Identifying my inherited Vintage Omega

[RichardW]

Hoping for some assistance to identify my Omega watch please.
In 1983 when my grandfather passed away, I inherited his watch and put it away. I was 17 and didn't trust myself to wear it.
The watch has been kept in a box in a safe for the last 41 years.
I believe my grandfather bought the watch privately in 1944 when he qualified as a Lancaster Bomber Pilot in the RAF.
The watch could have been bought in Bulawayo Rhodesia in 1944 or Cape Town when he was on his was back to England and a posting with RAF 61 Squadron.
He wore the watch every day and I have a few photos of him wearing the watch and him with me as a little boy.
The only thing that changed on the photos was the strap.
My mother remembers the watch with a brown leather and brown canvas strap at times. The strap when I inherited the watch was a black leather strap.
I have searched the Internet and can NOT find another watch exactly the same.
I have done a serial number check which says the watch was made in 1944.
Are there any Omega Guru's that could help shed more light on the watch?
It is a mechanical watch in a steel case. The face dial looks black but under other light looks green.
I recently cleaned the scratches off the glass which has come up remarkably well considering its age.
Fingers crossed someone knows more.
Thank you.

 

[Dan S]

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the introduction and context, and providing your own research.

The reference number is 2243, inside the caseback. I believe the movement is a cal 30T2 from the mid-1940s. Other than what you already noted in the OP, there's not much more to know, IMO.

 

[RichardW]

This is a less magnified image of the cleaned watch glass.

 

[Bruce235]

Very nice watch and welcome to the forum.
You should get the movement serviced if you intend to start wearing. The case can be cleaned but not polished.
Enjoy.

 

[RichardW]

Dan S

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the introduction and context, and providing your own research.

The reference number is 2243, inside the caseback. I believe the movement is a cal 30T2 from the mid-1940s. Other than what you already noted in the OP, there's not much more to know, IMO.

Thank you, I didn't know it was a cal 30T2. I have searched the Internet for the number 2243/2 nothing turns up.
Other than recent research, I know little about the watch, but it is one of the last links to my grandfather, so am feeling a bit nostalgic with it.

 

[RichardW]

Bruce235

Very nice watch and welcome to the forum.
You should get the movement serviced if you intend to start wearing. The case can be cleaned but not polished.
Enjoy.

It is too tiny for me to ever wear, my children don't like it. The face/dial definitely needs a clean and it needs a service and clean.
I wouldn't want to restore it and then remove my grandfather from the watch, nut removing the scratches from the glass meant I could see more.
The watch holds no financial value for me, so I am not sure about spending money on it as it lives in a safe.

 

[Bruce235]

Google (omega forums 2243) and you get some hits.

 

[Bruce235]

R RichardW

It is too tiny for me to ever wear, my children don't like it. The face/dial definitely needs a clean and it needs a service and clean.
I wouldn't want to restore it and then remove my grandfather from the watch, nut removing the scratches from the glass meant I could see more.
The watch holds no financial value for me, so I am not sure about spending money on it as it lives in a safe.

I understand. You do have a large wrist!
Don't ever touch the dial with anything, it will almost certainly do more harm than good.

 

[RichardW]

Bruce235

I understand. You do have a large wrist!
Don't ever touch the dial with anything, it will almost certainly do more harm than good.

My son and I discussed it last night, because I've had the watch for 41 years and never worn it, he says he wouldn't like the responsibility of wearing an 80 yr old watch. We decided if nobody is going to wear it, we will leave it as is. I was going to take it to a watchmaker, but have put that on hold. The more done to the watch, the less of my grandfather remains in it.
I think I have just got a normal male wrist.

 

[Dan S]

I agree that there's no reason to have the watch serviced if it won't be worn.

 

[wagudc]

R RichardW

My son and I discussed it last night, because I've had the watch for 41 years and never worn it, he says he wouldn't like the responsibility of wearing an 80 yr old watch. We decided if nobody is going to wear it, we will leave it as is. I was going to take it to a watchmaker, but have put that on hold. The more done to the watch, the less of my grandfather remains in it.
I think I have just got a normal male wrist.

Sounds like you have a good plan. People used to wear much smaller watches, and many of us here do. It is a matter of tastes. Also, the average US infantryman in WW2 was 5' 8" and weighed 148 lbs. So the average wrist size was smaller back in the day. Some women have taken to wearing vintage men's watches; a number of them are members of this forum. Perhaps there is a woman in your family who might appreciate wearing the watch.

 

[Tony C.]

One small nuance that the OP would be expected to notice. That watch was from a period during which a market transition was taking place from pocket watches to wristwatches, and the large sub-second dial is an indication of that. It was fairly typical of pocket watches to feature large sub-dials, and some of the wristwatches of the era often featured them not only for obvious practical reasons, but also as a familiar design cue.

The sub-dials generally began to shrink in size in the '50s, before largely disappearing in favor of central-second designs.

 

[wagudc]

R RichardW

Thank you, I didn't know it was a cal 30T2. I have searched the Internet for the number 2243/2 nothing turns up.
Other than recent research, I know little about the watch, but it is one of the last links to my grandfather, so am feeling a bit nostalgic with it.

CK 2242 is the center seconds version of the watch you have:

https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/watch-omega-other-omega-ck-2242

Yours with the subseconds is a CK 2243 and is one of those references which is missing from Omega's vintage database.

 

[UncleBuck]

My wife’s father served in WWll and carried several “tokens of glory” home with him that help tell the story of his service and really, of who he was and his life.
We had a display, a type of shadowbox made and it hangs proudly in our home. I have told the story of his “tokens” to all my children and grandchildren and his memory lives on with all of us.
How cool would a display of his watch (we will help you find the strap), his picture wearing it and perhaps some “tokens” of his service and of his life would be!
I am on vacation right now but let me know and I will send you some shots.
Our Veterans stories and beloved family need to live on.

 

[Dan S]

UncleBuck

My wife’s father served in WWll and carried several “tokens of glory” home with him that help tell the story of his service and really, of who he was and his life.
We had a display, a type of shadowbox made and it hangs proudly in our home. I have told the story of his “tokens” to all my children and grandchildren and his memory lives on with all of us.
How cool would a display of his watch (we will help you find the strap), his picture wearing it and perhaps some “tokens” of his service and of his life would be!
I am on vacation right now but let me know and I will send you some shots.
Our Veterans stories and beloved family need to live on.

This is such a nice idea, and much better than leaving the watch in a safe. It's not terribly valuable and probably not something a burglar would steal.

 

[RichardW]

wagudc

Sounds like you have a good plan. People used to wear much smaller watches, and many of us here do. It is a matter of tastes. Also, the average US infantryman in WW2 was 5' 8" and weighed 148 lbs. So the average wrist size was smaller back in the day. Some women have taken to wearing vintage men's watches; a number of them are members of this forum. Perhaps there is a woman in your family who might appreciate wearing the watch.

I have a daughter, but she doesn't like the watch. for me the watch is a direct link to my grandfather, who was more a father than grandfather, we were very close. His military career inspired me to serve for over 20-years myself.

 

[RichardW]

UncleBuck

My wife’s father served in WWll and carried several “tokens of glory” home with him that help tell the story of his service and really, of who he was and his life.
We had a display, a type of shadowbox made and it hangs proudly in our home. I have told the story of his “tokens” to all my children and grandchildren and his memory lives on with all of us.
How cool would a display of his watch (we will help you find the strap), his picture wearing it and perhaps some “tokens” of his service and of his life would be!
I am on vacation right now but let me know and I will send you some shots.
Our Veterans stories and beloved family need to live on.

Great Idea, I have just bought a strap and my wife also suggested we display it somewhere.
I was very close to my grandfather and have a few photos together where he wearing the watch.
I ended up serving as an Infantry Officer for 20-years myself.

 

[UncleBuck]

I

R RichardW

I have a daughter, but she doesn't like the watch. for me the watch is a direct link to my grandfather, who was more a father than grandfather, we were very close. His military career inspired me to serve for over 20-years myself.

Brother, you are going to fit in well here. we have many Veterans (2nd Infantry for me) and many historians and a whole bunch of family love! Plus some of us(not me) know watches.

 

[RichardW]

Tony C.

One small nuance that the OP would be expected to notice. That watch was from a period during which a market transition was taking place from pocket watches to wristwatches, and the large sub-second dial is an indication of that. It was fairly typical of pocket watches to feature large sub-dials, and some of the wristwatches of the era often featured them not only for obvious practical reasons, but also as a familiar design cue.

The sub-dials generally began to shrink in size in the '50s, before largely disappearing in favor of central-second designs.

Good info, thank you.

 

[RichardW]

wagudc

CK 2242 is the center seconds version of the watch you have:

https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/watch-omega-other-omega-ck-2242

Yours with the subseconds is a CK 2243 and is one of those references which is missing from Omega's vintage database.

Fantastic info, thank you.