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Omega 6b/159

Biezmez
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Hi guys
Just saw this WWII military watch just sold on eBay in the UK, would certainly be interesting to see the state of the dial and movement and what the buyer has actually received. Hope it’s money well invested.

E05292BC-6343-408D-AEB9-21293395E2E4.jpeg
 
Syrte
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Dr No Dr No
The price fetched is surprising.

Art
Not so surprising because it’s a 35mm case from the 1956 Department of defense refurbishment program, it will be worth quite a bit when restored due to the larger size. Some people have accumulated parts for years and there’s at least one watchmaker in the UK who can do miracles with watches like this and he loves those challenges. If I were to guess I would say he may have placed the top bid.
 
JayBe
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The condensation on the inside of the crystal doesn't make me very confident about the insides. Even if you restore it, I doubt that you will find an original dial and hands in that size, so you end up with a redialed franken?
 
Syrte
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The original dials and hands work with that size and again some people have them.
And no one will know or care that it’s a franken because by definition those watches are frankens. The British government recased WWII RAF movements in sturdy steel cases because most of the WWII cases were cheap alloys. Some of those movements received new dials but some of those watches kept their original dials.
 
JayBe
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Thank you for the information. I try and avoid military watches, except for the Czech RAF ones, because it's a huge rabbit hole that I'm afraid to enter. 😉
 
Biezmez
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Syrte Syrte
Not so surprising because it’s a 35mm case from the 1956 Department of defense refurbishment program, it will be worth quite a bit when restored due to the larger size. Some people have accumulated parts for years and there’s at least one watchmaker in the UK who can do miracles with watches like this and he loves those challenges. If I were to guess I would say he may have placed the top bid.
…..that explains it. Many thanks for the info.
 
Hilts
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I was a low bidder on this one (rather surprised how much it went for considering you can sometimes get a '56 for c. £1000). I already have a '56 but also have a 6B/159 sitting in a WWW case that would have fitted into it nicely.
 
Biezmez
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Hilts Hilts
I was a low bidder on this one (rather surprised how much it went for considering you can sometimes get a '56 for c. £1000). I already have a '56 but also have a 6B/159 sitting in a WWW case that would have fitted into it nicely.
Yep, the price surprised me, but as talked about earlier, it’s a larger version than usual, and a few mm can make all the difference. Would love to know what the dial and movement looked like, so if the buyer is a member it would be great if they could post some pics.
 
Syrte
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It would normally look like this (except for the incorrect seconds hand). PCredit Craft and Tailored.
1956-r-a-f-issued-omega-6b-159
Edited:
 
25ED6FC9-E044-4F6B-BD96-A16842940675.png 3D2A66F2-BFBE-4A5B-9264-83F31EA4B63E.png D800911A-A665-4FBE-A527-BDB51CCEE49D.png
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