watch

JimInOz

Here's some information about your watch from the Omega Vintage Database

A very similar model was formally issued to the US Army in the later stages of WWII, however your is a different model although it has a similar dial layout.

The 30T2 movement series is one of the best Omega produced in the 1940s and yours is Chronometer rated with an Index Regulator (hence the RG).

Unfortunately the dial has been "serviced" at some stage and lost it's original markings. This wasn't unusual practice before the internet opened watch collecting to the masses but the re-finishing of dials lessens the appeal to many serious collectors.

It's possible that the heavy lume on the numbers could be removed and with the movement serviced and adjusted you will have a nice watch for regular wear.

I don't know how rare the particular model is but value wise I could see it swinging either side of USD$500. It depends on somebody wanting that particular movement.

Modest_Proposal

Your watch might resemble the watches you've referenced (by the way, I do respect you doing your own research), you must understand that the devil is in the details.

The font of your watch is all wrong. It's too fat and dark.

Compare:

gatorcpa

Your watch may very well have one of the US Army dials, albeit a refinished one.

However, those watches (Ref. 2179 or 2384) did not come with the higher grade RG movements. So I think that your dial was replaced at some point. The hands are correct for the Ref. 2179.

The Chronometre case was either Ref. 2363 or 2364 depending on the size.

I know a little bit about the US Army watches as I own one with a nice original dial:



You can see how the radium is painted within the lines and us not "puffy". The minutes track looks distorted as I do not have the proper type of crystal on there.

The "pock marks" are from radium exposure over a long period of time. The lacquer cracks and moisture gets to the dial paint.

Hope this helps.
gatorcpa

JimInOz

On the subject of the dial.

The only way to be sure is to post a decent close-up of the dial in as high a resolution as you can manage. Take the shot/s in filtered natural daylight.

I've shown two of mine as examples.

Here's an original dial, although a bit degraded. Note the sharpness and regularity of all markings.

And here's one that has been "washed" and the markings re-applied. Not the smudgy minute markers (at about 20) compared to the original, also the Swiss Made has been removed. The radium lume has been replaced as well, as radium would not glow as brightly as this after 70 years.
Hhgg

STANDY

@Geo! hand marks are from the radium hands sitting in one place for years and burning the dial

mac_omega

I wonder about some of the "expert´s" comments here - no offense intended!

I do not want to show off with my knowledge about this kind of stuff but I have dedicated more than 25 years in studying and collecting these 30mm chronometers and I think I know what I am talking about.

1) The case and movement are correct for a Ref. 2410 chronometer with screw down case back - however the winding crown is a wrong replacement. Hands are correct except the second hand which should be blued steel.
This reference was not a military issued one - it was more some kind of a "scientific watch"

2) the spacer ring between the movement and case band is an absolute necessity to hold the movement in place, to prevent it from "floating around" and center the dial. This spacer ring is used on many of the early screw back SS Omega cases and it does not matter at all if it is a military case ref. or not! This spacer ring is not present with gold cases as the movement comes out from the front after removing the bezel and the movement holding screws.
With the SS screw back cases it is different: the movement comes out from the back - hence no movement holding screws and the necessity of the spacer to hold and position the movement/dial combo.

3) The dial:
a) it could be the original dial plate which was restored in the wrong way omitting the "chronometre" in the branding.
b) it is a replacement dial from let us say Ref. 2179 or 2384 which was redone also (does not matter if it derived from a military issued or civilian version of these refs. as they shared the same dials.

As it is a dial in redone condition nobody will be able to tell the origin - I can only tell it is a redone dial.

The presence or absence of "SWISS" or "SWISS MADE" on the dial is no indication whether the dial is original or not - nor any hint whether it was for military or civilian use. In that era sometimes the swiss marking was used and sometimes not - seems to be random use, I have not found any logic pattern yet.

My final assessment:

The watch is an uncommon reference (not really rare hence I say uncommon) and coveted by collectors if it is all original - and this includes an original unmolested/unrestored dial. The original dial represents about 40-50% of the value on these watches.
So you have to deduct about half of the value...
The condition of the movement is decent, not really outstanding or near mint.
A mediocre example.
I realized that you have listed the watch on ebay with a pretty much "fantastic" description to say the least (I do not want to call it deceptive as I assume you lack the knowledge to give a proper description) and your price expectation is somewhat very "optimistic".
Maybe my comments here help you to "update" your item description to the truth...

kind regards

gatorcpa

So now the truth has come out. The OP has listed the watch on eBay and is looking for us to endorse the "fantastic" description given.

Mac is 100% correct in his assessment as always. This is either an incorrect redial or a marriage of the correct case and movement with parts from another Omega reference. Something we commonly call a "Frankenwatch".

I hope the OP does the right thing and updates his auction description.
gatorcpa

D Deezel

And you should be god of the forum to damn all , right. Get a life. And by the way , I had the pics on photobucket the deleted them so I had to delete the blanks in the forum. I was going to upload them here tomorrow. Didn't know you could upload directly to the forum cause I'm new. Don't make an ass out of yourself with shmuck comments like that.

Archer

Well...right from Omega...



In this case I agree with you, but hands being way out is not unusual...

Cheers, Al