Omega Model Ref.2709 18ct Pink Gold 1953

Omega Watches

Since the company was founded in 1848, Omega has pioneered a huge range of innovations. 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 1950s and ’60s introduced the legendary Constellation, Speedmaster, Seamaster 300 and Railmaster. Over these 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 to space on NASA’s Mercury Sigma 7 mission, and in 1969 two Speedmasters landed on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Description

A beautiful 18ct pink gold Omega with an elegant off-white starburst dial from 1953. Omega watches of this period are very highly regarded for their high quality, particularly their movements which are outstanding. Here, the Calibre 344, 17 Jewel hand-wound movement is a gem and with just a simple polish and service, is in tip-top condition and running perfectly. This watch is perfect for evening wear or everyday use, as you so wish. It is also the ideal entry-level watch to the wonderful world of vintage watches.

The Dial

Classic 1950s Omega style – clean and simple and elegant. The off-white dial carries a mix of gilt applied ‘spearhead’ hour indices and yellow gold standard Arabic ‘2 – 4 – 6 – 8 – 10 -12’ hour indices, these being beautifully swept by the original classic ‘Dauphine’ style hands. This watch is subject to an early restoration which has been carried out to a very high standard.

The dial catches the light beautifully, as we have tried to demonstrate in the photographs, however it looks much better face to face in real life.

This large dial is beautifully well-balanced with a subsidiary seconds dial at ‘6’. The dial carries an applied gilt Omega brand and is signed ‘Omega’ and ‘Automatic’ with ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom below the 6.

The Movement

As can be seen, the original Omega Cal.344, copper-tone automatic movement is totally pristine  and looks as good in fact, as the day it was made!

The Omega Cal.344 movement is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability, making this watch ideal for regular daily use.

The movement is signed ‘Omega Watch Co Swiss’ along with the Calibre No.344, ‘Seventeen 17 Jewels’, and the Serial No. 13,998,881 which dates this watch to 1953.

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

The Case

Pink gold watches from the 1950s are rare, as far fewer were produced. At 34.5mm, excluding the Omega crown, this is considered to be a good-sized watch, which coupled with it also being in 18ct pink gold, makes this watch particularly rare.

The case is of obvious high quality and sophistication. It is of a two-piece construction with a press-fit case-back which is tight-fitting and presses down with a pleasing and reassuring pop. The case profile and overall design carry a good deal of 1940s/’50s style with beautifully styled lugs.

This particular case has been very well cared for and is in immaculate condition. After a close inspection has simply required a careful clean and a gentle hand-polish to bring it back to its current excellent condition.

The case-back is of full thickness and has never been inscribed. Inside the case, all is as expected and correctly signed and branded ‘Omega Watch Co’, ‘Fab Suisse’ and ‘Swiss Made’ with the model reference number 2709 and the serial number 11298731. It also carries Swiss Geneva 18ct hallmarks and an early Swiss patent mark.

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

The Strap & Buckle

The watch has been fitted with a high quality black alligator strap with matching pink gold-plated Omega buckle. We think this suits the watch nicely. 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 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 straps if you wish, here.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1953.

Detailed particulars will be included with the sales receipt, along with our 12 months’ warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value will also be provided at the time of sale, 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”.

A high quality hardwood presentation box is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

Omega watches of this quality and rarity will always remain collectable and values will remain strong, therefore this watch will make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though vintage Omega prices have risen markedly of late, we feel excellent examples such as this still remain undervalued. Each year as the world market for fine vintage watches grows ever wider, limited availability means 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 them 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 would wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. 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 check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and unfortunately out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges, however attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those that happen to visit the UK on occasion we are of course more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and your watch directly to you there.

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

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 on Landline 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

We await your call and we will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would 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 enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.