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Thread: Ukranian "marriage watch"

  1. #1
    Master unclealec's Avatar
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    Ukranian "marriage watch"

    Another thread made mention of Ukranian marriage watches. I am not on the higher level of watch knowledge, so forgive any erroneous assumptions I may make.
    I assume this term refers to vintage movements, dials, hands etc re-cased to make a watch that has the appearance of one significantly older than the date of the re-casing. Or indeed the case.
    Some questions:

    Anyone have any idea of the decade(s) that this practice started?

    I ask as I have a charming piece that superficially looks to be a pocket watch movement re-cased in a nickel or silver-plated (on some sort of non-ferrous) fixed-bar case with a push-to-close caseback bearing what looks like an original Omega stamp.
    The movement,with a dia of 37.5mm, could be a fake, or could be an early Omega genuine movement. No serial no. is visible; it could be behind the dial.

    I love this. It has a patina that makes me want to believe that it is a previously-unknown giant size original turn-of-the 20th-century genuine Omega wristwatch.

    I know that it isn't. But the case just has to be pre-WWII, and the movement if not genuine, is impressively well done.

    I would love to hear from anyone with knowledge of similar pieces; also I would like to have it forensically serviced, that is serviced, photographed, repaired, and reported on. If anyone knows who could do this for a poor pensioner (that is to say funds are not unlimited) I would be grateful for recommendations.

    Some photos:






  2. #2
    Master earlofsodbury's Avatar
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    I have next to no knowledge of these, other than confirming that they are A Thing - I fell for something like this a couple of years ago, it being a converted Junghans pocket watch. It's rather well done - the lugs are welded-on seamlessly, the obvious tell being they take springbars! Aside from being a bit big at 50mm it's a good watch, keeps good time, holds a wind for ~36 hours, the movement's perfect. I rarely wear it because the crystal is pretty fragile compared with modern watches, and it has zero waterproofing. Annoyed with myself for falling for it - it's been a steep learning curve!








  3. #3
    The subseconds register at 9 o’clock is the giveaway with these!

    I have no idea about the watch in the OP though. But I like it!

  4. #4
    Master bobbee's Avatar
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    Alec, that looks like a genuine Omega piece to me.

  5. #5
    Master unclealec's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bobbee View Post
    Alec, that looks like a genuine Omega piece to me.
    I agree bobbee; most of it anyway! I hope to discover a serial number behind the dial, which would indicate the year of manufacture.
    Almost certainly it is a pocket watch movement; there are rare instances of pocket watch movements with the subdial at 3 o'clock I believe.
    I suspect that a Ukranian recaser pounced on such a movement to produce this.
    I don't care about the history, I still love it, and would like to keep on wearing it from time to time.

  6. #6
    Craftsman Pupp's Avatar
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    Ukranian "marriage watch"

    I’ve got a 20s or 30s Vulcain based marriage watch; it’s actually very nicely done and always gets positive comments... very crisp and classically numeralled white porcelain dial, seconds register at 6 somehow (crown at 3), and really lovely blued hands.
    Keeps extremely good time but I rarely wear it and do baby it when I do due to the complete lack of shock protection. Very fond of it


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by unclealec View Post
    I agree bobbee; most of it anyway! I hope to discover a serial number behind the dial, which would indicate the year of manufacture.
    Almost certainly it is a pocket watch movement; there are rare instances of pocket watch movements with the subdial at 3 o'clock I believe.
    I suspect that a Ukranian recaser pounced on such a movement to produce this.
    I don't care about the history, I still love it, and would like to keep on wearing it from time to time.
    The decoration on the balance cock certainly looks like an Omega pocket watch.

    Whatever, I like it!

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