Hi everyone, a few days ago I introduced myself explaining that I inherited my late father’s Omega watch. You asked for pictures so I finally got around to it.
I do not know anything about what I have. I referenced the serial number and it said 1993, that is when my father would have retired. Possibly his retirement gift.
Any information you can share is greatly appreciated.
one question I have - the strap is too big and so the watch is very loose on me. Is it simple enough for a jeweler to remove links? I wonder about swapping the strap for a leather strap. Opinions? Thanks Martin.

 

I suppose this is reference 2542.20.00

Any watch maker or jeweler should indeed be able to shorten the bracelet without issues. I would have them also check if all the remaining pins still sit tight.

 

Great looking watch! Love the dial. Thanks for sharing

 

That's a great watch, my condolences

 

It will also look good on a strap. Formal or sporting, doesn't have to be from Omega. Have fun with it.

 

I appreciate the replies. I have a couple of questions, what is what looks like a second winding control at the 10 o’clock position?
How often should I be winding this watch? Daily?
Thanks.

 

The crown at 10:00 is a helium escape valve. Semi-common on deep dive watches.

Edit: ignore me on the winding part. Didn’t know this watch was quartz. Way easier!

 

This is a quartz watch, so no winding necessary. Just change the battery every few years

 

Great watch!
This post will tell you all you need to know about our favourite complication. Every Seamaster owner knows the secret of the HEV, welcome to the club.
Big problem with helium escape | Omega Forums

 

Congrats. Very, very nice.

A 'warning'? Will you turn into a strap-aholic? I did. I like changing out the straps and/or bracelets once in a while. It can entirely change the look of a dial.

 

Again thanks for all the comments and feedback. I am a bit confused so please bear with me as I am new to these watches, This watch is not keeping time currently, so I have wound it and it seems to keep time fine, but then I see in the comments it does not need wound as it is quartz.
So am I to assume it has a battery? also what indicates it is quartz? I will apologize to my lack of knowledge on this subject, but I am willing to learn.

As for the strap, I like to look of a quality leather strap. Not planning to swap them on and off.

 

If it runs continually for days (weeks, months) without your wearing it, it is quartz, and has a battery. I gather the watch has not been worn for some time, and was stopped when you acquired it. I have to ask how you got it to run! If it is mechanical, all you’d have had to do would have been to set it to time and put it on, and it would run. If quartz, it would likely not be running when you acquired it. If that was the case, then surely you would know whether you had found it necessary to have a cell put into it! If the seconds hand moves smoothly, it is mechanical. If the seconds hand moves once every second, it is quartz.

 

These usually say ‘chronometer’ on the dial when automatic, so I agree it’s quartz and shouldn’t need to be wound. The crown is just used to set the time and date.
Even quartz watches need servicing so perhaps it’s due a service or at least a new battery?

 

Is this a " proto great white" or "grand father of the great white" or..?

 

When I acquired the watch about a month ago it had not been worn for two years, it was running but the time was wrong. I corrected the time and set it aside, a week or so ago I noticed the time was wrong again.
Once again I corrected the time and thought I wound it, hence my question, now not really sure if I did so or not. Since that last time adjustment it is keeping time.
I do not have an instruction manual for this watch, I appreciate your patience with me.

 

As noted above, if it is running for weeks without winding, it is clearly a quartz watch with a battery and does not need to be wound. Doublecheck that you have set the time correctly and then monitor the timekeeping of the watch for a few days. As a quartz watch, it should be extremely accurate, so if it is not keeping near perfect time, there is something wrong. Possibly the battery is on its last legs and needs replacement, or there could be a more substantial issue that would need to be addressed by a repair/service. Since the watch is fairly old, and an heirloom, you might want to consider having it serviced anyway.

 

It just sounds like a battery on its last legs. Easiest place to start is just switching it out.

My local jeweler (who is an Omega AD) replaces batteries for free, so maybe a jeweler by you would do the same. But if you’re in Dayton or Cincinnati, James Free Jewelers can help you out

 

Thanks, Dayton is half an hour away so I will run over there.

 

Is this a quartz watch? If so, you only need to replace the battery when nessesary.

 

It is a quartz watch, as others have noted. It would say "chronometer" on the dial if it was an automatic. The second hand will also jump from one second mark to the next and not sweep. The fact that you thought it had lost time after setting it the first time, but it hasn't since you reset it most likely means you set the time wrong the first time. I do this all the time -- set the watch to the wrong hour or ± 5 minutes off.

If the battery is going bad, there should be a change in the seconds hand behavior - it will start jumping by 2 seconds (maybe 3, I forget for this movement). If the seconds hand on your watch is making 1-sec ticks, the battery is fine.