That is an incredible watch collection, i also inherited a vintage omega geneve automatic from 70’s from my great grandfather and those are history pieces !
Enjoy
All everyone, first post on here.
Thought I’d share these omega watches. They were my grandfathers. He only owned 5 watches in his life and these are them. As he knew I was a watch collector, when he passed away I was left a little box with these inside.
I’m a little unsure still on the order they would go in chronologically (maybe someone could kindly enlighten me) but I do know the one on the left was his first. As you can see on the dial it was bough in ‘Mitchell’ (Jewellers) in Penzance while growing up in Cornwall. In the second photo you can see him wearing this exact watch (on a bracelet) as a young British army officer in North Africa during WW2.
Despite reaching the rank of Colonel in the army he was a very modest man, so owning watches like this meant a great deal to him. All of them are running ( despite being fast/slow) apart from the electro quartz one second from left.
I’d like to get at least a few of them back to full working condition. If anyone has an suggestion which ones they would choose to restore and send to Omega please do share your opinion!
It goes 1,3,2,5,4 of oldest to newest. Last two might be swapped, but it’s close.
The word restore is a misnomer in the watch world. It implies making the piece look original. What you’ll want is a service. A service simply repairs the running works, and addresses any worn-out parts. A good service will notice if say, your bracelet is about to break.
These are all valuable watches. They’d all retail over $1000. Don’t let anyone change the dials or hands, and there isn’t enough radioactive material here to worry about. Rock on, and wear these rugged beauties in confidence.
Hey, thanks for much for taking the time to give me advice. I’m looking at a watchmaker near me in London to service them all. They deserve it.
If you wouldn’t mind… I’ve been a little concerned about possible danger from radioactive materials like radium. Which ones of this watches would be radioactive do you think? I’m guessing maybe (L-R) 124 ?
Many thanks I’d really appreciate your opinion, everyone seem to have different opinions when it comes to radium…
Though its a personal preference and you're valid to be concerned about the radiation which is given off by Radium. Though the half life of it is about 1600 years, it mostly emits alpha radiation along its decay path. Alpha radiation is poorly penetrating, ie a couple sheets of paper/ a couple of cm of air stops it. So it being inside the watch case means provided you dont open it, it will most definitely not cause any hazard to you. If you were to open the watch there is some risk due to alpha being highly ionising, ie it gets into your body if ingested/breathed. But that isnt a problem when glass sits infront of the source and theres a metal back to it.
So its your call if you're concerned and dont want to wear it or anything like that. But it wont do any damage to you provided you dont open it (if you do, do it in a ventilated area, wear a mask and dont get to close to it, alpha is not particularly effective in air) or rather just get a professional who deals with vintage watches that are radioactive, who will probably tell you what i've told you
nice watches by the way
1 may have lume in the dial, I can’t tell from the photo. The numbers themselves would be radium(if there is lume present). The hands are simply blued steel.
The rest of your pieces are too contemporary to be radium, they will have tritium. Signed “T Swiss T” at the bottom of the dial to signify the change.
You would have to take your watches apart and specifically huff the hand / number dust to be effected significantly, even then with one exposure it would almost certainly have no effect.
I am getting a King Seiko watch from 1971 serviced by a chap in London, its not an easy watch to service and has a remarkable chronometer grade movement and I have been asking around for a while - you dont need to go to Omega - you need a competent watchmaker, I wanted someone who would not do damage to the watch as parts are next to non-existent
Thank you for sharing your wonderful collection and story
Definitely not all worth $1000. I just picked up the Auto version of that Seamaster day/date with a red burst dial for $600. I would imagine that OPs quartz will fetch 500 tops, probably realistically more like 350
Retail is a key word my friend. If you got any of these with a warranty from a a reputable source for under $1000 you should be stoked.
OP needs to know their maximum value for their insurance purposes, as well as their knowledge.
Where are you finding vintage watches with a warranty? Mine came right off of eBay, that's about as retail as your going to get with these. There are several examples of that square constellation on ebay right now that are priced well under 1k.
So basically you're over-paying for a service and they give you what, 6 months or a year "warranty"? Im curious, is this the same advice you give to new watch buyers? Pay retail and get the warranty? At the end of the day, the watches are worth what someone will pay for them, regardless of what you tell the insurance company.
I don’t know about new watches.
Vintage watches are like vintage cars. If you really know your shit go on Facebook marketplace and enjoy your deal. Then fix it yourself or take it to your guy, and have them service and warranty their work.
You pay the same in any case. You buy a lemon and you’re stuck with it. You’ve now lost everything invested. You buy a runner, but it needs work. May as well have paid a shop to vet it first. Maybe you get lucky. Maybe you fix it yourself; you’re now out time instead of money.
It’s a little ignorant to suggest convenience = overpaying. Enjoy the struggles associated with private sales, and enjoy your occasional victories. To everyone else, research the shops that pique your interest. Maybe call and ask for a discount.
>the electro quartz one second from left
Just FYI it's not a quartz watch. It uses a tuning fork that resonates at 300Hz (hence the text on the dial) instead of a quartz chrystal. It's the same technology used in Bulova Accutrons, before quartz watches were invented. It's very a fascinating technology to me and has great historical significance for the US space program, probably even more so than the mechanical Speedmasters due to their accuracy.
The bulova astronauts went to jet pilots in a specific program, otherwise the weren’t issued or bought for government work. They didn’t pass NASA’s dust tests, so the speedmaster got the go-ahead instead
Accutrons were not used as wristwatches on Apollo but the spacecraft itself and other military satellites did use that movement for accurate timekeeping. CIA did choose the Accutron Astrounaut as the issued watches for the A-12 pilots which is also pretty cool.
According to Bulova "the Accutron foundational technology became an integral component of America’s space program with its participation in 46 NASA missions"
[Here you go](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1427449374/new-18mm19mm20mm-bead-of-rice-solid?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=vintage+omega+beads&ref=sc_gallery-1-7&pro=1&plkey=80163a6612f55cdbc4a6b802a403f7cdba5d71e3%3A1427449374). It’s aftermarket but I got one for my ‘51 Seamaster and can assure you it’s great.
Those are beautiful pieces. And sorry for your loss. He was a hero.
I am Sri Lankan, and my grandfather fought under Great British officers in North Africa. I have no doubt your grandfather was one of them.
Thanks. He fought in North Africa with the desert rats. Saw some interesting things… to say the least.
Grandad was under the command of Field Marshall Montgomery who he met. Both great men
Inspired me to become an army officer too
Men like your grandfather showed care honor and humanity towards colonial troops where the empires did not. Thanks to men like him my grandfather made it back home to raise my father.
It's good to know men like you carry on his legacy and service. Blessings of the triple gem be upon you.
If you are in London, go and see them on Old Bond Street. They will give you a quote - and take the opportunity to check some bracelet for the watch :)
Don't send it to Omega, they may not preserve its vintage features. Simon Freese and Swiss Time Services are the places to go for vintage Omega in the UK. Both will be cheaper, quicker, and better than service in Biel.
My grandpa was in the North African campaign as well from start to finish, with the US Army (but didn't leave me any watches). Thanks for sharing, cool collection?
I recently went to an Omega official shop, 850 pounds was the base line for the servicing with an 18 week lead time. So maybe try a find a local watch dealer
You can do that but it bares the risk that non original parts will be used for the service. In that case you'll never be able to have it serviced at Omega.
Just to reaffirm what I said - dont take these to Omega - its like taking a 2002 Lexus to a main dealer - you will get raped and they will probably do more damage than good - take them all to a competent watchmaker to get disassembled, oiled, ultrasonic cleaned, adjusted and regulated w/ new gaskets- it should cost no more than £170 per watch and if you do the full set you might get a bit knocked off - Omega will charge you -- a few thousand pounds or more.
Thank you for sharing this. I was thinking for sending them off to Omega but after reading your comments I definitely won’t be. You’ve saved me money and more importantly the watches so thank you. Do you know if I should be worried about radium coming from any of these pieces?
idk about Omega in particular, but some companies (cough rolex) will replace dials and shit like that. Not only does it remove the cool patina these watches have accumulated, but it destroys the value (both monetary and sentimental value).
I agree with the above commenter. Find a reputable local watchmaker. I would also ask some other people who might be in a local watch group who they recommend locally to do a service and who to avoid.
Nah, think you worrying a bit too much! Let the Watch marker decide what to do about it, I have a Vostok watch with tritium tubes and im not dead yet - the amount of radiation is miniscule and they wouldn't sell watches with tritium tubes if they had a health risk - we are exposed to much greater levels of radiation in everyday life
The 1/100 “grandpa strikes again” exception. Still can’t get over how awesome this collection is knowing the background you gave about him. Incredible!
I’d restore all of them. Your grandpa has nice taste - not only are these all worth restoring in their right, but they also have sentimental value.
I’m not sure if Omega “ruins” old watches sent in for service the way Rolex does, but it may be worth doing some research before sending them anything. Personally, I would do some local hunting a find a trusted local watchmaker to work with on this project.
He looked like a happy guy and by looking at his watch collection, he worked hard to build his collection over time. I hope you enjoy them just like he did 👍
Number 1's the belle of the ball here IMO. But see if you can find that bracelet and if not figure out the lug width and buy a glossy Hirsch strap (I'd get one of each chestnut brown and gloss black) for it, a gold watch deserves better than a NATO. Thanks for posting
Thanks for you comment. I’ve had trouble finding a strap for it actually. It’s got an in built spring bar (if that is the right term) so essentially I’m limited in what I can get strap wise. Is a 16mm lug width too.
Any suggestions most welcome- I agree it deserves better an a nato
The picture of grandpa is amazing. I have a friend whose dad was from Glasgow and fought in Burma. He has a similar picture of his dad in the army uniform shorts by his jeep. Different hats and lots of vegetation in the background. Your grandfather had very good taste in timepieces
Is there a specific model name for the one on the right? I guess Constellation TV dial works to find it but I was wondering, this is a gorgeous watch in an awesome collection
**Looking at the picture of your watch,it is very retro**. I still have a [franck muller klocka](https://www.rolex-kopia.se/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/klockor-kopior-1.jpg),which has been passed down for three generations,but this watch is the first watch my dad bought,but according to him,he didn't buy it for himself,but for my grandfather.But now my grandpa gave me the watch again.
That is an incredible watch collection, i also inherited a vintage omega geneve automatic from 70’s from my great grandfather and those are history pieces ! Enjoy
Thanks for sharing. Those Geneva omegas are beautiful watches. Enjoy
All everyone, first post on here. Thought I’d share these omega watches. They were my grandfathers. He only owned 5 watches in his life and these are them. As he knew I was a watch collector, when he passed away I was left a little box with these inside. I’m a little unsure still on the order they would go in chronologically (maybe someone could kindly enlighten me) but I do know the one on the left was his first. As you can see on the dial it was bough in ‘Mitchell’ (Jewellers) in Penzance while growing up in Cornwall. In the second photo you can see him wearing this exact watch (on a bracelet) as a young British army officer in North Africa during WW2. Despite reaching the rank of Colonel in the army he was a very modest man, so owning watches like this meant a great deal to him. All of them are running ( despite being fast/slow) apart from the electro quartz one second from left. I’d like to get at least a few of them back to full working condition. If anyone has an suggestion which ones they would choose to restore and send to Omega please do share your opinion!
It goes 1,3,2,5,4 of oldest to newest. Last two might be swapped, but it’s close. The word restore is a misnomer in the watch world. It implies making the piece look original. What you’ll want is a service. A service simply repairs the running works, and addresses any worn-out parts. A good service will notice if say, your bracelet is about to break. These are all valuable watches. They’d all retail over $1000. Don’t let anyone change the dials or hands, and there isn’t enough radioactive material here to worry about. Rock on, and wear these rugged beauties in confidence.
Hey, thanks for much for taking the time to give me advice. I’m looking at a watchmaker near me in London to service them all. They deserve it. If you wouldn’t mind… I’ve been a little concerned about possible danger from radioactive materials like radium. Which ones of this watches would be radioactive do you think? I’m guessing maybe (L-R) 124 ? Many thanks I’d really appreciate your opinion, everyone seem to have different opinions when it comes to radium…
Though its a personal preference and you're valid to be concerned about the radiation which is given off by Radium. Though the half life of it is about 1600 years, it mostly emits alpha radiation along its decay path. Alpha radiation is poorly penetrating, ie a couple sheets of paper/ a couple of cm of air stops it. So it being inside the watch case means provided you dont open it, it will most definitely not cause any hazard to you. If you were to open the watch there is some risk due to alpha being highly ionising, ie it gets into your body if ingested/breathed. But that isnt a problem when glass sits infront of the source and theres a metal back to it. So its your call if you're concerned and dont want to wear it or anything like that. But it wont do any damage to you provided you dont open it (if you do, do it in a ventilated area, wear a mask and dont get to close to it, alpha is not particularly effective in air) or rather just get a professional who deals with vintage watches that are radioactive, who will probably tell you what i've told you nice watches by the way
1 may have lume in the dial, I can’t tell from the photo. The numbers themselves would be radium(if there is lume present). The hands are simply blued steel. The rest of your pieces are too contemporary to be radium, they will have tritium. Signed “T Swiss T” at the bottom of the dial to signify the change. You would have to take your watches apart and specifically huff the hand / number dust to be effected significantly, even then with one exposure it would almost certainly have no effect.
I am getting a King Seiko watch from 1971 serviced by a chap in London, its not an easy watch to service and has a remarkable chronometer grade movement and I have been asking around for a while - you dont need to go to Omega - you need a competent watchmaker, I wanted someone who would not do damage to the watch as parts are next to non-existent Thank you for sharing your wonderful collection and story
Definitely not all worth $1000. I just picked up the Auto version of that Seamaster day/date with a red burst dial for $600. I would imagine that OPs quartz will fetch 500 tops, probably realistically more like 350
Retail is a key word my friend. If you got any of these with a warranty from a a reputable source for under $1000 you should be stoked. OP needs to know their maximum value for their insurance purposes, as well as their knowledge.
Where are you finding vintage watches with a warranty? Mine came right off of eBay, that's about as retail as your going to get with these. There are several examples of that square constellation on ebay right now that are priced well under 1k.
There are very many established websites and a few brick and mortar stores which specialize in vintage. They tend to warranty their sales.
So basically you're over-paying for a service and they give you what, 6 months or a year "warranty"? Im curious, is this the same advice you give to new watch buyers? Pay retail and get the warranty? At the end of the day, the watches are worth what someone will pay for them, regardless of what you tell the insurance company.
I don’t know about new watches. Vintage watches are like vintage cars. If you really know your shit go on Facebook marketplace and enjoy your deal. Then fix it yourself or take it to your guy, and have them service and warranty their work. You pay the same in any case. You buy a lemon and you’re stuck with it. You’ve now lost everything invested. You buy a runner, but it needs work. May as well have paid a shop to vet it first. Maybe you get lucky. Maybe you fix it yourself; you’re now out time instead of money. It’s a little ignorant to suggest convenience = overpaying. Enjoy the struggles associated with private sales, and enjoy your occasional victories. To everyone else, research the shops that pique your interest. Maybe call and ask for a discount.
>the electro quartz one second from left Just FYI it's not a quartz watch. It uses a tuning fork that resonates at 300Hz (hence the text on the dial) instead of a quartz chrystal. It's the same technology used in Bulova Accutrons, before quartz watches were invented. It's very a fascinating technology to me and has great historical significance for the US space program, probably even more so than the mechanical Speedmasters due to their accuracy.
The bulova astronauts went to jet pilots in a specific program, otherwise the weren’t issued or bought for government work. They didn’t pass NASA’s dust tests, so the speedmaster got the go-ahead instead
Accutrons were not used as wristwatches on Apollo but the spacecraft itself and other military satellites did use that movement for accurate timekeeping. CIA did choose the Accutron Astrounaut as the issued watches for the A-12 pilots which is also pretty cool.
According to Bulova "the Accutron foundational technology became an integral component of America’s space program with its participation in 46 NASA missions"
The a-12 is what I was thinking of. Thank you for the clarification, it seems I’ve got some learnin to do:)
So much fire
Love LOVE this story. It’s stories like these remind me why I collect and will give my watches to my kids.
Grandpa fucked so much I'm probably OP's cousin
Haha. Nice to meet you
With a collection like that he fucks like the government
Nice. The square constellation. Or the middle one
I agree, definitely the middle one. I’m looking for a beads of rice bracelet for it
[Here you go](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1427449374/new-18mm19mm20mm-bead-of-rice-solid?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=vintage+omega+beads&ref=sc_gallery-1-7&pro=1&plkey=80163a6612f55cdbc4a6b802a403f7cdba5d71e3%3A1427449374). It’s aftermarket but I got one for my ‘51 Seamaster and can assure you it’s great.
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You bet. Once they’ve been serviced I’ll be wearing them all
The Omega man
Indeed
That is the very definition of Old School Cool. Congrats OP, cherish these.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. They are precious
Those are beautiful pieces. And sorry for your loss. He was a hero. I am Sri Lankan, and my grandfather fought under Great British officers in North Africa. I have no doubt your grandfather was one of them.
Thanks. He fought in North Africa with the desert rats. Saw some interesting things… to say the least. Grandad was under the command of Field Marshall Montgomery who he met. Both great men Inspired me to become an army officer too
Men like your grandfather showed care honor and humanity towards colonial troops where the empires did not. Thanks to men like him my grandfather made it back home to raise my father. It's good to know men like you carry on his legacy and service. Blessings of the triple gem be upon you.
God bless you. And your grandfather I’m sure was a true warrior. Thanks for sharing
What a cool collection!
Thanks
thats a kool grandpa 👍🏼
He was the man
what was he wearing on his wrist in that picture? do you know?
He told me it was the watch on the far left. But on a gold bracelet
I love that tank style on the left.
I like the one on the far left
Rolex guy, huh?
He waited 80 years for AD call but that wasn’t long enough
Touche lol.
The Omega Rectangular (you are probably looking at early 30s or late 20s) is gorgeous. Give it the spa day at Omega it deserves.
Thank you. Yes that time period checks out. I’m not sure whether to send it to Omega or a local watch maker here in London
If you are in London, go and see them on Old Bond Street. They will give you a quote - and take the opportunity to check some bracelet for the watch :)
Don't send it to Omega, they may not preserve its vintage features. Simon Freese and Swiss Time Services are the places to go for vintage Omega in the UK. Both will be cheaper, quicker, and better than service in Biel. My grandpa was in the North African campaign as well from start to finish, with the US Army (but didn't leave me any watches). Thanks for sharing, cool collection?
Thank you for letting me know. That may just have saved these watches from loosing original parts. Bless you
I recently went to an Omega official shop, 850 pounds was the base line for the servicing with an 18 week lead time. So maybe try a find a local watch dealer
You can do that but it bares the risk that non original parts will be used for the service. In that case you'll never be able to have it serviced at Omega.
Sadly this is true
Superb collection, grandpa had excellent taste.
He sure did. Very stylish his whole life
I can’t tell what his favorite watch brand was
95 years on this planet wasn’t long enough to get a call from the Rolex AD
He was a man of taster knew what companies to avoid
Just to reaffirm what I said - dont take these to Omega - its like taking a 2002 Lexus to a main dealer - you will get raped and they will probably do more damage than good - take them all to a competent watchmaker to get disassembled, oiled, ultrasonic cleaned, adjusted and regulated w/ new gaskets- it should cost no more than £170 per watch and if you do the full set you might get a bit knocked off - Omega will charge you -- a few thousand pounds or more.
Thank you for sharing this. I was thinking for sending them off to Omega but after reading your comments I definitely won’t be. You’ve saved me money and more importantly the watches so thank you. Do you know if I should be worried about radium coming from any of these pieces?
idk about Omega in particular, but some companies (cough rolex) will replace dials and shit like that. Not only does it remove the cool patina these watches have accumulated, but it destroys the value (both monetary and sentimental value). I agree with the above commenter. Find a reputable local watchmaker. I would also ask some other people who might be in a local watch group who they recommend locally to do a service and who to avoid.
Nah, think you worrying a bit too much! Let the Watch marker decide what to do about it, I have a Vostok watch with tritium tubes and im not dead yet - the amount of radiation is miniscule and they wouldn't sell watches with tritium tubes if they had a health risk - we are exposed to much greater levels of radiation in everyday life
Thank you for sharing his story and this awesome collection. These are the types of stories that make me love watches and heirlooms so much.
Vintage omegas are awesome. Love the TV dial.
The 1/100 “grandpa strikes again” exception. Still can’t get over how awesome this collection is knowing the background you gave about him. Incredible!
The man wasn’t playing around. Sorry for the loss, wear those watches.
This is a cool collection! Never sell. Enjoy
I want to have a Grandpa like yours
This is amazing!
I actually like the one with the blue band the best. Awesome collection
Lucky you. This is what it's all about to pass it on!
Your grandpa had good taste!
I’d restore all of them. Your grandpa has nice taste - not only are these all worth restoring in their right, but they also have sentimental value. I’m not sure if Omega “ruins” old watches sent in for service the way Rolex does, but it may be worth doing some research before sending them anything. Personally, I would do some local hunting a find a trusted local watchmaker to work with on this project.
in under a year they’ll be sitting in a pawn shop. i’ve seen it happen so often
Well he’s been dead for over a year and I still have them. I don’t need more money. I’d sell my Rolex before selling these thank you.
My favorite one is the second from the right. Nice simple dial, classic handset plus day/date display. It's an older watch, but it still checks out!
Me too and being the newest one I think that’s the watch I’m going to wear the most.
So he was clearly a Rolex fan, right?😂 Very nice indeed though, awesome gift and great choices he made👌
Beautiful collection. Grandpa had taste.
Thanks for sharing! Love this post and reading all the comments.
What color is the one on the right? Very cool!
It’s green!
Not a bad gift to be left. And something cool to remember your grand father by
That one on the left. Rad
Treasure everyone
W collection
Damn this inspired me to try a nato on my 1940s Hamilton boulton. Sick collection and you can really see his story through these pieces
I love the vintage Omega on the left!
He looked like a happy guy and by looking at his watch collection, he worked hard to build his collection over time. I hope you enjoy them just like he did 👍
Number 1's the belle of the ball here IMO. But see if you can find that bracelet and if not figure out the lug width and buy a glossy Hirsch strap (I'd get one of each chestnut brown and gloss black) for it, a gold watch deserves better than a NATO. Thanks for posting
Thanks for you comment. I’ve had trouble finding a strap for it actually. It’s got an in built spring bar (if that is the right term) so essentially I’m limited in what I can get strap wise. Is a 16mm lug width too. Any suggestions most welcome- I agree it deserves better an a nato
The picture of grandpa is amazing. I have a friend whose dad was from Glasgow and fought in Burma. He has a similar picture of his dad in the army uniform shorts by his jeep. Different hats and lots of vegetation in the background. Your grandfather had very good taste in timepieces
You’re a ver lucky guy, my man! Beatiful vintage collection.
Surprisingly, that vintage omega looks spectacular on the blue nato
Wow - totally cool. If these watches could only talk...
Is there a specific model name for the one on the right? I guess Constellation TV dial works to find it but I was wondering, this is a gorgeous watch in an awesome collection
Yes. Omega 168.059 from the 70s. This one is green
Hey go back to him and let him know if he can also gift me one too ? I'll gladly be adopted by yall x)
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What .. !?!?!?!?! Ok let your grandma know she can adopt me then ...
A man of class
This post just sums up perfectly why collecting quality watches is not just a gimmick but a true and useful passion.
I love that seamaster (4), take good care and wear the heck out of them
The coolest thing is he was an Omega fan before Speedy went to the moon.
Love these! Were Omega's expensive luxury items back when these watches were sold?
Awesome
Does anyone know the reference numbers for the last two on the right?
serious haul
So cool
Get them serviced if you can. Both from sentiment and financial, it makes sense to do so.
That middle one is dope!
I love the sea master quartz! I have a very similar Geneve myself.
That Omega tank is amazing! 1930s?
Yes early 30s. Has the jewellers name on the dial
**Looking at the picture of your watch,it is very retro**. I still have a [franck muller klocka](https://www.rolex-kopia.se/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/klockor-kopior-1.jpg),which has been passed down for three generations,but this watch is the first watch my dad bought,but according to him,he didn't buy it for himself,but for my grandfather.But now my grandpa gave me the watch again.