Hello, does anyone know what material the crystals are made of on 40’s and 50’s vintage Omega watches? Can those crystals be restored if scratched? Is it normal for them to yellow with age?

Thanks,

Mike

 

Hello, welcome to the Forum, how was your day? What part of the US are you living? Been into collecting watches very long?

google Hesalite crystals

 

Hi Tex, I’m in Ohio, not a collector yet, just have always liked watches, especially thin simple designs. There was a Omega CK 2270 with a cal 300 not working on auction that sold yesterday for $160. I was was missing the winding crown and looked kind of scratched up. The interesting thing was the crystal was yellow. I don’t know if they made yellow crystals or if it turned yellow from age. Anyway, I passed on buying it since I was unsure about it. Maybe someone on this forum bought it? I’ll post a pic.

 

There were a lot of these types of Yellow Crystals used during the WWII years. Low light assist? I wasn't aware Omega fitted them so I'm guessing it's an aftermarket addition. looks like the dial and the case is in good shape on that one. A fix , replacement crystal, new crown and stem, and a service and you'd have a nice wee watch there....depending on what state the movement is in of course... Whilst neither rare or particularly valuable they're a great place to start.
Welcome to the forum Tex.

 

Thank for the info Chip!

Mike

 

Mike's the newbie

If you go back to the late teens to early 20's, colored glass crystals were the fad for a bit...….

 

It was the yellow crystal that caught my eye on that watch.

 

I think it is a yellowed crystal.

 

Yellowed or yellow, I like it. But missed out on it. I don’t even know if it would have been worth a $200 bid. Just learning about these vintage Omegas.

 

Look at all the blemishes on that dial. And there is no crown. You haven’t missed much.
Regards

 

Thanks, I like that vintage with the subsecond, will keep my eye out for a better example that needs less work.

 

A good idea would be to read the great sticky thread “learn how to fish” —
In particular what relates to condition.
Good luck