Dear community, My parents have recently inherited a number of Omega watches from my grandparents. I have a bit of a passion for antique jewelry so this was a great occasion to start learning about watches. I was wondering if you would be able to give me some advice on this piece before taking it to a professional for restoration. I am a novice so please excuse me if I use the wrong terminology. I will start with the questions, see additional information below. 1. What time period and model could this watch be? 2. Does it look like elements have been replaced? 3. Does the watch still hold any value and what should I spend max on restoration? INFO The watch as you can see is an old Omega. My grandfather lived in the Netherlands, during WWII he trained with the British Army as part of the Dutch liberation forces and then he lived in the United States ‘48-‘53. After that he lived in Indonesian until the late 50’s after which he moved back to NL. He might have bought this watch in any of these locations, not sure if it was bought new or vintage. My grandparents have a reputation for ‘cost efficiently’ restoring valuable items. It’s probably been boxed up for over 30 years. The original wristband has been replaced by a Hirsch band. The case back does not display any markings other than a hastily engraved ‘TA 3859’. The crown does not have the Omega logo (has it been replaced cheaply? I know some models don’t have the logo). I haven’t been able to open it (because I don’t know how) but as far as the mechanism goes, when you move the watch the sub second dial starts to run. Further winding makes the watch run roughly on time for a day. Does this mean it is automatic or do manual watches also start when you move it? Any thoughts appreciated!
1. What time period and model could this watch be? Looks like a 1940’s style manual wind Omega. Most of these watches did not have model names. 2. Does it look like elements have been replaced?Dial and hands look original from photos. It is possible that the crown was replaced. That is a common repair. Omega did not use signed crown at that time. 3. Does the watch still hold any value and whatshould I spend max on restoration? It probably has more sentimental value to you, but should be perfectly functional after a cleaning by a watchmaker. There are several members here from the Netherlands. Hopefully they will have suggestions for you. Hope this helps, gatorcpa
Hello, and welcome to the forum! Heirloom watches are the best kind of watch! Based on your pictures it looks like you have a steel-cased, manual wind Omega from the mid-1940s. These watches were manufactured in large quantities and are fairly common even today, so your watch probably has more sentimental value than cash value. It will make a nice reliable timepiece after you have it serviced by a watchmaker. The numerals and hands on your watch are covered with luminous radium that used to glow in the dark but likely no longer does due to the passage of time and subsequent degradation of the material. Still, it is very slightly radioactive, so keep the clear plastic crystal in place over the watch face to protect the dial. To tell you more about your watch we would need to see pictures of the inside mechanical movement and the numbers on the inside caseback. Find an independent watchmaker near you and ask them to open the watch, then take plenty of well-lit, in-focus pictures and bring them back here.
Here some recommendations for good Watchmakers in the Netherlands https://omegaforums.net/threads/watchmaker-in-utrecht-or-amsterdam.87037/#post-1124471 + Maybe @Shabbaz can recommend you other Watchmakers. Nice Watch and great family heirloom.