Hey everyone, thanks for having me. I've been lurking for a few years but never seem to get around to posting. I figure I've got to get started somewhere, so here goes. I work in ecommerce operations, I rarely get a chance during the week to wear any vintage or dress watches. My daily work beaters are g-shock full metal 5000V or a Hamilton Khaki field watch. Outside of work, I really enjoy vintage Omegas, though I don't really connect as well with their contemporary watches. On the contemporary side I feel myself being pulled towards a Pelagos or Grand Seiko SBGR261 as my next target. On the vintage side, I'm a huge fan of the beefy-lug style Seamasters. I've hauled in two 2576's that I like alot: I've also got an Admiralty that's a really fun watch to wear: and lastly I've got a 30T2 that was the first vintage Omega that I really fell for. Lately, though, I've been wondering if it was my noob-tax... I do have a few questions that I hope some of ya'll will be kind enough to answer. -The original signed crystal on the honeycomb 2576 was scratched up pretty badly, and my watchmaker replaced it with a generic. Well now I've gone ahead of scuffed up that one too, so I'm back in the market for a new crystal there. Can anyone point me in the right direction of the correct Omega replacement crystal to use there? -Second: Any opinions on the 30T2 and whether it was my noob-tax? I got it on ebay several years ago from the seller "Mr Shrekman", and his description said that everything was 100% original. I didn't have much experience at all with omegas back then, and figured, "well, if it's on the internet it's gotta be true..." So I send it out for a service and my watchmaker is like, "the other parts seem okay, but the hour and seconds hands are straight up generic otto frei blues." I ended up replacing them with Omega NOS lance hands that I thought went well with the dial, but looking back, leaf hands might have been "correcter." So now that I know the hands were wrong from the get-go, I've got this nagging feeling that the watch might be a complete franken. Here are a few things I've been questioning: -The outer chapter ring is very visible at the edges of the case. My watch maker changed out the scratched high-dome crystal that the watch originally had for a low-dome and he believes that the low-dome makes the edge details less visible than the original would have. I have no idea. -Whats up with those divots in the case near the lugs. I've never even seen that before. Seems a little weird. -Missing movement screws. Again, I don't really know if it's a smoking gun, but again seems a little suspicious. Anyway, if any of you with more experience care to weigh in, I'd appreciate it. Feel free to be brutally honest, you won't hurt my feelings. Even if it is a franken, I'll still enjoy it for the dial, I'd just prefer to know one way or the other. Thanks everyone, and thanks again for having me aboard! Paul
Welcome to official OF membership! Great first post. Quite a few questions here, I’ll take on one. Have you tried polywatch to clean up your crystal?
This case does not require case screws as the movement is kept and held in place in the deep caseback which is built like a tub. Yes, leaf hands would look nicer on this dial I am afraid the crown is a wrong replacement Other than this it looks authentic.
Not a criticism, but you can buy a HUGE (comparatively speaking) bottle of Novus Fine Scratch Remover for half the price of that tiny tube of Polywatch. https://www.amazon.com/NOVUS-Plastic-Fine-Scratch-Remover/dp/B002UD0GGS/ref=sr_1_3
There was a thread here, last year maybe, with lots of discussion about polywatch alternatives. I can find it anywhere, and now my coffee has gone cold . But yes, there are alternatives
So now that I know the hands were wrong from the get-go, I've got this nagging feeling that the watch might be a complete franken. Here are a few things I've been questioning: I like the current hands. Sort of matches to the diamond indexes -The outer chapter ring is very visible at the edges of the case. My watch maker changed out the scratched high-dome crystal that the watch originally had for a low-dome and he believes that the low-dome makes the edge details less visible than the original would have. I have no idea. Low dome have a more curved edge which distorts and hides the outside chapter ring. Low dome is proper, but if visually better with the high dome. Can switch back -Whats up with those divots in the case near the lugs. I've never even seen that before. Seems a little weird. Probably created with the stamping dies to make sure case is properly oriented for each progression of stamping -Missing movement screws. Again, I don't really know if it's a smoking gun, but again seems a little suspicious. As mention. These are for securing the movement in 3 piece cases which are loaded from the top. Screws with wide heads then hold the movement in place. You movement is a bottom loader and back holds the movement in place DON