This Watch

We have here a very stylish and  all original Omega gold dress watch.  The solid 9ct gold, solid 3 piece 12mm thick case is an English case and is fully hallmarked.  At 33.5mm, it is the perfect dress watch.  The classic star of the show is the original dial and round shape shouts 1940s design with elegant hands and mixed Arabic numerals. Again typical designs of the 1940s.  Inside is the mechanical manual wind Omega caliber 283 17 jewells and fully serviced by us and running strongly.  We've paired the watch on a quality brown lizard grain strap but it looks great on anything.

Back to the Dial, The layout is wonderfully “in-between” elegant and utilitarian — an outer seconds track frames the dial beautifully, while the hour markers are a mix of mirror-finish Arabic numerals and dot markers that catch the light in a way photos never quite do justice. Those polished, reflective numerals have real depth to them; they read cleanly but also add a subtle jewellery-like sparkle, especially against the mellowed dial surface. Slim leaf-style hands keep everything refined and in period.

A subtle patina effect on the original silvered dial adds another level of attraction to this fun and interesting watch! providing a sense of symmetry that is a must-have on a dress watch.  The dial is signed simply 'Omega' with the famous Omega logo at 12 o'clock  This is exactly the type of clean and crisp design you want from a late 1940s Omega.

Extra Points 

Founded by Louis Brandt in 1848, Omega started out as La Generale Watch Co., an unassuming, but international business.   It wasn't until 1885, when the company had been taken over by Louis' sons, that the first mass-produced caliber, the Labrador, was released.  By 1903, the company had renamed itself Omega and only two years later were they the official timekeepers at many sporting events across Switzerland.  Omega stepped onto an international stage in 1932 as the official timekeepers at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the first of over 20 Olympic Games. Omega were one of the 12 companies, now known as the Dirty Dozen, commissioned to produce watches for the British Military during the Second World War.  One of Omega's most iconic watches, the Seamaster, was introduced in 1948 to celebrate their 100th anniversary.  Over 70 years later, it is still one of Omega's best selling watches.  Omega made headlines in 1962 when Wally Schirra wore the Speedmaster as part of NASA's first crewed spaceflight programme, making the Speedmaster the first watch to enter space.  It was only a few years before the Speedmaster became the official chronograph for the American space missions and was worn by Buzz Aldrin as well as the Apollo 13 crew.  Omega are still involved with NASA and have been instrumental in creating vital pieces of equipment for space exploration. 

This is exactly the sort of Omega we love: understated at first glance, then full of detail once you spend a moment with it. The combination of the warm 9ct case, that softly aged eggshell dial, and the crisp, mirror-finish numerals is spot on — it’s elegant without being fussy, and it has the sort of honest originality that’s getting harder to find in these late-40s pieces. Add the Omega buckle and the Birmingham jeweller’s box and you’ve got a genuinely special, complete-feeling watch that looks the part whether it’s worn casually or dressed up.  A perfect Birthyear watch for either 1947 or 1950.