Omega

So about 9 years ago I was a young man in the US Army working in a joint enterprise with some russians in the UN mission to Kosovo.  A simple past time of young GIs thrust together with counterparts from other places is to trade everything for anything.  So I traded a pair of US army cold weather boots for a "russian" watch.  I did this twice.  The actual russian paratrooper watch has since gotten lost, but this one ended up in a little grey box that kept miscellanious mens junk: cuff links, old keys, a money clip, the detritus of a young mans life that just isnt quite toss out material.  Being 19 and not exactly what you would call cosmopolitan I did not really realize what an Omega watch was.  So it has been residing in a small grey box in the bottom of my underwear drawer for at least 8 years.

 

In any case, I decided the other day that it was time that I had a grown up watch and not one of those 40 dollar generic plastic LED watches, or cereal box watch, but a real gentlemans watch.  I thought a pocket watch would be cool, and different enough to fulfill my desperate internal yearnings to be just a bit different in an increasingly homogenized world.  I remembered that I had a cheap one that I had bought some time ago and decided to go looking through my various boxes of stuff.  So I cracked open my little grey box and pulled out this wristwatch, and looked at the face.  It was an Omega.  Well, my word, who would have thought i had anything nice.  So I wound it up, and bought a new leather band (the original is in a little ziploc plastic bag I got from the jewelers). 

 

That night it stopped working so I had to drop it off this morningat the horologist (a really fun word to say), so for a fairly reasonable sum it is being serviced, getting a new crystal and mainspring and the what-not.  The gentleman who ran this absolutely charming little boutique for various men's accessories, was a very interesting fellow, and we talked for a half hour.  He attempted to look up this particular face on this particular model, but had no luck.  So it appears that not only did I find a little treasure that I had completely forgot about but its something unique too.  I can hardly wait to get it back in a couple of weeks.

 

Due to the uniqueness of the watch I was originally concerned it was a knock off, so I took a small screw driver i had and a little hammer and tapped off the back plate.  (due pass out, please)  The jewelers I took it too, to buy a band, were the kind of pretentous and the kind of jerks that would charge you a ridiculous sum of money for what amounts to 5 min of effort.  Before I was going to invest any money in what was likely a junk watch, I wanted to find out what was going on with it.

In any case here are some pictures:

In any case, I love the pure simplicity of it.  There isn't anything there to distract from its primary purpose.  A device dedicated to the pure art of telling time; Graceful and elegant but lacking in pretension.  I absolutely love it.

seeing a pic of the inside of the caseback and the serial number of movement (ie 15mil) would help to date it, but the 601 calibre is a nice manual wind movement from the 60's and perhaps earlier. off the top of my head i cant remember. the watch will probably look great after the service with a new or polished glass. the geneve was a sort of base model, but that doesnt matter. Omegas of that era were very well made and you can wear that day after day without any problems.

before you spend a lot of money on a watchstrap take a look at one of the worlds big auctions sites(you know the one) you should be able to get a genuine Omega strap with buckle for a lot less than the pretentious, but desperate dealers.

we cant discuss value on this site which is as it should be. its value is what its worth to you and a freshly serviced working watch is priceless. far better than a pair of knackered boots

best

Graham

The serial number should be on the movement picture.  Appears to be a 1969 (29 million) vintage, according to that number and the reference chart on the Omega website.  On the inside of the backpeice is the number 135.070 and a red pen marking that I cant quite figure out.

As far as the swap, if I were in the russian military I would probably find a lot of utility in a good pair of cold weather boots, given that no invading army has ever survived a russian winter.  So I got a quality time piece and he gets to keep all his toes....... 

Its like waiting for christmas, with the watch being away at the horologist.  I can hardly wait to see it when it gets back.  I didnt have it replated as I kind of like the worn gold.  Gives it character.

I would really like to know about geneve watches and a face with the numbers.  I cant find a picture of a similiar watch anywhere.

Thanks Graham.  I personally don't care about the value.  I am just a research junkie.  I like to pick at these little details.

For instance it sold for 165 Swiss Francs.  which at a 1971 exchange rate of 4.1339:1 in US dollars, would have been a $39.95 watch.  Adjusted for inflation thats just over $200 bucks in 2007 dollars.  Which I find fascinating.

 I cant imagine walking into the jewelry store and buying ANY Omega watch for 200 bucks.

GENÈVE
GENTS' LEATHER STRAP

Reference
MD 135.0070
International collection
1969
Movement
Type: Manual winding (mechanical)
Caliber number: 601
Created in 1960
17 jewels
Central sweep-second hand
Case
Gold-plated
Case back
Screw-in
Full metal
Dial
Metal, with luminous metal "stick" hands.
Crystal
Armoured hesalite
Bracelet
Leather
Water resistance
30 meters

This watch may have existed with different dials.
More product information
Case : round (34,5 mm diameter), 14K yellow gold-plated (20 mic.), with SS case back.
For leather straps of 18 mm lug-size
International Collection : 1969-1972
Swiss retail price (1971) : CHF 165.-
Also available in 18K solid yellow gold (BA, CHF 575.-), 14K solid yellow gold (BC, CHF 520.-) and stainless steel (ST, CHF 155.-).
JLM

Thank you for the informtion!

But as was mentioned, there were a lot of variations.
Great find and great story.

And thanks a lot for such a great story, and introduction.

It was a real pleasure to read you.

I love to read theese fundamentals, roots, origins of our Passion for watches.

Looking forward to read more from you, without forgetting to congratulate you for such a brilliant trade,

Best.

Nicolas

I still feel like its Christmas.

I have to go out of town to Dallas, and I am looking forward to coming back and getting my watch back from the horologist.

Then I am going to have to start figuring out what I am going to buy now.  Because obviously I need a watch for more formal occasions, and pocket watches still interest me.............

I got my watch back from the horologist.  Learned a few valuable lessons.  Also I need to have the dial refinished, because of said valuable lessons.

In any case, its really nice to wear a watch.

To wave my ignorance in front of everyone.  Before I took it to the horologist, someone told me it just might need to be lubbed.  Being the qausi-handy guy that I am, I had a few bottles of various lubricants around my house.  So one of them was labeled "safe for all mechanisms" and I used that.  Apparently some got on the dial face, causing about 2/3rds of it to begin to peel up interfering with the hands of teh watch.

I still have everything that was raised, but all the hash marks, and the word omega, and part of the word geneve is gone.

Apparently the horologist has a relationship with a gentleman in texas that goes to great lengths to get the original dies for the vintage watches to have the redone.

I will try and post a pic but I have to goto work soon, and then have an evening full of activities directly afterward.

Indeed ooops.

another $150 bucks down the hole.

Its not horrible.