(Updated) Please, Some Help with my Junk Shop Find of the Day, Omega Ref. 2324/6

[McKinley]

Hello, everyone. First of all, I am going to type up this paragraph on my laptop and will be loading pics from my phone ASAP afterwards, so give me a moment to upload those, please. I know you guys with all the knowledge don't mind sharing it with NOOBS like me, so long as I have tried to do my own homework and I believe once I take it to my watchmaker on Tues and he can open the watch back for me, I will find out this is a 2348-?. I have searched images on the net and I believe the watch is all original and slightly post WWII? I think the dial looks good, the crown looks good for the reference, the case and case back look right to me and the hands look right to my inexperienced eye to be a civilian model, since there is no lume. I am not even sure those with lume are really military or not, or just listed and advertised as such. The watch does not work and there is probably something more than just a cleaning needed, as I can only set the time by turning the hands backwards, but maybe the crown is just backed off? Please weigh in on if I have come anywhere near identifying the watch, if I am correct that it is correct, if someone wants to shoot me a value post servicing what I might have that would be appreciated also.

Oh, and the back story is that it was in a junk shop a few towns over on Friday. I saw it in the plastic sandwich bag with some other junk quartz watches and the Lucien Piccard Seashark also pictured and I honestly didn't think it was real, but came home and finally researched it last night and decided it was the real deal. My wife and I took a ride back over today (Sunday) and luckily it was still there. I asked the guy running the shop how much for the bag of watches? I had already checked and I knew that neither of the watches I wanted would run and needed work, so I offered $10 U.S. and was prepared to tell him how much it would cost me above and beyond just buying the watches, but he made a bit of a face and said, "How 'bout $12?" I paid as quickly as I could. My wife and I hit some more shops and had a nice lunch on our loop home, but I must confess, all I could think about was coming home and writing this up and asking if this watch is as legit and original as I think it is. Thank you in advance to everyone and anyone who weighs in and informs me more about my watch. Give me just a few mins to post the pics if you read this before I get the chance.....Thanks again, guys.

McK

P.S. I am sure I have forgotten some of my story in my excitement and will be adding details as the thread progresses....if it does....hopefully, as you guys add to it.

Edited: Aug 15, 2022

 

[McKinley]

Edited: Aug 14, 2022

 

[mac_omega]

what a bargain! nice find. 👍 I give you $24 instantly for this watch only, so you earn 100% and the other watches you have for free... 🙄

 

[outta_gas]

I know nothing of these, but for the sake of a great story, I hope you are able to authenticate it. One man's trash... Great find!

 

[BarbVl]

Good catch..😀

 

[RevZMan123]

I went junk watch bag diving this weekend and all I came up with was a Poljot Day Date. Pretty snazzy but no WWII omega.

Now I want to go back for the other 2 bags I left behind. lol

 

[jantjewgm]

Great catch!

 

[McKinley]

Hello everyone and thank you for the responses I have received so far. I want to thank @mac_omega for his response to my message, with assurances that everything is in order and original. I appreciate your time and help, Sir. I will be responding to you soon. I had actually just left and did return to my watchmaker's to let him know what you said. Here is what he found when he opened the case back. It is a reference 2324/6. The movement is a 30t2sc and has a broken balance staff. The serial number is 10338908 which I believe dates it to 1944. He said he would be glad to tackle the job, it was repairable, but he wouldn't be quick with it, as the had just gotten over Covid and didn't have much energy. I left the watch with him and I must say, I am really looking forward to getting this one back. I feel like my boots on the ground, always on the lookout for such a watch has really paid off. To me, it means so much more to actually find something like this and have it brought back to use, than to just Google it up off eBay or Etsy in an already working state and most likely with an over polished case. I hope others understand as more than a couple of you have already inquired privately about buying the watch. Ok, without further ado, I will upload the pics and hope to hear more from the rest of you.....oh, and later I need to do some research on this the proper reference. Thank you all again for the responses and for looking.

McK

P.S. One of the reasons it may be in its original state is the fact, I don't even see a single watchmaker's scratching in the case back!!

Edited: Aug 16, 2022

 

[Tony C.]

Junk shop find of the MONTH, I'd say.

Congratulations!

 

[McKinley]

One more dial shot....love this and thank you all for indulging me.

 

[mac_omega]

please don´t get me wrong - I don't want to spoil your joy about your lucky find... but you asked me for my opinion and so I will give my assessment even if it may sound blunt and hurt...

I highly doubt that there wasn´t a watchmaker in there... look at the many scratches on the movement. But this is not the problem here.

the real issue is the case. Somebody has filed the case rim deeply and hardly - I have marked the area red in the photo.



And the same occured to the caseback... or was this part of the caseback lost due to heavy corrosion?
Judging by the localisation most likely it was seriously filed too - when the case is closed it will be at the according position to the "upper case part".


A hamfisted person has ruined the value of an otherwise lovely watch.
(DIY-watchmaker? I can´t believe that a real watchmaker would do this to a watch case...)

 

[McKinley]

Erich,

I appreciate your post. No worries, it is better that I know than that I don't. I will alert John, my watchmaker to what you see that I, in my excitement, did not. It was hard to "like" your post though. LOL

 

[janice&fred]

I wouldn't sweat it one bit. A decent shop with a lazer welder can fix that case and case back up and for reasonable cost. I can think of two places off the top of my head where I've had much worse fixed. Just enjoy the watch and if you ever want to get fussy then send it to get welded up.

 

[janice&fred]

Oh...and let's hope you get that way cool LP running as well. Those 50's and 60's LPs were some fine looking pieces. Your post should be in the "treasure hunting" thread! I've been remiss in posting there but will any day now as we have been getting loads of stuff from the deep tropical Philippines as well as cool finds here in the not-so-deep tropics of Florida 😁

 

[McKinley]

Fred, I have posted a couple such of my yard sale and thrift shop finds there, if you will recall. It is a good thread. I did think of that thread, but posted a fresh thread of my own, as I was looking for help on the reference and the originality of the watch. I also still have that blue dialed Omega auto that I bought from you nearly 2 years ago. I wear it a part of nearly every day, as, since I have retired, I spend most of my days in blue jeans and a blue shirt or this summer, in blue shorts. One must "mancessorize" when the opportunity is there. LOL Thank you for weighing in and trying to make me feel better about the filing on this case. I will give John a call tomorrow. Be well and show off those finds!

McK

janice&fred

Oh...and let's hope you get that way cool LP running as well. Those 50's and 60's LPs were some fine looking pieces. Your post should be in the "treasure hunting" thread! I've been remiss in posting there but will any day now as we have been getting loads of stuff from the deep tropical Philippines as well as cool finds here in the not-so-deep tropics of Florida 😁

 

[OllieOnTheRocks]

Dibs - this is a 30T2 worthy of any collection! Well done 😀