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Painted and Radium?

O
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40 years ago I put my grandpa’s Omega in the bank safe deposit box. At the time, I didn’t pay any attention to the brand. It’s been handled every year or so but not worn.

Recently, I noticed it is an Omega, damaged and sporting a repainted dial. I wore it for the day and it kept good time.

The Radex Geiger reads 1.69 milliseiverts per hour. Under UV, to he hands and lume plots are green radium glow.

A local Omega dealer sent it to an Omega service center.

What is it, or what was it? Was this mode manufactured with radium, or was that also altered?

First post here, so thank you in advance for your expertise.
 
F2A330CA-B304-46E0-B822-B8CCF69DBF48.png A71ABD81-DC02-4551-BDD7-7C155388BC4B.jpeg 23962E4C-7E01-475C-953A-47ED20A2529C.jpeg B57C7271-0C36-44F4-8178-88F3B63811E7.jpeg 4DEE103B-5AA3-435E-80A5-78974C1E33B4.png
Dan S
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I think it's safe to assume that the watch originally had radium (based on the date of manufacture) and that there is currently radium (based on the Geiger counter reading). The green glow is unrelated to radium, it's just the phosphor responding to UV excitation.
 
X350 XJR
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Serial number on the movement indicates manufacture ca 1955, so it would have at least originally have had radium.
 
O
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Dan S Dan S
I think it's safe to assume that the watch originally had radium (based on the date of manufacture) and that there is currently radium (based on the Geiger counter reading). The green glow is unrelated to radium, it's just the phosphor responding to UV excitation.


Thank you.
 
O
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
Serial number on the movement indicates manufacture ca 1955, so it would have at least originally have had radium.

Thank you. Any thoughts what model it is?
 
O
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Dan S Dan S
I think it's safe to assume that the watch originally had radium (based on the date of manufacture) and that there is currently radium (based on the Geiger counter reading). The green glow is unrelated to radium, it's just the phosphor responding to UV excitation.

Thank you.
 
X350 XJR
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OXG marking on the movement indicates an American market watch, many of these don't have reference numbers analogous to ROW watches.

Screen Shot 2024-04-24 at 9.38.41 PM.png
 
DaveK
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It will be interesting to see the watch after an Omega service, especially how they treat the dial. Keep us posted how it turns out?
 
Davidt
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Presumably you mean micro-sieverts not milli?
 
O
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
OXG marking on the movement indicates an American market watch, many of these don't have reference numbers analogous to ROW watches.

Screen Shot 2024-04-24 at 9.38.41 PM.png

Thank you. My grandfather wouldn’t have purchased a nice watch of his own accord. I can only assume my dad bought it for him, as a gift. The mystery is why the dial was altered.
 
O
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DaveK DaveK
It will be interesting to see the watch after an Omega service, especially how they treat the dial. Keep us posted how it turns out?

Thank you. I expect to be informed of my options, if any, prior to Omega service center performing any services.

Unlike Rolex Service Centers, it is my hope Omega will accept an altered dial watch for service. It may be a month or two before I hear from Omega, but I will keep this forum updated. If offered the option to have the dial cleaned and movement serviced, that’s the plan.

I will also look for a donor watch with an original dial.
 
Davidt
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Seems odd it's reading so high with a refinished dial. I wonder if it's only the hands that still contain radium
 
O
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Davidt Davidt
Seems odd it's reading so high with a refinished dial. I wonder if it's only the hands that still contain radium

Although the posted UV pic shows only a couple marker lume plots, others also react under UV.

I think the hands and plots at 5, 10, 20, 25, 35, 40, 50 and 55 are the same radium as on the hands.

I’m happy it doesn’t read higher. Although I’ve begun researching this forum for UV pics of radium Omegas, I haven’t found any, yet.
 
O
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Davidt Davidt
Seems odd it's reading so high with a refinished dial. I wonder if it's only the hands that still contain radium

Also, I wonder whether the entire dial was redone? Could it be possible the lettering was repainted and the lume and markers be left intact?
 
O
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Davidt Davidt
Seems odd it's reading so high with a refinished dial. I wonder if it's only the hands that still contain radium

Would this dial have had SWISS letterings below the 6 marker?
 
Davidt
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The minute markers have certainly been repainted, look at how inconsistent the quality and spacing is - E.g. around the 5 and 10 minute markers.

I suppose it's conceivable that rather than clearing the entire dial back to base metal, the text and hour markers were simply hand cleaned and re-written, leaving the dial body and lume in tact.
 
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