Incoming! (Well...not really...)

Feb 28, 2021,22:06 PM
 

So, many years ago, a gold Omega was handed down to me by my grandfather...I wore it through the latter half of university, then later it ended up in a box as something had happened to bend a lug out of shape, such that straps wouldn’t fit onto it. Sent it to Omega but they couldn’t (wouldn’t?) do anything apart from a mechanical overhaul. And then it went back into a box, along with lots of other vintage family pieces, sorta semi-forgotten-about, and moved continents once or twice.

Well, I finally found myself a sympathetic watchmaker/pusher and showed that old Omega to him. Turns out he knows a jeweller...he took out the movement, gave the chap the case, case came back fixed, and (as people who don’t know how to spell say on the internet) “viola!”

Great to have it back on my wrist after so many years.

Any information on this - I think it’s 14k gold but don’t know anything about year, movement etc. - gratefully received.

Next I have to procure a decent strap, and a proper buckle (what would be correct for the era, and where might I find it?).

Best

E.



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Don't know a thing about your watch. But it looks great. 😊

 
 By: geross : February 28th, 2021-22:50
Cool to wear a vintage Omega. 👍 Geross.

Thank you sir!

 
 By: Esharp : February 28th, 2021-23:52
I know your love for the Laureato - will post a vintage GP soon too... Best E.

I have a similar problem with my grandfather's Omega

 
 By: Spartacus : March 1st, 2021-01:10
I'm glad you got it fixed. I hope you cherish it in good health.

Fantastic! Not the problem...

 
 By: Esharp : March 1st, 2021-03:08
...but the watch, that is. If the problem is with a lug, most watchmakers won’t touch it - and even this jeweller had to be convinced to do it by my watchmaker. But if you can find a jeweller to help, I have to say there is great happiness from seeing thi... 

Yes

 
 By: Esharp : March 1st, 2021-03:10
And I realised it has a few of my favourite things: Dauphine hands; a sub-seconds at 6; double indexes at 12 and single indexes at every other hour marker. The teardrop lugs are icing on the cake. (In an ideal world the sub-seconds would be lower and larg... 

Now you have a pair, real vintage and new vintage.

 
 By: piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1) : March 1st, 2021-04:44
I guess Omega didn't even consider to fix case issues because it takes too much time to restore vintage pieces. Anyway you succeeded. Nice view!

Didn’t think of it that way

 
 By: Esharp : March 1st, 2021-07:13
Maybe I should try one on each wrist? 😂 Best E.

Waiting for Maradona wrist style 😁😎

 
 By: piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1) : March 1st, 2021-09:45

Fantastic!

 
 By: dedestexhes : March 1st, 2021-06:19

Mate this is such a lovely story

 
 By: Mr.Gatsby : March 1st, 2021-10:25
A watch handed down by grandpa and worn through university... hard to beat that sentiment. I’ve always admired these old Omega, Rolex, PP hand-me-down watches from the family. If there’s one aspect of a watch’s value that is hard to beat, I’d say it’s sen... 

Totally

 
 By: Esharp : March 1st, 2021-17:23
I have no knowledge of what the jeweller did! Or even who he is. But will happily post more photos... My watchmaker also brought back to life an old GP alarm watch belonging to my other grandfather. Needs an appropriate vintage crown and maybe a cleaning,... 

Full of character

 
 By: COUNT DE MONET : March 1st, 2021-12:57
14k gold suits this watch very well.

Super nice 👌

 
 By: holdemchamp1225 : March 1st, 2021-13:50

Pretty sure your heirloom Omega hails from the first half . . .

 
 By: Dr No : March 1st, 2021-20:28
. . . of the '50s, and if it's 14 kt, likely American, possibly stamped with a Norman Morris reference number. Chances are good the movement is a cal 342 (or 344) bumper. Can you post a pic of the crown, E? That might be helpful. Better yet would be a mov... 

Thanks, Art

 
 By: Esharp : March 2nd, 2021-03:20
The man with the Knowledge! Attaching a photo of the crown - which, if my memory serves correctly, just might have been replaced by Omega at service some time ago. I’m also questioning my recollection that this might be 14k. Looking at it, it has the dept...  

Was Grandfather ever in the UK? I ask because there are similarities . . .

 
 By: Dr No : March 2nd, 2021-08:12
. . . with Dennison cases. In which case (pun intended!) it may be 9 kt gold. If it's a full rotor, then it hails from the mid-'50s and would be a cal 490 or 491. In any event, the crown is almost certainly a service replacement. We need inner caseback pi...