Need a help confirming my new Omega HS-8

I'm not sure we can be very confident in discussing these watches today. Much has been lost with the passage of time. But, from my understanding:

1. Yes, an HS↑8 watch should have the last three digits of its issue number engraved in the lugs and under the bezel.
2. Also, it is my understanding that, unlike the RAF's 6B/159 watches, the RN HS↑8 watches had removable spring bars, not fixed bars.

From the excellent article on af0210strap.com:


More discussion here.

It's not clear if that's true for all of the HS↑8 watches or just some. I have seen several purported HS↑8 watches with fixed bars offered for sale.

FWIW, my own HS↑8 has spring bars.

The engravings are pretty small and the alloy is fragile, so it's worth looking very closely. But I agree that none are apparent on the photos you posted. Here's what mine looks like (lower right of photo).

To be honest, I've sort of embraced the uncertainty. There are a few aspects of my own watch that could at least raise some eyebrows. What are the odds of a nice round issue number like "7800"? (I guess 1-in-100.) The caseback etching font seems to differ from any other example I've seen. And the dial fonts are also not quite identical. (MoD redial?)

I did request an Extract of the Archives for the watch from Omega and—to the extent that an EoA confirms anything—it at least confirms that the movement was part of a British wartime procurement. (The service should be available again, perhaps as soon as this summer.) But who knows if the case and/or dial are truly original?

I've concluded that it doesn't really matter. What I have is a bit of technology that, in its own small way, represents one of the most heroic endeavors in recent history: the preservation of democracy. Was it actually worn by a Royal Navy pilot on coastal patrol hunting for Axis submarines? Maybe, or maybe not. But those pilots wore watches like the one I have. And the fact that my watch still keeps perfect time today demonstrates how marvelous that technology was and is. Ultimately that's what makes me happy.