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Omega Geneve 1959 - different hour and minute hands

MajorCindy
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Hi all, i'm new to vintage watch and have purchased my first Omega Geneve. It arrived today and upon inspection, i realized that the hour and minute hands have different styles. The hour one has some kind of triangle pattern.

Does this clearly mean that the hands have been replaced? Any of those is the correct hand?

Also to put things in perspective, i purchased it for 660 Euro. Is this still a good price if the hands not original? Everything else seems fine for me, but please feel free to advise if otherwise. Thank you so much
IMG_20200529_185125.jpg IMG_20200529_185113.jpg IMG_20200529_185032.jpg
 
MajorCindy
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Additional info: i know that the crown and strap are not original prior to purchase
 
Tony C.
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Yes, the hands have been replaced, and they are not only incorrect because they are steel, but also because they have lume, which would not have been the case with the correct gold colored hands.

You probably paid too much for the watch, in my view, though I would need to see the case back and movement to make a fine judgement.
 
MajorCindy
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May i know what in your view would be closer to the correct price?

I think there is option for return, but to be honest i kinda love the watch (yes, purely emotional). So if the discrepancy is not very high, i can live with that. Another option is to ask the seller about the dials and discuss whether he can refund part of the cost
 
MajorCindy
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I don't have the tool or skill to open the case back now, but these are provided by the seller
Screenshot_20200529-190742~2.png Screenshot_20200529-190733~2.png
 
Tony C.
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That is not an easy question to answer. You may be able to find correct hands and a crown, which would of course raise the value considerably. But you will have to accomplish that.

The watch appears otherwise to be in very good condition, though I cannot comment on the case back without a photo.

This was the smaller of the two "early" Geneve models, and while both are attractive to collectors, obviously the larger (which are less common) have greater value. You did not significantly overpay, but sourcing correct hands and crown will be important for re-sale value. Also, it will be tricky to source hands that look consistent with the watch. In other words, new hands would look dissonant on a 60 year old watch. So perhaps ideally, you would be able to "transplant" a set from a similar watch. But then the expense becomes an issue. Etc.
 
MajorCindy
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Yes i got what you meant. Thanks for lending your expertise. Unfortunately due to covid19, non-essential businesses are not allowed to operate, so i can't make a visit to a watchmaker anytime soon. Can only rely on the case back photo provided by the seller for now.

Considering the watch condition, i think i will keep it but try contacting the seller if any price adjustment can be made. I understand finding the correct hands would be an extra hassle in the future, but once situation is better i can try to look for them 😀 in the meantime, i will take care and wear the watch myself.

Another question that i'd like a help with. The watch is last serviced in late 2018 and now working perfectly. I read somewhere that vintage watch has to be serviced every 2 to 3 years. Is this something regular for maintenance? Or if everything is fine, there's no need for service?
 
Tony C.
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I use vintage watches that haven't been serviced for longer than that, but it would be advisable to have a watchmaker check to see if the lubricants are dry. If they are, then you should have it serviced, otherwise there will be damage done to small metal parts. Also, as a general rule, don't trust sellers when they say that a watch has been serviced. They may not be lying, but the service may have been poor, etc. In other words, assume that every vintage watch you buy will need a service, unless you really know and trust the seller.
 
MajorCindy
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Okay, thanks a lot for your input. I will have a watchmaker checks the watch as soon as i can
 
Tony C.
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You're welcome, and good luck!

Please post again if you do keep the watch and find the replacement parts.
 
MajorCindy
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Yeah, actually i began right away to research about the parts. One thing that baffled me is that there are so many variation of hands for this Omega 2903. Mine is 2903-10 to be specific, but i would need to research more to even identify which are the correct hands
 
X350 XJR
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I see lume notches, so the lumed hands which to me appear to be tarnished gold (not steel) would be correct.

IMG_20200529_185032.jpg
 
JwRosenthal
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If you have a loupe, take a picture of the hands through it with your phone in diffused outdoor light. If they are tarnished gold, your watchmaker could clean them up without hurting the lume- then they would be a better match to the dial indices.
You have a lot of varying color cast in your pictures so it’s hard to see what color they are.
 
MajorCindy
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I took a look at the pics i posted and realized indeed they were taken near window, which might affect the colour. Sorry for that. Here i try to take some more under different lighting conditions and different angles.
IMG_20200530_011103.jpg IMG_20200530_011052.jpg IMG_20200530_010508.jpg


I will take some outdoor photos tomorrow, it's night time now where i live
 
MajorCindy
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
I see lume notches, so the lumed hands which to me appear to be tarnished gold (not steel) would be correct.

IMG_20200529_185032.jpg
It might be.. what i'm most confused about is whether there is such combination for Omega 2903 (different type of hands in one watch). I have seen combination like this in some vintage Seamasters, but so far i can't find any example for Geneve
 
JwRosenthal
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Like Norman suggested, they look like tarnished gold to me. I looked up the reference and get why you are puzzled- the ones with Lume or onyx filled have thin slits and not the big triangle- but that doesn’t mean they aren’t original to the watch or were a factory replacement. The hands shape seems correct.
 
Tony C.
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
I see lume notches, so the lumed hands which to me appear to be tarnished gold (not steel) would be correct.

Good catch, and the new photos support it. Changes the completion of the while situation.
 
Sherbie
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With these early Geneves, the hand should match the dial furniture - so rose gold markers will have rose gold hands

here is mine - 1958, Cal 491, ref 2981 - a nice razor sharp case with an “interesting” Face!
C27B00A5-4BBA-4A3B-B5C9-79FD7EE5135F.png 301C8238-792C-4989-A1A8-DD07041EB3D8.jpeg
 
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