What do I have?!

[TypeEh]

Hello new friends

I bought this watch about 15 years ago for a few hundred dollars. I thought it was a steal at the time and then completely forgot I owned it. I just opened an old box and found it.

Does anyone know what I have?

I never opened it when I bought it the first time and I still haven't opened it today. It is still working perfectly, although I did have to change the time.

 

[padders]

A redialled original 1940s bumper model at a guess.

 

[Fallout Boy]

+1

 

[X350 XJR]

Looks like a ref 14324 with a poorly refinished dial.

18K gold, caliber 352/354, ca early 1950s.

An uncommon reference unfortunately in very poor condition.

 

[Dan S]

Worth a lot in gold

 

[rob#1]

This makes me wonder - were replacement dials not available when all these redials were done? Or did Omega not offer a similar service where they would refinish the dial? I guess, judging by the quality (or lack thereof) of many redialled watches, that cost was a mitigating factor…

Having said that, I don’t mind the overall look of OP’s watch, though it probably needs a service.

 

[JwRosenthal]

rob#1

This makes me wonder - were replacement dials not available when all these redials were done? Or did Omega not offer a similar service where they would refinish the dial? I guess, judging by the quality (or lack thereof) of many redialled watches, that cost was a mitigating factor…

Having said that, I don’t mind the overall look of OP’s watch, though it probably needs a service.

The availability of factory replacements 70 years ago I can’t speak to, but I did ask this of my watchmaker and he said that it was very common to completly refresh a watch as part of a service- which included full case polishing (or “correcting the grain” if a brushed finish) and refinishing of the dial if it showed poorly from moisture damage. Some watchmakers would do this themselves (if they felt comfortable with the task) or send them off to a service (of which there were many) that would do it cheaply and with varying degrees of quality.
But most customers expected their watch to “look like new” when they paid to have it serviced and didn’t pay close attention to the details or originality like we do now. If you returned it looking exactly the same (albeit cleaner), despite fully servicing it mechanically, they didn’t think they were getting what they paid for.
Make it shiny- that was SOP.

 

[DaveK]

rob#1

This makes me wonder - were replacement dials not available when all these redials were done? Or did Omega not offer a similar service where they would refinish the dial? I guess, judging by the quality (or lack thereof) of many redialled watches, that cost was a mitigating factor…

Having said that, I don’t mind the overall look of OP’s watch, though it probably needs a service.

rob#1

This makes me wonder - were replacement dials not available when all these redials were done? Or did Omega not offer a similar service where they would refinish the dial? I guess, judging by the quality (or lack thereof) of many redialled watches, that cost was a mitigating factor…

Having said that, I don’t mind the overall look of OP’s watch, though it probably needs a service.

That is interesting. Why weren’t dials available like other “replacement parts” that Omega (or Gruen or whoever) would provide?

 

[Archer]

DaveK

That is interesting. Why weren’t dials available like other “replacement parts” that Omega (or Gruen or whoever) would provide?

They were but when you are servicing many different brands, it was just easier for the watchmakers to send the dials to their trusted redial place, and maybe get a quantity discount at the same time.

Remember customers and watchmakers didn’t really care a lot about originality back then...