Interesting local find - jumbo OP from 1954

[Dan S]

Not a Sub or a GMT-Master, but I think this was an interesting and unusual pick-up, especially to find it locally on Craigslist. The seller said that the reference and serial numbers were obscured, but I was able to read them under magnification. It's a ref 6298 with serial 172016 (just after the serial number reset), and the case-back engraving reads I 54.

The case is 36mm, I have seen it called an "Ovettone" on the internet (big egg) because it has sort of a semi-bubbleback shape. Notably, the dial has an interesting 50m=165ft depth rating, for which reason it is also sometimes called a pre-Explorer, although I guess that could be a bit of hype.

The black gilt dial is reasonably well-preserved, with mostly intact lume, although it has mostly lost its glossy finish and the lacquer is showing its age. I will need to do some research, but I'm guessing the crown is not correct.

The cal A296 movement is running well, but the rotor was attached with an incorrect screw, so I am assuming that the auto-winding may need some work. Fortunately, my watchmaker says that he has quite a few parts for this caliber, including a complete auto-winding mechanism.

Fun find for me. What do you think?