Hi,
Thank you for allowing me to join. Being the custodian of three 1960´s Omegas I am happy to be here.
This evening I found that the family has an even older Omega. But I need help dating and identifying it.
My wife remembers having it in her jewelry box as a girl. Given to her by her grandfather.

I measured the diameter of the movement to 27.6mm
The case is hinged front and back. It is gold plated over brass, and has an enamel dial.
There is no apparent lume on the remaining hand. It is flat and smooth

On the inside of the back cover are the ink stamped numbers 15 vertically, followed by 625 horisontally.
Lower down there is a stamped rectangular mark LW and under that the number 30466.

I hope to learn more! It would add to the family history to know then it was made and what use it was ment for,

 

I'm sure someone can tell you more but you've got an Omega trench watch dating 1910's to the 1920's. The dial's got more than a few issues; you're missing a hand and the crown wheel. The hairspring's damaged, balance stem might be too. As it sits, it has little value outside parts and I wouldn't count on any of those being useable.

Sink a few hundreds into it and you'll have an interesting watch worth about what it cost to repair. Totally up to you if it has the sentimental value or interest to fix it up. In precious metals; in good condition; these can bring decent money ... but not this one, I fear.

 

Thank you Jimmyd!
I am mostly interested in it as a part of family history. It is a great help to learn what it is and when it is from!
My grandfather in law must have bought it used if its that old. I think he was born between 1910-20.

Of course it would be nice to restore it to rough but working condition, but as a family heirloom it is interesting as-is.

 

Here is a view of the dial with the front cover open.

 

The Omega logo looks applied to me, no serial number, I'm suspicious.
What is the wording/inscription the regulator is pointing at?

I would keep it as is, tell the family history to the kids and be content. It has a beautiful story, I'm not sure what else.

 

If you look very closely inside the case back, I think you might find the number 15 inside a cartouche. Beside that number you will see a .625. If you divide 15 by 24 (pure gold), the result is .625. The decimal equivalent of 15 karat gold. I think your case is not gold plated over brass. It appears to be solid 15 karat gold. To the best of my knowledge, 15 karat alloy was only used in Germany and or the Scandinavian countries. Others may know better. If you were to luck out and find a good, complete parts movement, you could resuscitate this watch, and turn it into a useful timepiece that would be a joy to wear.

There is another stamp inside the case back that puzzles me. It is a circular stamp within a cartouche that looks like it might be an import mark for a karat gold case imported into Great Britain. But I have never known the Brits to permit 15 karat gold.

 

"Swiss Made" Jim.

 

UncleBuck: the inscription is difficult to make out but it think it says "swissmade"
My daughter, owns it now. We where both curious what it was. I am looking forward to telling her when I meet her next week!

 

Great News!
The family lives in Norway, so it would probably be Norwegian/German originally.

 

I think you are onto something, here!

 

Your eyes are better than mine, friend!

I still would keep it as is and cherish the story.

 

Good spot. Yes, that's a worn London import mark. 15ct is an accepted grade of gold in the UK but unique to Chester (obviously this case isn't UK made).

 

The mystery deepens.

The "LW" hallmark is the sponsor mark for Louis Weill for Weill & Co. LW would have been the company who imported the watch into the UK.





I agree with @Canuck that the watch has a solid gold case. The fact that it does not have a full set of import hallmarks may be due to the period in which the hallmarking rules for imports were still being laid down (early 1900s).

(Info via David Boettcher).

 

Wow! You guys are good!
This is fantastic stuff. I know my wife's grandfather fought in WW2. He may have bought it in England then, or later, as may Norwegians crossed the North Sea to join.

 

@JimInOz is the very best!
He's been keeping an eye on me the last 5-6 years, trying to keep me out of trouble.

 

Not very successfully though .

 

Staying out of trouble is no fun, Jimbo!
It's getting in deep and escaping unscathed, that's the nuts!

 

The adage goes that, “ nobody knows it all, but together we know it all!” The clues regarding the watch that have disappeared over a century, are being recollected. Surprising how much more important an old watch can be, once you know something about it! Sentimental value added to intrinsic value gives added value. I wonder if the case was made in the Scandinavian countries (Denmark?), then imported into Great Britain by Weill & Co.

 

More information:
The case back has two covers. I decided to take a close look at the outer cover, on the inside. It was really difficult to pick out, but I managed a photo. At the bottom there the LW and number are repeated. In the middle the gold marks are repeated.
But at the top there are two curving texts: DEPOSE No 9846

 

I've always viewed the values as separate, if you execute the intrinsic value, the sentiment is gone. If you value the sentiment, the intrinsic will never be realized.

I view the intrinsic as a floor to the value, a base, but not an additive as there is no way to realize both.