Omega Cal.285 18ct 1961 Original Dial 35mm

Omega Watches

Since the company was founded in 1848, Omega has pioneered a huge range of technical innovations in watchmaking. Britain’s Royal Flying Corps chose Omega watches in 1917 as official timekeepers for its pilots and again in 1940, RAF Pilots watches were supplied by Omega. The 1940s also saw the first tourbillon wristwatch and the first of the famous Seamaster watches, whilst the ’50s and ’60s introduced the legendary Constellation, Speedmaster, Seamaster 300 and Railmaster. Over the years, everyone from John F. Kennedy to Elvis wore Omega watches on official duties. What’s more, in 1962 astronaut Wally Schirra took his Omega Speedmaster into space on NASA’s Mercury Sigma 7 mission and in 1969, two Omega Speedmasters landed on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Description

A beautiful 18ct gold Omega with an elegant ivory-cream dial from 1961. Omega watches of this period are very highly regarded for their high quality, particularly their movements which are outstanding. Here, the Calibre 285, 17 Jewel hand-wound movement is a gem and following an overhaul and service, is in tip-top condition and running perfectly. This watch is perfect for evening wear or everyday use, as you so wish. Also the ideal entry-level watch to the wonderful world of vintage watches.

The Dial

Classic 1960s Omega style, clean and simple and elegant. The ivory-cream  dial carries gilt applied ‘baton’ hour indices, matched with the original restored classic ‘Lance’ style hands. The dial carries double dagger indices at ‘3, 6, 9 and 12’ which are simply wonderful.

The dial carries an applied gilt Omega brand and is simply signed ‘Omega’ with ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom below the 6.

It is rare to find an unrestored dial in such extraordinarily good original condition. The dial and hands are beginning to show some slight signs of ageing again, making the dial very presentable with just a few giveaway traces of ageing, character, and charm.

The Movement

The Omega Cal.285, 17 Jewel hand-wound movement fitted to this watch was one of Omega’s most successful movements, remaining in production for over 20 years.

Manufactured by Omega between 1940 and 1963, the Omega Cal.285 movement is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability, making this watch perfectly suited for everyday use as well as evening wear. The movement is in tip-top condition having been overhauled and serviced by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. This means it has been completely disassembled to all its component parts, carefully inspected under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only genuine Omega parts before careful reassembly and adjustment and calibration. The watch winds, sets and runs perfectly accurately and reliably within +8 seconds per day, averaged over 5 positions. This is excellent for any watch of this age and has been confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher. The movement also has an excellent 45-hour power reserve when fully wound. We are therefore more than confident in offering 12 months’ warranty with this watch movement*.

The movement is correctly signed ‘Omega’, ‘Swiss’ and ‘Seventeen 17 Jewels’, and carries the Calibre 285, along with the serial number 18,704,132 which dates this watch to 1961.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

The two-piece 18ct yellow gold Omega Swiss made case measures 35mm in diameter, excluding the original signed Omega winding crown. This would have been an average to large-sized gents watch in the early 1960s.  The case, as we would expect from Omega, is very solid and well made.

The press-fit case-back closes with a very solid and satisfying ‘pop’, indicating the case has been impeccably built and maintained. It is of full-thickness and has never been engraved.

Inside the case-back all is correct and as expected: Signed ‘Omega’, ‘Fab Suisse’ and ‘Swiss Made’ with the reference number 14708 – 61.

Having been cleaned, carefully examined and lightly hand-polished by our case maker, the case is totally immaculate, being very crisp with no scratches, dings or other blemishes visible to the naked eye. This, along with the superb general condition of the rest of the watch, indicates this watch has received an excellent level of care and only light use.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

A new brown Alligator strap has been fitted, with matching gold-plated Omega buckle, which we feel matches the watch perfectly. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige, free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, but we can also obtain most types and colours of strap from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 18mm straps if you wish here.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to 1961.

A detailed Particulars document will be included in the sale with a detailed purchase receipt and 12 months’ Warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value will also be provided along with our ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The watch also comes complete a matching vintage Omega presentation box.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no quibble sale or return policy and 12 months’ warranty.*

In Conclusion

This is a first class example of a top quality Omega with the superb Omega Cal.285 hand-wound movement. The movement is of a high grade and on a par with watches far more expensive than this. Omega watches are highly collectable and the rarity of this watch means the value will always remain strong.

If treated with care this watch will remain a simply wonderful timepiece to use, wear, treasure and enjoy, providing excellent reliability as well as a sound financial investment – as long-lasting as the watch itself. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches expands, availability will become more limited, so prices are surely destined to climb ever higher!

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well-known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions please call us on 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas +44 207 727 7095

We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would simply like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting vintage watches, we will also be happy to hear from you.

Finally, please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches!

Thank you.