Omega - Is this Ranchero in disguise or frankenwatch?

Is this Ranchero in disguise or frankenwatch?

Hi all,

I bought a Omega Seamaster or at least I thought I did.
In sellers add there was not a single word about Ranchero and price was not high, so I doubt that I was scamed or cheated.
I recieved the watch and on my big surprise when I opened it ref. nr. was 2996 and when I checked it on Omega vintage site only hit was ranchero???
There is an original worn leather strap with Omega buckle, original crown and original glass.
Judging by the shape it has Rancheros case, but dial says Seamaster???
And dial does not look like it was repainted or refurbished, it has some patina, light scratches.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
A Ranchero case and movement with other dial?

Even hand could maybe fit, as Omega says "Mat black or mat silver, with super-luminous hour markers and "broad arrow" or "dauphine" luminous hands (radium)."
I guess I have "dauphine" hands on mine Seamaster.
Closest Seamaster with cal. 284 I can get is ref. 2938, but case is not similar to mine.
Any clues and hints are more than welcome.

💰361 Marketplace Listings for Omega›Omega Seamaster · 1 for sale · 7781 discussions›

hi, firstly welcome to the forum.

By: G99 : February 15th, 2011-08:36

i would guess its a Ranchero with replacement dial and hands which sadly makes it pretty much of a nothingness. it is now just a watch that tells the time. however, if you could get a dial and hands you could put it back to what it is supposed to be. i, a...

Wow G I toitally forgot about that one !!!

By: Bill Sohne : February 15th, 2011-10:46

Hi G I totally forgot about that "task"..... Do you still have it .. it was a nice example !! In my opinion the Ranchero case design ( style and waterproof assembly) are unique to this case style. The caseback snaps into the main casebody as opposed to th...

sorry Bill, it went with...

By: G99 : February 15th, 2011-10:49

sorry Bill, it went with all the rest. i had it for a good few years though best G

Great watch....

By: Bill Sohne : February 15th, 2011-10:42

Hi Dwndler Overall a very nice watch . Ranchero sweep seconds case. I also like the Omega singed band and buckle. As G stated if it had a Ranchero dial and hands... it would be a lot more valuable. Your question is the dial original to the watch... I cant...

If I were you...

By: mac_omega : February 15th, 2011-21:01

Hi, firstly a warm welcome to the forum! If I were you I would request an extract from the Omega archive before you invest in a (probably) expensive original Ranchero dial. First you must be sure that this particular movement belongs to this case, and - i...

How to do so?

By: dwndler : February 16th, 2011-00:37

Thank you very much for having me here. What is procedure for asking for an extract from the Omega archive? Is there some link or something? I tried once to ask them soimething on vintage site and answer was nothing I could use and I waited a month or mor...

hi Dwndler, i'll add...

By: G99 : February 16th, 2011-01:38

hi Dwndler, i'll add a little bit more as i'm possibly wrong on my first opinion the black ranchero is the most common so if your going to change it finding a white dial will be difficult and also a black dial is easier to refinish so a lot of hurdles to ...

This is the link...

By: mac_omega : February 16th, 2011-03:51

Hi Dwndler, this is the link you need: www.omegawatches.com m You will have to pay CHF 75 for it, but afterwards you will know if case and movement match. Just fill in the movement number in the form - if you get an extract with the correct Ref.# you will...

I just wish

By: MSNWatch : February 16th, 2011-04:41

omega computerizes this and this can be done strictly online with the certificate sent to you in PDF form. In addition, I hope omega also gives a lifetime or yearly pass where you pay a set fee and can access the system multiple times. This seems to me a ...

I just did it

By: dwndler : February 16th, 2011-05:38

Hi all, I just wrote to Omega for an extract from the archives and now all I got to do is wait Kind regards and thank you all for contributing in solving this puzzle Dwndler

Omega extract of the archives

By: dwndler : February 23rd, 2011-01:22

Here is what Omega wrote to me yesterday: " I checked your movement number 16.947.097 in our archives and I’ve found following information: The movement number matches to the reference CK 2996. This reference is a Ranchero like you already said on your or...

that was a quick answer,...

By: G99 : February 23rd, 2011-02:16

that was a quick answer, not the one you wanted perhaps, but quick nonetheless. i think finding a Ranchero dial will be very difficult as they werent produced in profuse numbers. perhaps you should contact an Omega authorised watchmaker to see if the dial...

IMHO,...

By: SuitbertW : February 15th, 2011-23:33

Hi, imho this is all original - i.e. this ref. existed as Ranchero and (perhaps even more commonly) as Seamaster - with more or less plain dial and "normal" hands. I've seen many of those normal Seamasters (btw. sweep center and small seconds) - in consis...

Based on what?

By: dwndler : February 16th, 2011-00:32

Hi Suitbert, What is the basis of your opinion that this ref. (2996) has existed also as Seamaster? On one swedish site there is "transformed Ranchero" for sale www.kaplans.se 9 Kind regards dwndler

Based on my...

By: SuitbertW : February 16th, 2011-05:11

...personal experience. I've seen far too many normal Seamaster dial watches with this ref. IMO it is very unlikely, that all those (otherwise very "consistent" watches, i.e. dial/hands/movement... consistent age/ status...) in fact were "modified" origin...

I'm with Suitbert on this question...

By: Tony C. : February 16th, 2011-08:13

While I do not have his extensive experience, I, too, have seen Seamasters in this reference case. In fact, I just did a quick search, and found three, one of which had a very similar dial to the one in question. It is also interesting to note a possible ...

I have one identical

By: price.lee : May 11th, 2011-13:21

I have an identical watch to this. Same hands,cal,face only the crown is slightly different. I love it.

My humble contribution to this thread...

By: mac_omega : February 16th, 2011-09:08

Hi all, Here is my humble contribution to this thread... maybe it helps to believe Suitbert´s theory... It is a Ranchero case marked 2990 1 SC which sounds odd as 2990 was a sub second version, but below there is the number 2996 without any "SC" thou...

Here are some additional pictures...

By: mac_omega : February 17th, 2011-05:58

Here are some additional pictures of the black-dialed Seamaster in Ranchero "clothes"... including one of the Cal. 284 which should be correct for this watch. Please let me know your thoughts! And here comes the movement Kind regards Erich...