I never expected that - crazy stuff.

[Neverenoughwatches]

9 minutes ago, rehajm said:

Here's two for inspection...

 

...part of the challenge is there were so many variants- replacements and originals. What's the 'standard' IWC dial I wonder?

The DDs where made and issued towards the end of the war, and the production numbers seem fairly strick and reasonably accurate though certain brand figures are approximated. Because of the war i would assume the orders were taken and received within a short space of time and not repeated with the war coming to an end within a year . Omega being Omega we would think are consistent with quality and accuracy so not much would change. These two dials look quite different the most obvious being the pregnant 4.  But who knows what they did, the ATPs vary considerably from brand to brand, within the same brand some manufacturers made a few variations .

[rehajm]

13 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Because of the war i would assume the orders were taken and received within a short space of time and not repeated with the war coming to an end within a year

My understanding is many were trickled out to the public after they weren’t needed or still went to troops around the world, not all if them bearing foreign service markings. So yes, as with ATP, variants likely emerged- which IWC dial is ‘correct’ for example?

…and yes I do tend to agree with your analysis- the older patina dial is from a watch that looks like DD to me and the second one is…something else. But what ?

Edited January 19, 2024 by rehajm

[Neverenoughwatches]

8 minutes ago, rehajm said:

My understanding is many were trickled out to the public after they weren’t needed or still went to troops around the world, not all if them bearing foreign service markings. So yes, as with ATP, variants likely emerged- which IWC dial is ‘correct’ for example?

I've also read that before, Bravingtons retailers were asked to sell them along with the no longer used ATP.  One brand that eventually replaced them was Mellor's Cabot watch in thecesrly 70s.  Just looked at the IWC, 3 different variants, maybe they are all genuine but only one is the original design. The pattern may have changed once or twice as the original stock ran out as damaged watches needed replacement dials.

25 minutes ago, rehajm said:

and yes I do tend to agree with your analysis- the older patina dial is from a watch that looks like DD to me and the second one is…something else. But what

Just a later pattern ? maybe the watches lasted longer than expected so dial production had to be re-started now and then. The dials might have aslo been outsourced to different dial makers over the years as more dials were needed.  A hundred from here one year and a hundred from there another year. I wonder how much degrade the lume has when its stored on a shelf in the dark unactivated ?

[hofnerpres]

Wow. l was just after a few funny stories but we got treated to the cold war space race and a brilliant analysis of wartime Omega www . You guys love to ramble - better than the brilliant Karl Schlapp on Chronoglide. More horror pictures please. By the way the Omega 30T with the dimples also had some paper shims. Desperate. Needless to say the expensive overcoil balance spring had been damaged and needed a sweaty days reshape. All running great now. The alumium case is scary fragile - why did they use Al ?

[Neverenoughwatches]

19 minutes ago, hofnerpres said:

Wow. l was just after a few funny stories but we got treated to the cold war space race and a brilliant analysis of wartime Omega www . You guys love to ramble - better than the brilliant Karl Schlapp on Chronoglide. More horror pictures please. By the way the Omega 30T with the dimples also had some paper shims. Desperate. Needless to say the expensive overcoil balance spring had been damaged and needed a sweaty days reshape. All running great now. The alumium case is scary fragile - why did they use Al ?

Aluminium case ?

[hofnerpres]

Yes -Aluminium - probably Dural . Looks to me like a dodgy one - I’ll post some photo’s after my morning coffee. Should really be on an Omega www thread.

[hofnerpres]

Photos as promised. The movement number date checks out as 1939 ish.

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

12 minutes ago, hofnerpres said:

Photos as promised. The movement number date checks out as 1939 ish.

 

I dont know what that is. Its not a variation i have seen. 

6 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I dont know what that is. Its not a variation i have seen. 

Ah a pilot's watch.

[rehajm]

4 hours ago, hofnerpres said:

You guys love to ramble

Don’t get us started …to be fair we tend to get back on topic…eventually

Edited January 21, 2024 by rehajm

[hofnerpres]

Ramble away - I'm still battling trying to get that Breguet overcoil at the correct height - getting enough clearance and allowing for a little endshake is a real challenge. The microscope is no good at looking sideways.

Yes I know I can get a decent view if you hold the movement sideways. My problem was getting things in focus - with a 0.5 Barlow lens on my Amscope it's just beyond the zoom limit. Just tried it without and Bingo - the working range is close but the image double the size so will do nicely for balance fiddling. There will now be an intermission for Irish Stew....

Edited January 21, 2024 by hofnerpres