LOVE THIS BRAND ...AND WHY ???

I would like to thank Mr Marco RICHON (reference books "OMEGA SAGA" and the essential new work "JOURNEY THROUGH TIME"), the "living memory" of Omega, an indispensable fountain of information, which has enriched the accomplishment of this sale and my madness for this brand. I would like to share a comment made by Gérard Genta, an icon in the world of watchmaking. He said: “In the early 60s, I drew a lot of Omega models, very discreetly. I felt very connected to this company. Everything Omega produced was copied by others, they were the best! ".

Synonymous with quality in movement and design, the Omega brand has interested me for decades. Why ? What makes Omega so appealing? Is this the perfect presentation of a 1952 Omega Constellation strap with an elaborate twelve-faceted dial, the sobriety of its indexes, its rose gold-plated movement, and an accuracy rate that has remained impressive for over 70 years? It's probably the harmonious interplay of all these particular perfect pieces that gives me a chill when I see a "new old stock" watch in its steel or gold case... I must buy it. Even though I already have the same one, I also need the one that is right there...

Another collector or aficionado of this brand may feel his knees shaking when he lays his eyes on a rare strap wristwatch that was made for the Swiss state exhibition in Bern in 1914 - not to mention the antique chronographs with dials enamel or the extremely rare tourbillon watches from 1947 developed by Marcel Vuilleumier (director of the watchmaking school in Le Sentier) and manufactured by JP Matthey-Claudet. If you can find one of these watches in mint condition, you may have your heart breaking.

Omega did not invent the wristwatch. The history of tiny watches dates back to the 16th century. It expands somewhat at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. We have to wait until the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century to witness the true birth of the mass-produced wristwatch. Not without difficulty when it comes to its male version, considered almost unanimously as eccentric, unreliable and, above all, effeminate! But a few pioneers, including Omega, didn't care and, against all odds, quickly succeeded in imposing this novelty on the market, despite its "revolutionary" character for the time.

On the mass production side, it was Girard-Perregaux, in La Chaux De Fonds, which paved the way in 1880 with an order for 2,000 wristwatches with protective grilles, intended for officers of the Imperial German Navy. Paul Ditisheim (Solvil & Titus), La Chaux-De-Fonds, and Longines, St-Imier, would also start making wristwatches in the 1890s. Then Louis Brandt & Frères from 1899, under the Labrador and Omega brands.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Housing : Model reference 3988 7. The purity of the lines of its case is not damaged by any protuberance, a case typical of this era of undeniable beauty. It dates from 1950. In stainless steel, barrel-shaped with long "cow horn" handles, shiny polish. As you can see in the photos, the case back and the winding crown are signed with the brand logo.

Dimensions : width excluding crown 15 mm, length 26.5 mm at the end of the handles and 7 mm thick glass included, model for ladies.

Glass : plexi, new, curved, signed (see photo).

Dial : "egg shell", "Dauphine" hands with applied indexes in relief.

Movement : the R 13.5 was designed at the beginning of 1938 by Charles Perregaux. In the opinion of many professionals, and not the least, this is the best mechanical ladies' caliber ever built in the world! His nine generations will produce more than 1.4 million descendants. As for the caliber R 11.5 mm, the frequency is higher. We choose a multiple of 3600 (number of seconds in an hour) to facilitate certain comparisons. By adding 3600 to 18000, we get 21600, which gives 6 vibrations per second instead of 5. Slightly larger than the previous one and of similar construction, this family would be made for over twenty years, a huge success, made from 1938 until 1963. And this without the need to improve it, apart from the non-magnetic, the shockproof, the unbreakable spring, and the screwless balance, new features also applied to all the other Omega calibres. Not only will it be equipped without problems with a central second hand from 1939, which will give rise to the R 13.5 SC-250, but, thanks to the screwless balance mounted in 1959 on the caliber 245, it will even be possible, without loss of precision , reduce its frequency from 21,600 to 19,800 vibrations per hour (which became the typical frequency of almost all new Omega calibers from 1943).

This is the 244 R13.5 SS PC AM version, hand-wound mechanical running at 21,600 vibrations per hour, N° 12 449 261 (which allows me to date it to 1950 exactly) with 17 jewels. It is of course in perfect working order, revised, checked and adjusted by me.

strap : in genuine grained calfskin, black, new, vintage.
Signatures : winding crown, movement, dial, case, and glass.
Observations and strengths : Covered with a rather rare "cow horn" case, it is a marvel, observe its typical lines of this period. But above all, it is new from stock, it has never been sold or worn, a model that you will not find on every wrist!

PayPal : I seeus offers the option to pay by PayPal, please contact me (ask me by message) for all your questions

FREE for shipment by colissimo with tracking OR 12 € by registered colissimo with insurance.

Shipping after your payment Where by check (payable to Eric Baldin), Where PayPal Where bank transfer.

Also note, for new ebayers, the objects will be sent only after the collection of their payment, no cash on delivery possible, thank you for your understanding.

If you want other information or photos, do not hesitate to contact me every day:

Eric BALDIN “Ô Cœur du Temps…” (by message ask me on ocoeurdutemps at orange.fr OR my telephone number 0675 863750).