Identifying my inherited Vintage Omega

[Dan S]

R RichardW

A really big thank you to those who in a very short space of time contributed some really pertinent information about my watch. I really appreciate it, I know a lot more today than yesterday.
Some additional questions if possible.
Someone on X commented that the face/dial must have been replaced as the colour is unusual. I don't know if it has, but knowing my grandfather and how fastidious he was, I don't think he would have fiddled with or bodged a repair on a watch he bought to celebrate becoming a pilot. Under a camera lens, the face is either dark green with a dirty patina making it look black, or it is a black face with fading from sunlight?
Anyone have some ideas?
Secondly the same person on X said the crown was not the correct one, my feeble research says Omega did not "sign" the crown or the crystal in 1944.

I assume you meant to say that the person on X is suggesting that the dial is repainted, not replaced. Sometimes the word used is "redialed."

IMO, the dial is original. The printing appears to be gilt, and it looks fine and accurate. The snailing on the subdial looks clear, and the subdial edge is sharp. I would ascribe the color to aging. Black dials often age in unusual ways.

I have never heard of anyone discussing a watch on X previously, but I assume that the comments there are about as knowledgable as what you will receive on reddit or Facebook.

 

[RichardW]

Dan S

I assume you meant to say that the person on X is suggesting that the dial is repainted, not replaced. Sometimes the word used is "redialed."

IMO, the dial is original. I would ascribe the color to aging. Black dials often age in unusual ways. It's interesting that you discussed the watch on X, I've never known that to be a place to find watch experts. Can you name the person who believes the dial is repainted?

I shared it with a friend on Mil (military) Twitter who forwarded some pictures to someone he knows who a is watch person. In the UK we have a decent military community on the platform.

 

[DON]

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.

Did you try Omega 2243?

 

[RichardW]

DON

Did you try Omega 2243?

Hi Don, yes I did find some info on the forum, I also searched CK 2243 on the internet and that brought up more info, all very helpful.
However, there is not a single dial/face on the internet the EXACTLY same as my watch, they are mainly ivory/cream and the numbers on the dial are different.
The one I found with a black dial is a 1934 watch (10yrs before mine).

The dial on my watch is numbered 12 . 2 . 4 . (no 6 as that is where the seconds dial is) . 8 . 10 .

Help needed to complete research. | Page 2 | Omega Forums

 

[Peemacgee]

Hello @RichardW

You have a splendid memento of your grandfather.

My father must have been completing his training about the same time as your grandfather - but he was sent to Canada with snow on the ground to train, having been given shorts and t-shirts to wear as they were meant to go to Rhodesia.
Unfortunately, my old man didn't buy his own watch and handed in anything given to him in the RAF.

£500 for the service of a manual time-only movt is really quite over the top.
There are a number of trusted watchmakers who frequent the forum, some of them in the UK.
A service for your watch should cost you around £200 if no major parts are required.

One thing to note, I think it was mentioned earlier, the lume is likely to be radium and is falling out of the hands so don't go opening the watch yourself - you don't want to be breathing any of that dust.

One of the UK based watchmakers, @Mitka, could service your watch and could also sympathetically replace and colour match the lume in the hands, in non-hazardous material, if you wanted to make the watch look cosmetically better. (I wouldn't touch the numerals except perhaps to stabilise them if needed)

And don't give up on your progeny - even if your kids don't want it, their kids just might.

Winnipeg 1944
At least they had greatcoats.....

 

[RichardW]

Peemacgee

Hello @RichardW

You have a splendid memento of your grandfather.

My father must have been completing his training about the same time as your grandfather - but he was sent to Canada with snow on the ground to train, having been given shorts and t-shirts to wear as they were meant to go to Rhodesia.
Unfortunately, my old man didn't buy his own watch and handed in anything given to him in the RAF.

£500 for the service of a manual time-only movt is really quite over the top.
There are a number of trusted watchmakers who frequent the forum, some of them in the UK.
A service for your watch should cost you around £200 if no major parts are required.

One thing to note, I think it was mentioned earlier, the lume is likely to be radium and is falling out of the hands so don't go opening the watch yourself - you don't want to be breathing any of that dust.

One of the UK based watchmakers, @Mitka, could service your watch and could also sympathetically replace and colour match the lume in the hands, in non-hazardous material, if you wanted to make the watch look cosmetically better. (I wouldn't touch the numerals except perhaps to stabilise them if needed)

And don't give up on your progeny - even if your kids don't want it, their kids just might.

Winnipeg 1944
At least they had greatcoats.....

What a great photo, much of our family photo history was lost in a fire in the 1950's. My grandfather Leslie Wilkinson, was from Harpenden in the UK (not far from where I live now) after serving in Iraq and Egypt he was sent to 25 ETFS in Bulawayo Rhodesia, transiting through Cape Town he met the woman who would be my grand mother and post war brought her back to Harpenden before they emigrated with their two daughters back to Rhodesia. My grandfather's older brother, Don Wilkinson was sent to Canada to train as an RAF pilot and post was Don and one their sisters Joyce moved to BC in Canada.
Have a few wartime photos of my grandmother, I can certainly see why my grandfather brought her back to England.
Last photo, at a dance, he is wearing his/my Omega watch.
I certainly wouldn't venture trying to remove the crystal to get to the dial. I have pretty much done what I can to make it look clean.
If one of my future grandchildren wish to recommission the watch one day, at least it will not have been fiddled with.
I have owned the watch for 41 years, my grandfather had the pleasure of earing it for 39 years.

Edited: Feb 9, 2024

 

[UncleBuck]

Sir, is your Grandfather’s full face in that last photo or is he partially cut off, featuring that beautiful lady?
(Just working on your display!)

 

[RichardW]

UncleBuck

Sir, is your Grandfather’s full face in that last photo or is he partially cut off, featuring that beautiful lady?
(Just working on your display!)

Yes, the monochrome photos of the lady in uniform are of my grandmother and the last two photos of the couple and the "beautiful lady" are indeed my grandparents. (the watch is on my grandfathers wrist in the last photo).
Sir, is when I was serving, I'm a veteran and a civilian, there are no Sir's amongst veterans, we are all the same rank.
Calling me Richard is absolutely fine.

 

[UncleBuck]

Richard, pleasure to meet you!
I’m Buck or Jim.
Regarding service, I agree with you. We all wrote a blank check and let our Country fill in the amount!
So, regarding the last photo, he is partially cut off in the full shot. Shame, it’s a great photo.

 

[DON]

If not going to service or wear. Get a small pocket watch display dome with base. Take a twist tie, peel off paper and sand clean with steel wool

bend to form loop in center. Bend to get angled down arms and bend small hooks on ends. Place on dome hook and then hang watch on ends.. place where you like.

or just stick it in a drawer without dome

 

[RichardW]

UncleBuck

Richard, pleasure to meet you!
I’m Buck or Jim.
Regarding service, I agree with you. We all wrote a blank check and let our Country fill in the amount!
So, regarding the last photo, he is partially cut off in the full shot. Shame, it’s a great photo.

Thank you Jim, good to meet you too.
I was looking for the original photo today but could not find it.
In the photo above that one, they are together, both faces visible. Both passed away very young, my grandmother younger than I am now when she passed and I’m within 4 years of my grandfather’s age when he passed.

 

[RichardW]

DON

If not going to service or wear. Get a small pocket watch display dome with base. Take a twist tie, peel off paper and sand clean with steel wool

bend to form loop in center. Bend to get angled down arms and bend small hooks on ends. Place on dome hook and then hang watch on ends.. place where you like.

or just stick it in a drawer without dome

That is a lovely idea Don.

 

[Dan S]

DON

If not going to service or wear. Get a small pocket watch display dome with base. Take a twist tie, peel off paper and sand clean with steel wool

bend to form loop in center. Bend to get angled down arms and bend small hooks on ends. Place on dome hook and then hang watch on ends.. place where you like.

or just stick it in a drawer without dome

Great description, DON. I can picture exactly how that will look for displaying a WW.

 

[UncleBuck]

DON

If not going to service or wear. Get a small pocket watch display dome with base. Take a twist tie, peel off paper and sand clean with steel wool

bend to form loop in center. Bend to get angled down arms and bend small hooks on ends. Place on dome hook and then hang watch on ends.. place where you like.

or just stick it in a drawer without dome

 

[UncleBuck]

DON,
In visualizing, it hangs from the springbars?
Damn autocorrect does not like springbars!

 

[UncleBuck]

Richard, check your pm (click on envelope upper right corner).
Since you were an Officer, I thought I better spell it out!

 

[DON]

UncleBuck

DON,
In visualizing, it hangs from the springbars?
Damn autocorrect does not like springbars!

Spring bars on both ends to keep it uniform and just hang it. You can find twists with different lengths or even an old cord with wire inside. Slice open and use so its centered in the dome

 

[mac_omega]

@RichardW

Rest assured your watch is original in all its parts - not 100% confident about the crown but 95% as far as I can judge by the photos.
Case: check - still with sharp edges
dial: check, original lume
hands: check
crystal: check - is the low dome original which are rarely found on watches of this age
movement: check - is in very good condition and probably only needs some cleaning and fresh lube
A nice heirloom to keep for sure.

I have a specimen of the same reference with black dial but with all numerals lumed...

 

[OllieOnTheRocks]

R RichardW

I shared it with a friend on Mil (military) Twitter who forwarded some pictures to someone he knows who a is watch person. In the UK we have a decent military community on the platform.

Your watch is lovely - it is all original and it is not a suveran like this individual suggested. It does not have a name as such, but we collectors refer to these watches by their movement calibre which is 30T2. Black dials are perhaps more rare than others but I believe this to be original. They came with a huge variety of dials, so many in fact that I do not believe anyone has ever managed to catalogue them all. That is what makes this such an exciting range of watches that were made from around 1939 and well into the mid to late 40s before the movement saw some small modifications (and a rename). Interestingly one of the examples you showed from your research was once owned by me as that was one of my photos haha - but that's by the by - the one with the black dial I believe to be innaccurately described as from the mid 30s, and rather is probably from 1939 at the earliest. With regards to £500 to service - that's double what I paid for my last 30T2 to be serviced a couple of months ago. Anyway, lovely story, lovely photos - a lovely momento

Edited: Feb 10, 2024

 

[RichardW]

mac_omega

@RichardW

Rest assured your watch is original in all its parts - not 100% confident about the crown but 95% as far as I can judge by the photos.
Case: check - still with sharp edges
dial: check, original lume
hands: check
crystal: check - is the low dome original which are rarely found on watches of this age
movement: check - is in very good condition and probably only needs some cleaning and fresh lube
A nice heirloom to keep for sure.

I have a specimen of the same reference with black dial but with all numerals lumed...

That’s really good info, thank you. I’m still in two minds to get it serviced as nobody is going to wear it, but seeing the comments on the forum, perhaps I should get it looked at by someone who is knowledgeable and won’t replace anything. The watch has cleaned up well and for a functional item that is 80 years old (albeit it’s been in a box for 41 years) deserves a second life.