Seamaster 1022 cal, case back numbers don't match rest of watch help please

[Yandards]

First post and straight in with the request for a bit of help IDing a watch.

Had a 551 cal piepan Constellation for about a decade now, love it but wanted something else and started scouting ebay.

Picked up a Seamaster 1022 cal, case back numbers are 1630213.1 and 3660845.

Problem is that that case back number comes back as a TV screen type case not the round case it is in.

Can't see any obvious signs of forgery on the dial with my limited knowledge and the hands and dial face all match up nicely albeit with the lume having fallen out of the ends of the hour markers.

Omegas own info on the case does show it as the TV type. Movement serial number suggests around 1977 or 1978.

Case back also looks a bit odd when comparing it to others from watchguys photo library, case crystal isn't an original as it doesn't have the embossed logo above the dial centre.

I know with my 551 (that is original as it was my grandfather's from new and I have all the original paperwork for it) some of the info on Omegas site doesn't always add up.

Finally I've had a dig around trying to find something in the catalogues from the era, again similar styles but not that specific combination.

Can someone please advise if I have a replacement caseback or if the whole thing is just dodgy?

 

[TimeODanaos]

The inscriptions inside the caseback look a little homemade?

 

[noless]

I was going to say its probably a case of the original caseback had been molested by a cheap caseback opener at some point in its life and a replacement was found from a donor, but I agree with TimODanaos, the engraving inside of that caseback don't look original.

Maybe this caseback spent some of its life full of water and rusted so was refinished and then re-engraved by a watchmaker at some point. The surface finishing looks a bit off, while I have a few case backs that aren't pearlaged, when they do have this circular brushing the brushing depth is consistent the entire way through, this one looks like a bit of lathe chatter happened during its refinishing to me.

 

[Yandards]

noless

I was going to say its probably a case of the original caseback had been molested by a cheap caseback opener at some point in its life and a replacement was found from a donor, but I agree with TimODanaos, the engraving inside of that caseback don't look original.

Maybe this caseback spent some of its life full of water and rusted so was refinished and then re-engraved by a watchmaker at some point. The surface finishing looks a bit off, while I have a few case backs that aren't pearlaged, when they do have this circular brushing the brushing depth is consistent the entire way through, this one looks like a bit of lathe chatter happened during its refinishing to me.

Did a spot more digging and found this advertised previously, same style of case back etching/engraving on the closest case type I can find on Omegas site for a 1022 cal Seamaster.

It's a pretty much identical dial, just looks like my case has had the lugs milled out to more standard sizes, I'll check when I get home for any telltale marks etc.

Yep my case has some telltale signs of having been milled out to accept a normal strap pin size, photos now attached.

Still doesn't explain the case back having a TV case part number.

Thanks for everyone's info so far.

Edited: Mar 27, 2022