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Old 10 October 2017, 05:54 AM   #1
tr2
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Lawrence of arabia's OMEGA

Hi everyone...does anyone know anything about T.E. Lawrence's Omega Chronograph...i.e the model number....l know that it is a large size aviators first world war chronograph...?
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Old 10 October 2017, 06:38 AM   #2
The Joker
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I remember seeing it on the antiques roadshow at Barnstable.

Can't find a video but found a transcript

What you've got here is a pilot's watch.
-Pilot's?
-A pilot's watch.
0:27:50 0:27:56
It's somewhat large for everyday wear and they were worn outside,
0:27:56 0:28:01
-probably on a big leather or fleece flying jacket.
-Yes.
-You wore them with a long strap on the outside,
0:28:01 0:28:08
-so you could read it when you were in the cockpit.
-Yes.
-And the date...
0:28:08 0:28:12
There's the marks of Omega, the maker,
0:28:12 0:28:16
-the numbers, but there's also the import hallmarks...
-Yes.
0:28:16 0:28:20
-..and the letter R, which is 1912.
-Yes.
-So, basically,
0:28:20 0:28:23
-it's a World War I pilot's watch.
-Yes.
0:28:23 0:28:26
Hence the very clear white dial. Have you had this valued?
0:28:26 0:28:31
-Um...
-Well, tell me where you got it.
-I bought it off a chap that was dealing in bric-a-brac
0:28:31 0:28:37
in Newport market in South Wales some 20 years ago, 22 years ago,
0:28:37 0:28:43
and there was trouble with the watch, so he said, "If you let me have it back, I know a man that will fix it."
0:28:43 0:28:49
-What did you pay him?
-£70 or £80, and I gave him another tenner to get it fixed, which was a lot of money.
0:28:49 0:28:56
-That's a lot of money 20 years ago.
-Yes.
0:28:56 0:28:59
Well, as a watch, it's probably worth, in fact...
0:28:59 0:29:05
-more like a couple of thousand, or so.
-Yes.
0:29:05 0:29:10
-But this is a repair bill.
-Yeah.
-1933.
-Yeah.
0:29:10 0:29:15
-Made out to a TE Shaw of Clouds Hill, Moreton in Dorset.
-Yeah.
-Do you know who he is?
0:29:15 0:29:22
No, I haven't got a clue.
0:29:22 0:29:24
-Lawrence of Arabia.
-Good God!
0:29:24 0:29:27
-If I'm correct...
-Yeah.
-After the First World War...
0:29:27 0:29:32
-Yeah.
-..he was a somewhat complex character and rejoined, I think...
0:29:32 0:29:38
-Didn't he rejoin the RAF under the name of Shaw?
-Yes.
0:29:38 0:29:42
-And I think he was killed on his motorcycle when dressed in RAF kit.
-Good God!
0:29:42 0:29:48
To be honest, I always thought he was a character of fiction.
0:29:48 0:29:53
Well, it's the TE Lawrence of the film, and who wrote the book.
0:29:53 0:29:58
Yeah, I remember seeing the film years ago, but...
0:29:58 0:30:02
-And my recollection is he lived at Clouds Hill.
-Yes... Good God.
0:30:02 0:30:08
And it's his watch, probably returned to him, having been cleaned, under his adopted name.
0:30:08 0:30:15
-Good God.
-So...
-Yeah.
-A couple of grand, couple and a half grand - just as a watch...
-Yes.
0:30:15 0:30:23
-How much you could add for the Lawrence connection, I don't know. A very fascinating character.
-Yes.
0:30:23 0:30:30
I would - it's a guess - I'd double that, maybe £5,000 maybe £10,000.
0:30:30 0:30:35
-Good God! I'd better get it insured, then.
-Yes.
0:30:35 0:30:39
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Old 10 October 2017, 06:39 AM   #3
GradyPhilpott
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https://www.omegawatches.com/news/news-detail/1256/
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Old 10 October 2017, 06:39 AM   #4
The Joker
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Ah all the details on Omegas website

https://www.omegawatches.com/news/news-detail/1256/
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Old 10 October 2017, 06:40 AM   #5
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Gotta get up early to beat Grady
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Old 10 October 2017, 06:50 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Joker View Post
Gotta get up early to beat Grady
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Old 10 October 2017, 07:01 AM   #7
wantonebad
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Man that is a stunning piece!!
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Old 10 October 2017, 07:14 AM   #8
BLACKHORSE 6
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That’s awesome! T.E. Lawrence is one of my favorite.
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