Comments:
Info requested of an Omega I've posted before...
...but I finally took the time to open it up to see the movement.
Quick back story...my uncle was in the Peace Corp in South America in the late '60s. He traded a Yashica camera for this watch.
Here's what I see as a non-Omega expert:
1) It looks like a real movement. 2) The case appears to be 18kt gold (I had always assumed 14). 3) The movement serial number appears to have been scratched out. As far as I know my uncle never had it serviced...it sat in a drawer until he gifted it to me in 2013 and I had it cleaned and the crystal replaced. This fits with what I assumed to be the sketchy nature of the watch : ) 4) It looks like 'Argentina' and maybe 'Austria' stamped into the inside of the case back.
The 37-38mm size is unusual for the time, as is (I think) the rose gold case and black dial. I had a suspicion that the dial was re-done, but who would redial a watch that was only a few years old at the time? Or is it possibly from the '50s? I wouldn't think so based on the case size.
Could this have been a special edition for a jeweler in South America?
Thoughts? Comments from experts?
Btw, this is the solution to my wedding watch post in Horological Meanderings; it's thin, elegant, classy, and has an interesting history : ) I will be re-gifting it to my son for his wedding and forever...
To me...
It looks like a genuine movement that was re-cased and the dial refinished. The hands are also probably replacements.
I've always had doubts about the dial, but the case looks legit...
...why would someone do this unless the case is not actually gold. I have no way to test this...
It is more common than you may think...
I used to have a 30t2rg (the chronometer version of the 30t2 in your watch). It had an 80's replacement dial, different case and different hands than a factory 30t2rg:
Your case isn't stamped Omega, so it isn't Omega. Here is a 1951 with a cal 30t2, like yours, but with an original 14k case:
(C/O omegaenthusiastltd).
Your case isn't stamped Omega, so it isn't Omega. Here is a 1951 with a cal 30t2, like yours, but with an original 14k case:
(C/O omegaenthusiastltd).
The markings are very different than your watch and say Omega.
Nice one + info
Beautiful specimen you have there. I believe some letters have been wiped out in the top line and that the inscription is actually "Industria Argentina". Despite what one might think, it's probably not a recasing, and I have seen other Omegas with a similar case. It refers to a very particular period and set of politics during the Peron period. Here is a bit of info I managed to dig up:
INDUSTRIA ARGENTINA
In the era of president Juan Perón 1946-1955 and 1973-1974, Argentina was governed with what was called Peronism or Justicialismo. That ment that Perón with his govermant took control all foreign trade and import. Perón’s idea was that Argentina ought to be fully self sustained in all areas in trade as well as society.
In practise, this ment that all industrial manufacturing and artisanal production was ordered to be made in Argentina, not imported from abroad, unless absolutely neccessary. This happened in most of manufacturing, but not with watch movements. For watches Argentina didn’t have suitable expertise so it was allowed to import watches from Swizerland and other countries. But Argentina had very strong national jewelry and goldsmithing trade, so only watch movements were allowed, all watch cases had to be made in Argentina. Many watch manufacturers therefore abided and had their watch cases made in Argentina. For example Omega, Girard Perregaux and Jaeger LeCoultre had their own manufacturing in Argentina. These watch cases were usually stamped Industria Argentina. It is generally acknowledged, that watch case manufacturing quality in Argentina was equivalent to Swiss production.
Most likely your watch case was made by Omega in Argentina and stamped with Industria Argentina stamp, while the movement was made in swizerland.
INDUSTRIA ARGENTINA
In the era of president Juan Perón 1946-1955 and 1973-1974, Argentina was governed with what was called Peronism or Justicialismo. That ment that Perón with his govermant took control all foreign trade and import. Perón’s idea was that Argentina ought to be fully self sustained in all areas in trade as well as society.
In practise, this ment that all industrial manufacturing and artisanal production was ordered to be made in Argentina, not imported from abroad, unless absolutely neccessary. This happened in most of manufacturing, but not with watch movements. For watches Argentina didn’t have suitable expertise so it was allowed to import watches from Swizerland and other countries. But Argentina had very strong national jewelry and goldsmithing trade, so only watch movements were allowed, all watch cases had to be made in Argentina. Many watch manufacturers therefore abided and had their watch cases made in Argentina. For example Omega, Girard Perregaux and Jaeger LeCoultre had their own manufacturing in Argentina. These watch cases were usually stamped Industria Argentina. It is generally acknowledged, that watch case manufacturing quality in Argentina was equivalent to Swiss production.
Most likely your watch case was made by Omega in Argentina and stamped with Industria Argentina stamp, while the movement was made in swizerland.
I can see that this says 'Omega'...
...but it looks hand-scratched, not stamped. Wouldn't it be cleaner? Mine looks a bit shaky as well, but with a stylized 'A'.
My photo shows how Omega did, sometimes, stamp their cases. At this time, it was often a punch that was hit with a hammer by hand...
Or they were hand engraved. Keep in mind that not every case signed Omega is genuine Omega, but Omega does and did sign all their cases.
Consider the world at that time... CNC didn't exist.
A watch like this 1920's Hamilton has more hand work in than most modern Patek's....It was a different time so you can't put your 2023 lense on a 1950's world.
I suppose...but it seems that using a stamp or a die would make more sense than hand-scratching...even in the '50s...
Wow...great info! That might explain the case...
...and again, a key piece of this is the watch never left my uncle's possession between 1967-68 or so and 2013 when he gave it to me. That would mean, in theory, that the watch is actually a '50s reference. If the dial is redone, maybe it suffered some sort of mishap and the case and movement were retained???
I feel the dial's been refinished at some point . . .
. . . and was probably white originally.
A friend of mine owns an Argentine production Omega purchased by his father in the mid-'50s.
Gold imports were controlled then, so local specialists were contracted to produce cases. Unfortunately, Omega doesn't have records of these indigenous cases, so if you asked for an extract, the most you would receive is confirmation the movement was sent to Argentina, if that.
It's worth restoring for sentimental reasons, but not as a collectible. If you don't have a local watchmaker, let me know.
Best,
Art
Thanks...I am not concerned at all about the value...
...it has a great back story and it is nice to be able to give it to my son for his wedding. It keeps decent time and it looks great...very classy. I just wish I knew the real story and why the movement serial number was erased : )