1953 OMEGA ROYAL AIR FORCE VINTAGE PILOT WATCH ~ LET'S LEARN ALL 4 VERSIONS ~ CK 2777

Hi guys and welcome back to a new episode with me, the Omega Enthusiast. In this video, I will educate you on one of the earliest and most significant vintage RAF watches ever made. RAF stands for Royal Air Force. So let us get started without further ado. Make sure to hit that subscribe button if you have not yet done so, or if this is your first time watching my video. On June 8, 1952, the Goldsmith and Silversmith Company Ltd. in London, UK placed a single order of 5,900 pieces of what I am about to show you, the Omega Broad Arrow Military Pilot Watch. This company was able to request this order as they were the historical supplier for the Ministry of Defense, or MOD for short. The UK Air Ministry set out a set of precise specifications to manufacture these watches. These watches must be waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and anti-magnetic, and be delivered by May 1953. There are three versions of this watch, but the two well-known versions are the Thin Arrow and the Fat Arrow, under Case CK2777-1. The version I have in this video is the Fat Arrow version. The third version was later produced sometime in 1955, and did not come with the Broad Arrow on the dial. It is known to be the civilian version, and I will discuss it later in this video. Many of you who have just started learning about vintage Omega will assume that this dial is a redial. That is correct. However, this is an official redial with a meaningful history, different from a regular redial that can devalue a watch significantly. The dial and hands originally came with radium luminous, and had a Thin Arrow logo on the dial. However, between 1958 to 1960, the British MOD executed to have the radium removed on these watches, concerning too dangerous when stockpiled. That led to a recall of R2777-1 RAF watches, to have them officially redialed with Trillium luminous, as it was less radioactive. Four very distinct changes on the official redial are the Fat Arrow, the fat-drawn Omega logo, the circle T below Omega to indicate the luminous is Trillium, and the word Swiss made removed. The dimension on this watch measures 37mm across, excluding the crown by 48.3mm from lug tip to lug tip. Decay's thickness is 9.8mm excluding the crystal, and 13mm thick including the current acrylic crystal. The original waterproof unsigned crown measures 6.8mm wide with a 3.5mm thickness. Decay's lug width is 18mm wide, and since it is a wire type lug, a NATO type strap like This one would be most suitable. On the case back, you will find the following information. A broad arrow over the NATO stock number, 6B to indicate RAF aviation use, 542 is the RAF service management code, 4433 is the RAF service number and is the only set of number unique to each piece, and the 53 is the assignment year. Every 2777-1 model will come with a different RAF service number on the case back. Everything is essential on this watch, but timekeeping is vital. CK2777 carries a chronometer grade Omega caliber 283 manual wind movement. It is also the last RAF watch to have an Omega 30mm caliber. The movement is securely protected by a thick solid stainless steel case, an iron movement holder, an iron dust cover, a metal ring to hold the dust cover against the case back, and a round paper piece to protect from oxidation. However, the metal ring and the round paper piece are usually missing over the years, so replacements are needed. Before I continue, please support the channel by clicking on that thumbs up button below. Of course, you can always support my work on Patreon, the link is in the description box below. Thank you very much for your continued support and for sharing my video. Please leave a comment below on your thoughts about this watch. Now let us continue. As I mentioned earlier, there is a civilian version of this watch introduced in 1955. This version is under case model CK2777-2. The dial does not have a broad arrow, and the case back is blanked. On some civilian version, the dial may have the word RAILMASTER. The civilian version is considered the rarest of the three. CK2777-2 is also considered the predecessor of the RAILMASTER, which was produced in 1957. The other difference between CK2777-1 and CK2777-2 is that the movement balance bridge has a swan neck regulator on the CK2777-2. If you made it this far into the video, thank you for taking the time out of your day to watch my video. I hope as always, you have learned something new and will share it with your watch buddies. Making one of these videos takes up a lot of my time, so your kind support by liking this video will help immensely. That's the end of this video, and I look forward to seeing you in the following episode. Before I end this video, I would like to show you a comparison between this Omega and a RAF Longines from WWII. Enjoy!