Hello,

I've been wanting to pick up a vintage Omega for some time now and today was the day! The guys from Hodinkee had a pop-up sale in San Francisco and I couldn't refuse. This particular piece came from Matthew Bain. I'm a total newbie when it comes to vintage watches and would love any info that anyone could provide. It has a case diameter of 36.6mm, the movement is hand wound and beats at 18,000 bph. I would love to know the approx year it was made, what movement it may have in it, what kind of power reserve I can expect, if everything on it looks original, and whatever other info you guys might have. Also, what kind of accuracy can I expect from a vintage piece like this? Sorry about the iPhone pics, it is all I have at this time. I know can have a lot more info if i get the caseback off but I don't feel comfortable doing that on my own. Thanks in advance for the info!

 

I'll second what gator said - probably a late 40's model. When you get the back cover popped off the numbers will tell us all the info needed.

 

Thanks gentlemen for the quick and detailed responses! I really appreciate the info. Is removing and replacing the snap on back difficult? Do I just need to purchase a case back knife? When removing the back, is it a twisting motion with the knife or more of just slipping the knife in the gap? Lastly, how do I know how to align the back when snapping it back on? Thanks again to all of the help!

 

Very nice watch. It is a classic. I would think you might be better off going to a real wacthmaker to get the back removed. It is really easy to scratch and mar the case and case back. I know.... I would guess that for a couple of bucks you would not risk that.

 

Nice looking watch, welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks everyone for all of the help so far!
Adding a photo of inside the caseback and movement:


Any additional info would be much appreciated!

 

The serial number puts it at 1945.

 

Thanks again all for the helpful info. Had a bit of a scary moment when I noticed that the movement stopped working when I snapped the back on. Pulled the back off, gave the balance wheel a few gentle puffs from a can of compressed air and it started ticking again! Whew, scary times. Since then popped the back off and back to adjust the regulation a few times and have it to about +10 sec/day. I'm not going to press my luck and tinker with it anymore.

I'm getting 36 hrs of power reserve out of the movement, is this about right?

No interest in selling but what would you guess is the approx value of the watch?

 

Nice piece.

 

Good to know for the future on compressed air. I did be careful not to hit it too hard and at an angle just to give the balance wheel a push but I'll stay away from it altogether in the future.

I hope your valuation is a bit low because I did pay significantly more for this piece. It did come from a very reputable dealer rather than a private seller and was just serviced in the past few months. I have been browsing eBay and other vintage dealer websites and have been seeing other 1940s pieces with the larger case at significantly higher prices in much worse condition than mine.

 

I think the watch stopping had something to do with the shock of closing the caseback but of course I don't know that for sure. Thanks for clarification of the valuation, it makes more sense to me now. I know I paid a premium purchasing the watch from a dealer rather than sourcing it on my own through eBay or one of the sale forums. I've been wanting to buy a vintage Omega for some time now but have been hesitant because it seemed so overwhelming for a newbie. I am happy that a got a very good condition watch with original parts and a well running movement without the hassle and possible heartache of getting something I wasn't expecting. For my next one, I just might brave eBay after spending some time here learning.