Help on watch assessment!

Hiya.

Being this my first post ever I would like to begin thanking you all for letting me be a part of your community. It has been 3 years since I fall in love for watches (acquiring a few down the road) but at this point I kinda need your (omega experts) help.

Long story short, I came across a deal that I can't properly assess... After acquiring a few watches from a watch dealer I "earned the right" to pick one from its private collection (you won't see this one online, for sure). After an intense debate this Omega ref KOT 741 As was my pick (really, really like this one). Before closing the deal, and since I could not find too much information about this 28.9 CHRO online, I would like to make you, guys, a few questions:

1. Does everything look as it should? (case, dial, hands, etc)
2. My collection focuses on rare watches. Do you have any idea how rare this one is?
3. Is it related to Italo Balbo Rome/New York raid? (or were it only the steel ones)
4. (this one is important) Does any one has any insight of how much it's worth? (has it made part of any recent auctions?)





Thank you all in advance for your cooperation and comments. I am not used to post on forums so I hope I am not breaking any "protocol"

I love those lugs!

Thank you Jim for linking me in. Yes, I think I can offer something – but not everything!

The history of this exciting time in Omega’s history is (to me) not very clear: there was a lot going on. Lemania joined SIHH in 1932 – and the introduction of the 28.9 CHRO and the 53.7 split-second Olympic dated 1932, the 33.3 CHRO one year later in 1933. We can be sure of the Olympic’s date – because it was introduced for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics (although AJTT tells us that the MG1134 Olympic was 1930). Maybe Lemania were working with Omega on these before they joined SIHH?

The earliest 28.9 CHRO that is usually found (and discussed) is the T1 – there is little to be found about the original version. I think the OP’s watch is the original 28.9 CHRO. Jim is correct in saying that there are differences from the ‘usual’ 28.9 CHRO – I think for this reason. But I DO think it is an all-original version (a possible query about the hand on the elapsed minutes sub-dial at 9 o'clock). Both this ‘original’ movement and the T1 were single-push and had an independent button – later transformations were two-push but the movements are recognizable, just more involved. This ‘original’ movement appears to be quite different.

The question then comes as to the origins of this first 28.9 CHRO movement. It doesn’t look like Lemania. I wonder whether Tissot were involved (who were also working with Omega at that time). Sadly my researches on this have so far come to nothing.

I show an image that compares the OP’s movement with my (1935) T1 (to show the differences). I also show another ‘original’ 28.9 CHRO which has very similar numbers and must have been in the same batch as the OP’s (apologies, I have partly blanked the number because it is not my watch – but it is of interest to compare). This watch was also sent to Italy.
Although the Balbo watch was steel, because it was so early it is quite possible that the movement was the same as the OP’s. The Earhart watch was a T1 (although with a dial similar to the OP’s, as Jim points out).

Following numbers of these watches is difficult – not least because movement numbers were issued in batches and some Omegas were still made in Geneva, so they are not always in sequence. When production of the 28.9 and 33.3 really got going (after about 1933), the typical case/movement numbers were 884****/937**** – but these numbers (860****/743****) tally with other watches of this period.

To answer the specific questions:

1. Yes
2. As Jim says, ‘rarish’ – you will be pushed to find other examples
3. Related yes, possibly the same movement
4. Again I agree with Jim. A dealer might try $10,000 – but he’d have to wait! The 33.3 is definitely more in demand but this one is at the very beginning of Omega’s purpose-built wrist chronos

Thank you so much guys for your posts. You really are "walking encyclopaedias"... 👍

You are also right about the movement. The dealer to whom I will buy the watch (made my decision thanks to you) did even call this movement a 28.9 prototype (an overstatement for sure) and pointed out the differences on bridge design when comparing it with a "normal" T1.

He is asking a bit more than the 10k dollars (that I am willing to pay). Indeed these watches don't seem to pop out very frequently...

FYI Mr Marco Richon called this movement (in an email exchange with this particular dealer) in 2008: "un calibre 28.9 CHRO T1 de configuration inédite". These were his exact words...

Thank you again 👍👍👍

Beautiful watch and great thread. I would buy it if I were the OP 👍

Your note is interesting – but also confusing. As I wrote earlier, this part of Omega’s history is not clear to me.

‘T1’ is the first transformation – from the original movement. The 28.9 CHRO T1 is to be found easily – but what is the original which led to the transformation? As I wrote, I think the OP’s watch is the original. To support that, the Extract from the Archives does NOT show it as a T1 – I think this was the first 28.9 CHRO.

So it is surprising to see Marco Richon describe it as a 28.9 CHRO T1. Sadly Marco died 2 years ago so we will never know. With no disrespect, I feel this is an error: the OP movement is (in my opinion) not a T1, I think it must be the original movement, probably as in the Balbo (and that would need confirmation from Omega).

Now that I see how much knowledge is gathered here I will soon open another thread with some other of my watches to “test” them to the eyes of the pros

Anyhow, thank you for the compliment. I’m a newbie and that felt great

It’s a done deal

I agree 100% with you. To show you my level of commitment to this sudject I booked a flight to Zurich next week to go to omega’s museum! I’m not even kidding! (I live in France so it’s no too far for me and it’s been a while since I wanted to go there). Not sure if I will be able to find someone to enlighten me, though... fingers crossed