Omega HS^8 2292

obstando · May 10, 2020

watchyouwant
Look, HS 8 is just a different military destination for the same watch. Look it up on Google. Easy to find. Kind regards. Achim

The HS8 and the 6B/159 watches are not the same. They are different shapes and the HS8 has non drilled lugs and uses spring bars. They both use the 2292 case back. That isn't to say of course that some didn't slip through the net

watchyouwant · May 10, 2020

obstando
What do you mean by lugs not modified at all? It should be a UK2292 so should have spring bars. Dial is wrong as stated. It should be alloy cased

The spring bar part of your answer is incorrect. Over there at MWR military forum , some members did research that question extensively. That should answer most questions. This 1940's mil. Omega never left the factory in brass cases. Plenty of modifications later( cut lugs, reshaped,drilled and more....), to keep them running. Kind regards. Achim

watchyouwant · May 10, 2020

Maybe we should open a new thread about the research of these Omega Military 1942. 6B and HS 8. Start here and ask over at MWR for recent research. https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?56201-Fleet-Air-Arm-Omega-HS8-research-information&highlight=omega military HS8 . pls. find enclosed the original order form from 1942. Delivery: July 1942. Engraving was done in the UK. the item numbers on engraving do not correspond to the issued omegas, but to all issued military watches that year. cost: 36 swiss francs. kind regards. Achim

obstando · May 11, 2020

The generally accepted understanding (and let's be honest when it comes to military watches from this era no-one can be 100% sure) is that the majority of HS8 2292's were supplied with non-drilled lugs and springs bars. This was not a modification but was how they were supplied implying that there were differences from the 6Bs. The watch I posted above is not modified in any way and has spring bars. The lug shapes and lengths of the 6Bs and HS8s are different. As you say there is plenty of discussion about this on MWR. I agree about brass cases and I hadn't seen that had been raised here as an issue - they should be duralumin

watchyouwant · May 11, 2020

No, that is not the generally accepted understanding. Omega did not make 2 different cases for the same watch. These are long and thin lugs. With fixed bars for military watches. Spring bars can brake .There was no need to manufacture the same thing in 2 different production lines . Not for that kind of money. These watches were never constructed to function 80 years later. Why add the permanent horizontal stress of an spring bar to the vertical stress of the wear , strapped to your arm? These are very thin and long lugs made from a brittle material. There is no second order form for a different case shape at the factory. We tried to dig one out with John Diethelm in the 90's. Nothing there. Different issued nominations in the UK. But not from the Factory. Kind regards. Achim

obstando · May 11, 2020

Wo

watchyouwant
No, that is not the generally accepted understanding. Omega did not make 2 different cases for the same watch. These are long and thin lugs. With fixed bars for military watches. Spring bars can brake .There was no need to manufacture the same thing in 2 different production lines . Not for that kind of money. These watches were never constructed to function 80 years later. Why add the permanent horizontal stress of an spring bar to the vertical stress of the wear , strapped to your arm? These are very thin and long lugs made from a brittle material. There is no second order form for a different case shape at the factory. We tried to dig one out with John Diethelm in the 90's. Nothing there. Different issued nominations in the UK. But not from the Factory. Kind regards. Achim

Worth more investigation:-

https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?83935-Omega-WW2-6B-159-amp-HS8-identification

https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?76403-WW2-Omega-HS8-wrist-watch

https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?81720-Omega-HS8-in-Southern-Ontario

https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?86686-Advice-on-Omega-6b-159-for-sale-please

https://forums.watchuseek.com/f11/omega-redial-franken-original-2724033.html

You will see many references to spring bars being correct

size11s · May 11, 2020

I think the long thin lugged watches are certainly Duralumin whereas the shorter lugged cases do have some copper in them but are not brass. I have several worn Dennison Aquatite cases, which are plated brass and the metal looks quite different from the HS8. It is a copper containing alloy.

michael e · Oct 25, 2023

The HS-8 is very easy to check if you know what to look for.
These short lug cases are indeed correct and are totally different from the alloy ones, the HS-8 is a much tougher mid case, which I am sure has something to do with Dennison because the location of the numbers on the inside of the case near the lug is very much like Dennison did.
The last 3 digits on the Omega signed outer case back should also be stamped near the bottom right lug (crown right) and also inside the inner bezel too.
My number 361 is matching all the way through, you might find mismatched watches but it isn’t a worry because these are military watches which were probably serviced en masse, so it wouldn’t bother me either way. But, look out for these numbers in those locations. Cheers, Michael

sathomasga · Oct 25, 2023

michael e
The last 3 digits on the Omega signed outer case back should also be stamped near the bottom right lug (crown right) and also inside the inner bezel too.

I can confirm, though my photographs aren't the clearest:

size11s · Oct 25, 2023

Hi Michael, the ref 2292 HS8 I had was very close to yours, issue number 4727 on the outer case back with 727 on the midcase, mvt serial 9915011. Short lugs and spring bars.👍

padders · Oct 26, 2023

This came to me a few weeks ago, it has no caseback so other than it appears to be an Air Ministry style military Omega using the 30T2 I have no idea what I actually have. The case has no digits stamped on either mid case or bezel and I think it is alloy with fixed long lugs so based on what is written above I assume this is a 6B 2292 then? I'm not sure what to do with it. Without a caseback it is a bit useless but the dial is tidy.