Granddad's Watches :: Vintage Omegas

Hi,

First post so please go easy ... don't know much about watches that is why I am here:

I inherited these two years ago and they sit in a draw; I am currently wearing the round one as my Zenith is in for service.

This pricked my interest so I have done some homework but still have a few questions.

Here they are:

http://www.redvelo.co.uk/images/omega/both.jpg

The round one on the left has this inside/back:

http://www.redvelo.co.uk/images/omega/round-back.jpg
http://www.redvelo.co.uk/images/omega/round-inside.jpg

So I know:

Reference 165.002
Serial Number: 22199381 (1965 - http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/histories/omega.html)
Movement: Type: Automatic (mechanical)
Caliber number: 552 24 jewels Created in 1958
Case: Stainless steel with 40micron gold plate
Case back: Screw-in
Crystal: Armoured hesalite
Bracelet: leather
Water resistance: 30 meters

But if I put that model number in this page none match up:

http://www.omegawatches.com/planet-o...tches-database


here is another shot of the gold one; at a certain angle the face really glitters:

http://www.redvelo.co.uk/images/omega/gold.jpg

here are the insides:

http://www.redvelo.co.uk/images/omeg...side-combo.jpg
http://www.redvelo.co.uk/images/omega/gold-inside-2.jpg

With this one if I put that model number in I don't get anything like what it is ...

I get this:

http://www.omegawatches.com/planet-o...base?ref=14920

Also - I can't find a serial number?

So my main questions are:

Do I need to service these to preserve them? or are they fine just kept in storage?

Can I buy a genuine replacement leather strap from Omega for the round one or are you at the mercy of eBay?

Where is the serial number on the gold one?

What are they worth?

Anyone able to help?

- - - Updated - - -

Anyone able to help?

You can get a leather strap off eBay, it's up to you if you want to pay extra for an Omega strap.

Again, if you want to send the watch off for a service its up to you and depends on when it was last serviced.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robert75

You can get a leather strap off eBay, it's up to you if you want to pay extra for an Omega strap.
.

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Is there any way to spot a fake strap?

A terrific looking pair of Omegas. With regard to the round model, if you add an extra 0 into the reference number, i.e. 165.0002, you'll get a match on the Omega vintage database.

Can't help with the square model, however, not all models are on the database. Maybe contact Omega direct, via their website, to see if they can provide you with more info on that watch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Montello

Is there any way to spot a fake strap?

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Pardon?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RickS

A terrific looking pair of Omegas. With regard to the round model, if you add an extra 0 into the reference number, i.e. 165.0002, you'll get a match on the Omega vintage database.

Can't help with the square model, however, not all models are on the database. Maybe contact Omega direct, via their website, to see if they can provide you with more info on that watch.

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Thanks: the 165.0002 looks a match; thanks for that ...

What does:

International collection
1962

... mean? Is that the year that they started to produce that model?

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robert75

Pardon?

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Is there any way to spot a fake strap from a reproduction?

For example: does this look like a genuine Omega?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2517457701...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Can't help thinking Omega would not write "Genuine Leather" on a strap as that would be a given ...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Montello

Is there any way to spot a fake strap?

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I wouldn't get too hung up about the strap; it won't effect the value of the watch that much. Basically, the eBay offerings are not Omega, there is some clever wordplay to give that impression "genuine brown Leather Omega strap" = genuine brown leather!
Better to spend a small amount on a strap that is not trying to give the impression that it is Omega until you know what you are going to do with the watches.
Nice pair by the way - for what they would realise I personally would rather hang on to them as a family memento, and wear them.
But then I'm an old fart. They would suit the more mature watch wearer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Montello

Is there any way to spot a fake strap from a reproduction?
Can't help thinking Omega would not write "Genuine Leather" on a strap as that would be a given ...

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I'd certainly be wary of an eBay Omega strap costing £23. Have a look at CousinsUK - these are genuine straps at trade prices (VAT not included): https://www.cousinsuk.com/category/o...straps-by-size

The gold one may well have had the case back replaced at some point which would account for the wrong serial number.

Sorry I missunderstood your question. When I said buy a strap form eBay I didn't realise your intention was to look for a genuine Omega strap in which case I would say buy from Omega or some authorised source.

Alternatively you could just get a very nice Hirsch or rios for about £15 - £25 or a cordovan strap from Nomos for €60 or a genuine crock strap from Stowa and a number of other places.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by unclealec

I wouldn't get too hung up about the strap; it won't effect the value of the watch that much. Basically, the eBay offerings are not Omega, there is some clever wordplay to give that impression "genuine brown Leather Omega strap" = genuine brown leather!
Better to spend a small amount on a strap that is not trying to give the impression that it is Omega until you know what you are going to do with the watches.
Nice pair by the way - for what they would realise I personally would rather hang on to them as a family memento, and wear them.
But then I'm an old fart. They would suit the more mature watch wearer.

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Thanks - I will not be selling them ... I am wearing the round one now; and will be for some weeks until my Zenith returns.

Do I need to keep them serviced to preserve the works?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by unclealec

But then I'm an old fart. They would suit the more mature watch wearer.

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Oi!

I wear a vintage Omega and used to have a vintage Zenith. I much prefer vintage watches and I am not an old fart!

Lol

Congratulations on your inheritance of 2 nice watches.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robert75

Oi!

I wear a vintage Omega and used to have a vintage Zenith. I much prefer vintage watches and I am not an old fart!

Lol

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I am very pleased to hear it, but you will be one day, and if you are still wearing the vintage Omega my statement will have come true.

What you should be wearing is a nice 2254.50 like wot I am.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by unclealec

I am very pleased to hear it, but you will be one day, and if you are still wearing the vintage Omega my statement will have come true.

What you should be wearing is a nice 2254.50 like wot I am.

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Trust me, it's on the list. That and the railmaster. Currently with a nice DeVille Quartz.

OP your two watches look great but if you can't remember the last time they had a service its probably time to send them off for one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robert75

OP your two watches look great but if you can't remember the last time they had a service its probably time to send them off for one.

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I figured that, just done £400 getting the Zenith serviced ... any tips on where is a good place to get these done?

I'm also wondering about the economics of getting these serviced, I doubt I will wear the gold one, so if they are stored will they deteriorate through neglect?

I doubt these have been serviced for 20 years ...

Try the search function on here Montello; there are a few crafstsmen who enjoy good reputations. Genesis is one; Rytetime is another. I have used both and had no problem. They are both significantly cheaper that the back-to-manufacturer option.
If you are definitely not going to wear the gold one (which seems a shame; that gorgeous dial deserves an airing) then don't pay for a service. Have it done just before you too succumb to its charms.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by unclealec

Try the search function on here Montello; there are a few crafstsmen who enjoy good reputations. Genesis is one; Rytetime is another. I have used both and had no problem. They are both significantly cheaper that the back-to-manufacturer option.
If you are definitely not going to wear the gold one (which seems a shame; that gorgeous dial deserves an airing) then don't pay for a service. Have it done just before you too succumb to its charms.

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Thanks, any ideas where the serial number is on the gold one?

Found the serial number of the gold one that dates it to 1984.

The number 1110 is marked on the movement and on the back of the case ... any thoughts what this refers to?

That's the Omega movement 1110- a modified 2892-2

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RAJEN

That's the Omega movement 1110- a modified 2892-2

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Ok thanks.

Anyone able to have a stab at the value of these two?

hi, thats two nice watches you have there especially the gold one with its beads of rice strap.as already said dont worry to much about the leather strap,buy a nice hirsch in a colour and design you like.one of my vintage omega's has a genuine omega leather strap.its nice but not 80 odd quids worth of nice.if you intend to wear your omega's i would have them serviced by a good independant specialist and enjoy them..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greasemonkey

hi, thats two nice watches you have there especially the gold one with its beads of rice strap.as already said dont worry to much about the leather strap,buy a nice hirsch in a colour and design you like.one of my vintage omega's has a genuine omega leather strap.its nice but not 80 odd quids worth of nice.if you intend to wear your omega's i would have them serviced by a good independant specialist and enjoy them..

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Bought a nice hirsch and have found an Omega buckle on-line so I think that is a good solution.

Still curious to know the values ... eBay seems to show a huge spread of prices I guess different movements and ages ...

Here's my advice:

Get both serviced and sorted out. It's likely that they won`t be running very well, and it's also likely that neither will be water-resistant. Replacement glasses, seals and possibly crowns (might get away with an O-ring) should restore water resistance to a practical level ie wearable and able to withstand immersion in shallow water. That's enough for most people. It's better to keep water out rather than get them wet and then start putting the damage right.

The gold-bracelet watch would probably be more wearable on a strap. No need to pay silly money, I`m a big fan of Cousins straps at a few££££ each. I`d also go for modern-style genuine Omega buckles at around £20 rather than something off ebay which is likely to be fake. Buying 'Omega' straps is a pointless waste of money for stuff like these; no-one knows what the original strap was like so anything supplied with Omega's name on will be simply that.....a replacement strap with Omega stamped on and a big price. A £6 strap can be used and it'll look fine, Cousins do some 'Omega-style calf' at this price and they're virtualluy identical to what Omega offer; I use them all the time.

Both movements will benefit from a new mainspring and a thorough stripdown/clean/relube. The older one may have issues with the rotor bush/axle, but that can be fixed. It could also have problems with the auto-winding (reverser) which can also be fixed but it costs a bit more. I can usually get these movements running pretty well, even if they're worn (most are).

As from the end of 2015, Omega parts will be much harder to come by and less people will be offering to service them. Might be worth doing something about it before then.

As for values, it's hard to say without looking carefully. The older one will be around £250-£350, the newer one a little less.

Paul

Paul

Quote:

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Originally Posted by walkerwek1958

Here's my advice:

Get both serviced and sorted out. It's likely that they won`t be running very well, and it's also likely that neither will be water-resistant. Replacement glasses, seals and possibly crowns (might get away with an O-ring) should restore water resistance to a practical level ie wearable and able to withstand immersion in shallow water. That's enough for most people. It's better to keep water out rather than get them wet and then start putting the damage right.

The gold-bracelet watch would probably be more wearable on a strap. No need to pay silly money, I`m a big fan of Cousins straps at a few££££ each. I`d also go for modern-style genuine Omega buckles at around £20 rather than something off ebay which is likely to be fake. Buying 'Omega' straps is a pointless waste of money for stuff like these; no-one knows what the original strap was like so anything supplied with Omega's name on will be simply that.....a replacement strap with Omega stamped on and a big price. A £6 strap can be used and it'll look fine, Cousins do some 'Omega-style calf' at this price and they're virtualluy identical to what Omega offer; I use them all the time.

Both movements will benefit from a new mainspring and a thorough stripdown/clean/relube. The older one may have issues with the rotor bush/axle, but that can be fixed. It could also have problems with the auto-winding (reverser) which can also be fixed but it costs a bit more. I can usually get these movements running pretty well, even if they're worn (most are).

As from the end of 2015, Omega parts will be much harder to come by and less people will be offering to service them. Might be worth doing something about it before then.

As for values, it's hard to say without looking carefully. The older one will be around £250-£350, the newer one a little less.

Paul

Paul

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Thanks for the detailed response; I'm going to email a few people so get some quotes on servicing ...

Why will things change from the end of 2015?

Omega stop supplying parts via wholesalers at the end of 2015. Only accredited repairers will have access to parts, accreditation costs many £Ks and isn`t a viable option for many independents, so those who are accredited will have a major expenditure to finance and the money will come from one source.......the customer. It's not rocket science, it'll squeeze the 'hobbyists' and small independents out, and it'll drive the price of servicing/restoring watches upwards. Doesn`t make a scrap of sense, but it'll happen all the same. Folks like me will either give up and take up another hobby, or spend several £K on parts before the shutters come down, or try to arrange a source of parts.....or do a combination of all 3 (likely).

Paul

Quote:

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Originally Posted by walkerwek1958

Omega stop supplying parts via wholesalers at the end of 2015. Only accredited repairers will have access to parts, accreditation costs many £Ks and isn`t a viable option for many independents, so those who are accredited will have a major expenditure to finance and the money will come from one source.......the customer. It's not rocket science, it'll squeeze the 'hobbyists' and small independents out, and it'll drive the price of servicing/restoring watches upwards. Doesn`t make a scrap of sense, but it'll happen all the same. Folks like me will either give up and take up another hobby, or spend several £K on parts before the shutters come down, or try to arrange a source of parts.....or do a combination of all 3 (likely).

Paul

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That's a bit of a bastard ...

Are you a watchmaker? Can you do these?

walkerwek1958

Are you a watchmaker? Can you do these?

Read your PMs.

I sent you one on Tuesday!

Paul

By the way, I have a read a lot of "what is this old watch I found in granddad's desk" threads in my time, and many times they are nothing but a couple blurry photos with a thumb over the lens. But this one has proper photos and the OP obviously took some time to try and look up what he had before posting. So, kudos for that!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by workahol

By the way, I have a read a lot of "what is this old watch I found in granddad's desk" threads in my time, and many times they are nothing but a couple blurry photos with a thumb over the lens. But this one has proper photos and the OP obviously took some time to try and look up what he had before posting. So, kudos for that!

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Thanks. I run a forum myself on sailing so I am aware of not being a newbie idiot so did as much ground work as I could upfront.

I have enjoyed finding out about these.

The challenge is the servicing costs are a high percentage of the watches worth.

I think I'll get the round one done once I've got over the bill on the Zenith.

The round one is 1965, would have been nice if it was 67, my birth year.

I also have an old battered pocket watch that he had; does anyone here know about them; I suspect it is past help ...