Hello, and first let me say thanks for letting me join. I've been rolling around reading the stickies etc, this looks to be a wonderful community.
I've been looking for a vintage Omega for myself for a while, but happened on this ladies watch on eBay and half heartedly put in a bid on it. After I showed it to the wife she didn't really care for it. I had only put in the minimum bid, and I figured someone would bid it up. No one did, and I got a notification a week or so later that I was the winner. Yay!?
Anyways, I'm hoping to get some info.. is it even real? I have tried looking it up in different places and the Omega reference online with no luck. It may well be that I'm doing something wrong. At any rate by searching around I found this forum, so that's a good thing!
Can someone help with info on it? What year was it made, is it worth anything etc?
The watch is much more attractive in person, and my wife does in fact like it now.
The photos of the case back are from the seller, so sorry for the quality.
Thank you in advance - Tom in Florida View attachment 998681 View attachment 998682 View attachment 998681 View attachment 998681 View attachment 998683

 

That’s a sweet little ladies watch. It is real, a picture of the clasp on the bracelet would tell us if the bracelet is original to the watch. These commonly came with a looped leather “thong” type strap, but bracelets were also available. They aren’t worth much- usually under $100 unless solid gold- then only worth the value of the gold itself at that point. The cost of servicing will be far more that what you paid- but if your wife loves it, then it’s worth it!
Let us know where you are in the world as we can recommend a watchmaker If you don’t already have one.

 

Welcome to the forum. Most of us here paid a noob tax at some point, this may just be yours. If your wife doesn’t like it and you can’t return it, put it up on eBay, but do not do any cleaning or repair to it first.

 

If he paid $30, then he did just fine- if he wants to get it overhauled for his wife. My lady has a fantastic collection of vintage ladies watches- all were cheap as hell compared to men’s watches and cost far more to service than they were worth. But she loves them and it keeps her engaged in my hobby. Now she is “liberating” my watches as well...so maybe too engaged

 

Thank you all for the response! I paid $40 something after shipping, so definitely not the end of the world if it turned out to be garbage. The bracelet is definitely not original, it is Spiedel branded. I'm in central Florida, US close to Tampa Bay. I've definitely got the watch bug, I purchased a vintage Rado last year, and a nice Nivada a few weeks ago

 

Welcome to the forum! Check out the classified’s here- you will find yourself shuffling mortgage payments around before you know it
You didn’t overpay (provided it’s running), and after a service it will be a nice little watch for your wife. Ladies watches of this time were more about looking like jewelry than a timepiece.
@Canuck has lots of experience with these so he may be able to tell you what kind of bracelet/strap was appropriate for it originally- and perhaps able to recommend someone in Florida although he is North of the border.
Oh, and I’ll tag @gatorcpa as well since he is in Florida and may know someone in Tampa

 

My guess is that it likely had a black nylon cord bracelet with an extendible fold-over clasp. The NAWCC website, and the AWCI website have a feature that might help find someone to service it. The only one I know in Florida is in St. Petersburg. Hess Fine Arts has watchmakers as far as I know. But before you get into considering fixing it, there are things to consider. That watch is very tired, and has had a long life. Chances are it is close to being worn out! Particularly the winding apparatus. The right watchmaker would be able to advise you if a satisfactory repair is even possible. Do not take it to the jewellery department of your local big box store! You need to talk to a watchmaker.

My wife has three Omegas in her jewellery case. All in karat gold cases, and in MUCH better condition than the subject watch. The most I paid for any one of them was scrap price ($169.00 U S). So, you paid too much. They should have given it to you!

 

For $40 I won't lose any sleep over it it's cool enough, and appears to keep time. It will more than likely never be worn anyway, so i doubt I'll take it in for service.
I'm really just curious how old it actually is? The ad said 1930's but i have my doubts. I had no luck trying to search with the # stamped on the case back.
Thanks for all the info and comments!

 

Omegas are dated using the serial number on the movement, this one dates to ca 1939/40.

 

Awsome! Thanks so much.. pretty neat that something so old still functions

 

Mechanical watches are amazing devices- a triumph of human ingenuity. Clearly all here love them...and they’re pretty too.