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Help to identify an old watch? Genuine or fake?

J
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Hi, newbie post here. Please excuse my ignorance:

My wife’s grandfather had an old watch which must have been from around 1939. We found it in a box of possessions recently. It’s in really bad shape but we were wondering if anyone could help identify it? It say’s “Omega” on the face but we’re not sure if it’s genuine or fake.

I’ve attached a picture for you to have a look at. Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

upload_2020-2-28_14-49-14.jpeg
 
Dan S
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It's really not possible to say without seeing the inside.
 
J
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Dan S Dan S
It's really not possible to say without seeing the inside.

Thanks for the reply. I did have a look at the back to see if I could remove it, but there wasn’t an obvious way to do it. Not wanting to damage it any more than it already is, I decided to leave well alone.

If that’s the case then I’ll have her take it to a jewellers and see what they say.
 
Dan S
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Most likely it is a snap-on case-back, and you need to insert a knife into a small slot to pop it off. However, I agree that it's best to have an expert do it.
 
OMEGuy
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The watch may be genuine, but the dial has been redone at some point.
 
J
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OMEGuy OMEGuy
The watch may be genuine, but the dial has been redone at some point.

When you say “redone”, what do you mean exactly?
 
OMEGuy
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J JonnyT82
When you say “redone”, what do you mean exactly?

By "redone" I mean it was repainted, most likely because it had become unappealing for any reason.
 
J
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OMEGuy OMEGuy
By "redone" I mean it was repainted, most likely because it had become unappealing for any reason.

Is that a pretty common thing?
 
Dan S
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Yes, it's very common to find authentic vintage watches with repainted dials, which is quite likely the case here. In the past, watches were often treated as necessary tools, not disposable fashion items on the one hand or vehicles of wealth on the other. Also, watches were not very water resistant, and water entry often damaged the dial. The standard solution was to repaint the dial and repair the watch so that it could continue its life as a tool. It was not only common, but conventional. For the same reason, one will often find funny replacement parts in movements, as people sought to keep watches operational.

Of course, while these things are common, they are not desirable to collectors.
 
J
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Dan S Dan S
Yes, it's very common to find authentic vintage watches with repainted dials, which is quite likely the case here. In the past, watches were often treated as necessary tools, not disposable fashion items on the one hand or vehicles of wealth on the other. Also, watches were not very water resistant, and water entry often damaged the dial. The standard solution was to repaint the dial and repair the watch so that it could continue its life as a tool. It was not only common, but conventional. For the same reason, one will often find funny replacement parts in movements, as people sought to keep watches operational.

Of course, while these things are common, they are not desirable to collectors.

Really interesting, I had no idea.

If this turns out to be a genuine Omega we’ll probably look to have it restored and passed down through the family. So it’s less about being desirable to a collector, and more about making it a nice watch to give as an heirloom.

But if it turns out to be a fake then we won’t bother, for obvious reasons.
 
X350 XJR
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From the single photo I'd say it is probably genuine, looks 1940s.

Replace the crystal and have it serviced and enjoy as is, the refinished dial is part of it's history.
 
J
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Yes, replace the crystal and find an original crown and have it serviced. Otherwise l would just enjoy the watch and pass it down to the family. I love the patina on the dial.
 
J
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J JohnnyM
Yes, replace the crystal and find an original crown and have it serviced. Otherwise l would just enjoy the watch and pass it down to the family. I love the patina on the dial.

So do you think that the crown isn’t original either?
 
nanjingcigaretes
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The dial look genuine, I would love to see the inside caseback and movement. Nice piece.
 
J
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nanjingcigaretes nanjingcigaretes
The dial look genuine, I would love to see the inside caseback and movement. Nice piece.

I’ll try and get some pictures when we take it into the jewellers. I’ll be sure to post them here when that happens.
 
Dan S
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nanjingcigaretes nanjingcigaretes
The dial look genuine ...

Sorry, no chance of this.

J JonnyT82
So do you think that the crown isn’t original either?

Yes, the crown is a replacement. Not a big deal.
 
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