hands so that they match the dial.

Now, based on my experience, round dials for R17.8 are not easy to find, especially in good condition.

 

This is why I asked for help!

I know it was a bit long but if you take one more look at the first post, I already promised this is a watch I would keep to my death.

 

Thank you, I was hoping you'd see this post. Do you have any leads or a direction you can point me in?

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you. Do you know of any dealers who might keep something like this or be able to source one? I don't want to get ripped but this would be a little bit of an emotional purchase, so I'm not looking for a "deal". I guess that means I'll pay up...

 

Hi,
Difficult to say, although R17.8 in round cases are not rare, it is quite difficult to find a nice dial for parts. The best advise I can give is to be patient and prepared to wait as long as necessary. The direction I would look at is probably the worn out gold plated examples or calibers without case that sometimes are for sale on Ebay.
Good luck,