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New to vintage Omegas. Help finding out model and year of very old grandfather's Omega Chronograph

  1. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Hello there. Find the forum through Google. Looking for help. After showing my father his 30+ years old japanese automatic Seiko that I started wearing again after many years stored inside a box in my closet, he showed me my grandfather's Omega chronograph he wore for a while after my grandfather passed away in the 1950's. My father do not know much about the watch. We think it must be from the 1940's or so (he also have a Omega Chronograph - not a wrist watch - that it's still working and that I remember playing with when I was a child a good few decades ago). Could not find the exact model of this watch anywhere on the www. Just similar ones and very few. There's no information on the back of the watch neither on the dial. Just Omega's name and logo. I have some tools and may try to open it to try to find some info. My father thinks the front glass is not original. The watch is not working and has no strap/bracelet and needs some serious restoration. I want to contact Omega to see if it still can be restored and where is the best authorized service to send it to get a very precise and responsible restoration. I'm attaching some pics I took. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot. Daniel (from Rio de Janeiro/Brazil).



    mai_2016_omega_gordon_008.jpg mai_2016_omega_gordon_006.jpg
     
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  2. efauser I ♥ karma!!! May 30, 2016

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    All the information is inside.
     
  3. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Thank you. I just tried but couldn't open the case with the watch tools I have. Really tight and there's no gap or recess I could insert the pretty thin tool. I'm afraid to damage the case more than it already is.
     
  4. Geordie May 30, 2016

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    Stanley blade might do the trick.
     
  5. efauser I ♥ karma!!! May 30, 2016

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    Or you could take it to a professional.
     
  6. Geordie May 30, 2016

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    Like Christmas eve I haven't got the patients.
     
  7. efauser I ♥ karma!!! May 30, 2016

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    I thought that would be more of an indication of a bad doctor.
     
  8. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Thank you. Will do.
     
  9. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Sure I also will. Thanks.

    But any of you have seen such a model? Any clue for model/year?
     
  10. ConElPueblo May 30, 2016

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    Hi Daniel, welcome to the site.

    Your grandfather's watch appears to be an Omega caliber 33.3 Chronograph. The case is pretty worn and the dial looks to have been restored at some point in its life. These aren't very good at resisting moisture, as they cannot seal properly at the pushers.

    I'm definitely not an expert on these, but I believe that these are all pre-WWII.

    Have a go at googling "Omega 33.3" and have some fun reading up :thumbsup:
     
  11. ConElPueblo May 30, 2016

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    Another thing: These are quite uncommon and not without value. Do yourself a favour and get the caseback opened at a watchmaker (it's a simple procedure) and take some good photos of the movement and the inside of the case back. That will show the serial number (which you can use for finding out when it was produced) and the reference number of the case.

    Even if the dial has been restored (original dials are rarer and worth more to collectors), it will look ten times better after a new crystal has been installed.

    EDIT: And don't worry about finding one exactly similar. As it's a redial, chances are that none will match it completely.
     
  12. Geordie May 30, 2016

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    sarcasm is easy behind a keyboard.
     
  13. efauser I ♥ karma!!! May 30, 2016

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    It's even easier In person.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     
  14. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Thanks for the info! I just managed to open the case with the exacto knife. Has a loose part. Specially the one holding the springs. I managed to kind of put it in its place. Will definitely contact Omega as soon as possible to see what is the best procedure to get it restored. Here's some pics of the case and the movement. It's just two pics I took with my iPhone right now. The one with the movement it's blurry but I can see some numbers. Don't know it they are the serial number. But at least I have a little more information now. mai_2016_opened_omega_001.jpg mai_2016_opened_omega_002.jpg
     
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  15. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Looking at 33.3 caliber images in Google it sure seems like it.
     
  16. efauser I ♥ karma!!! May 30, 2016

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  17. DGordon May 30, 2016

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  18. DGordon May 30, 2016

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    Now I "just" need to send it to a great Omega authorized service center. I just don't know if down here or in Europe.
     
  19. Nobel Prize Spell Master! May 30, 2016

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    My uncle had a very similar one, fortunately someone PM'd me and I sold it before service so I'm not sure what the best place would be....
     
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  20. Willem023 May 31, 2016

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    You would be better of to not send it to an Omega centre, but to a very good watchmaker instead.
    The O centres have the habbit -so I understood- to replace original parts by newer ones, therewith changing the originality of your watch.
    IMO yours is too nice to be mis-handled...

    Members here would inform you on the best place to go.

    My2Ksh
    W
     
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