Omega Watch Case

You can try google or the omega vintage database, but in the end, it's not easy to know which case will be appropriate for a given dial/movement combination because each reference has many variations. Sometimes it takes trial and error. My personal feeling is that orphaned movements like this are probably best to use for parts. So maybe you can consider selling it and using the proceeds to buy something more complete. TBH, if it's a cal 625, it's not most likely a terribly desirable watch, and may not be cost effective to attempt a project.

https://www.omegawatches.com/vintage-watches?v_watches_calibre=3088

This is a small 18mm movement used in the 1970s. Fairly common movement. As a dress movement it usually does not have a sweep hand. That is the more rare 630/635. Similar movements are 620/630. Automatic variations are 671 and 681.

I just got a 147.82 -61 case last week on eBay. No bezel though. Dial will be a real PITA since most of these were in Lady sized cases. More interesting are finding the rectangular or 'tank' shaped cases. Does take some effort to search, but they are out there.



My recommendation, (Advice I do not heed myself) is to get the case and more importantly a dial. Then look for the movement. (which means I need a 286 movement for a seamaster 30.)

620/625 is the lowest of the low end. Well the microscopic cocktail movements are probably a bit lower end. These things are best found in job lots and assortments. I call this potato chip watches. You can not just stop at one ...

Ironic as these were 'jewelry' watches. So the cases were often solid gold. Which met the firey furnace years ago and were melted down.

The problem you may have is that although the movement will have been used in many references, the dials were sometimes slightly different dimensions, specific to a smaller number of references. As such, you may buy several cases that are correct for the movement, but find they don't fit the dial.

Not only the dials. The hand support parts too which include the sweep pinion, cannon Pinion and hour wheel. I have been dealing with this for the last few months. I have perhaps 1/2 dozen movements and perhaps 3 or 4 case candidates. Last week I got a bunch of 1233 hour wheels, thinking they were H1 when they were actually H2. Even worse with the sweep pinion 1253. The second part of this is a letter. 550 1253 is H0, 560 1253B is H1 and 560 1253D is H2. Then when 752 gets involved there is 750 1253A which I got mixed up with H2. This is actually even taller to clear the day date wheel mechanism.

My plan is to write all this up, but that I never have it far enough along to actually feel there is useful info. I am thinking of shortening the 1233 hour wheels to the 1232 height, since that is the most common. Typically this number show up inside the Ω symbol.

The 620..681 smaller movements have similar cannon wheel heights.

The real problem is sellers will not bother with checking any of this. I have a bunch of 550 1253 sweep pinions which at least one was sold inside opened 560 1253B packaging.