SERVICED OMEGA GENEVE CHRONOSTOP DRIVER

I picked up the watch last week from the Omega service center. I'm posting pics after it's trip to the "spa" I replaced the strap with a rallye driver style perforated strap with a vintage ss omega buckle.

I read in some forums/posts on mixed reviews regarding the Omega center here in Manila. I have had nothing but great service from them. While they may be expensive, you do get the following in return:

1. Peace of mind that your piece is a genuine omega watch as they obviously will not service fakes.

2. Authentic omega replacement parts. The only "fly in the ointment" is they no longer stock parts for vintage pieces (most pre-1970s models).  The option they will provide for these types is to ship your watch to the head office in Switzerland at an astronomical price tag.

3. An official receipt. This piece of paper adds value to the watch because it authenticates the watch as being genuine and provides you with a 2-yr warranty. So in the event you decide to sell the watch, this piece of paper gives the buyer piece of mind and lays to rest any issue regarding the watch's authenticity. The watch also gets registered in the center's database. You can therefore use the center as an additional referrence. So if you have a potential buyer, it's a powerful statement when you can state, "check the Omega center in Manila. This watch is registered in their database of service records."

Watches: MY 1970 OMEGA GENEVE DYNAMIC DAY DATE

The Geneve Dynamic line was launched in 1967. According to Omega, the elliptical shape of the watch is designed to conform to the anatomy of the wrist making it one of the first ergonomically designed watch. The watch also featured a band made out of Corfam, a material that "breathes" and makes it more comfortable to wear the watch.

True to the spirit of the swinging 70's, this watch came out in a variety of dial designs. I purchased this particular watch because its dial design is not the common design that is found, making it "valuable" from a collection standpoint.

This is a cal. 752, 24 jewels day-date movement. Per the Omega database, the serial number of 32xxxxxx dates this watch to 1970. Access to the internal components is through the dial which requires the use of Tool 107. This is the single "fly in the ointment" aspect of this particular watch - the "Tool 107" inscription found in the caseback can only be faintly seen due to an overzealous effort in polishing the watch by the previous owner. This slightly reduces the over-all value of the watch. 

The dial, crystal, crown, movement and bracelet are all signed. It retains the original luminous white/black hands and orange sweep second hand.

 

The black dial face has a "Formula 1" checkered flags design on the outer markers track and has orange hour markers on white squares. The black color looks washed out due to camera/lighting conditions in the picture but it is inky black and in excellent condition. It also has the original stainless steel integrated omega signed bracelet and deployment buckle - ST 1153/38. Keeps great time - not bad for a 39 year old watch.

Watches: MY 1969 OMEGA GENEVE CHRONOSTOP DRIVER

I was lucky to win this watch in an auction.  I previously dealt with this seller so I was confident that the watch is authentic. 

This watch is a chronostop which means it uses a single pusher to operate the stop watch function.  Pressing the pusher starts the stopwatch hand.  Press and hold the pusher to read the elapsed time and release the pusher to reset the hand back to zero. 

From a design standpoint, this watch is not effective as there is no minute/hour subdial .  Which means that timing events beyond sixty seconds will require you to count the elapsed minutes in your head!  Definitely a no-no for old-fogeys like me who have memory problems. 

Omega produced two calibers for this series:  cal 865 and 920. Cal 865 was produced in 1966 and cal 920 was released in 1968.  The difference between the two is the 920 has a date function and the 865 doesn't.  Both have 17 jewels and are manual winding. 

What makes this model attractive from a collection standpoint is that it was designed specifically to be worn under the wrist.  The idea was that the driver could glance at his watch without taking his hand off the wheel to check the time.

The dial is slate grey in color and the lumes are faded given that this watch is 40 years old.  I'll be taking this to the Omega center to have it checked and cleaned up so hopefully I'll get an improvement in the looks.  I also ordered a perforated rally strap design to replace the strap this watch has.  Hopefully I'll be able to find an Omega No. 27 Deployment buckle which is what this watch would have sported when it was first released.

Watches: My 1949 Omega COSMIC MOONPHASE

Omega made these watches between 1947 and 1956. These were powered by a cal 27 DL PC AM, which was later renamed as cal 381 in 1949.

27 refers to 27mm in diameter; DL refers to the complication of day, date, month and moonphase; PC means that the movement is shock absorbent and AM refers to its anti-magnetic properties.

Info that I got states that Omega had a total production of 50,000 for this movement. This movement has 17 jewels and is manually wound. It is not a true perpetual calendar because although the day, date, and moonphase change automatically as long as the watch was wound, the month needs to be advanced manually by pressing an indented button located in the 4 o'clock position at the side of the case. The pointer date and moonphase are also adjusted through indented buttons at the 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock position. The day is adjusted via winding the hands past 12 midnight. I've posted pics of the recessed buttons at the side.


This model had a number of dial styles, the most common are steel models with printed numbers or hour markers and logo. These don't seem to age well and many of those that I looked at that were for sale had been re-dialed. I have read in some forums of a black dial version with a red date pointer hand but I have yet to see one.



The movement for my watch dates this to 1949 and is a cal 381. The dial has applied numbers and an applied Omega logo. It has a 14k gold bezel and stainless steel case. Original models when they came out in the late 40s had a pigskin strap but this one came with a brown leather strap. It also displays the Day and Month in Spanish. Per Omega, parts are no longer available in stock for English Day-Month displays.

There is a square cased version (case ref OT 3944) and this one is most prized by collectors. The place I purchased my moonphase from had this version for sale but it was way too rich for my blood. The square case version has been re-issued by Omega as part of its limited edition Museum Collection.

 

Watches: Today is a "Red Letter Day" - I got two Omegas!!!

I picked up two watches for my collection today: I got the Geneve Chronostop Driver from the seller in the morning and shortly after lunch, I picked up from another seller my 1949 Omega Cosmic Moonphase.  Yipeee!!!

Here's a teaser shot of the cosmic moonphase:

And here's the Geneve Chronostop Driver:

Stay tuned for my posts on these two.

Watches: My Latest Acquisition - Omega Geneve Chronostop Driver

Just won this in an auction: an Omega Geneve Chronostop Driver cal 865.  Movement serial number would date this to 1969.  This watch was meant to be worn under the wrist as shown in the illustration below:

I expect to get hold of this tomorrow.  I will post additional details on this piece so stay tuned.

Watches: My 1962 Omega Constellation Pie-Pan

First off, let me state that I am not an expert in determining the authenticity of omega watches. In making a decision to purchase a watch, I do a lot of research and homework to ensure that I get my money's worth.  In this day and age of legal squabbles, I unfortunately have to put out this disclaimer in the event someone makes a purchase based on my posts and then blames me for ending up with a fake or a frankenwatch.  As always, be careful out there and the principle "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) should always be the norm in any transaction.  "Buy the seller, not the watch," is a common advice given to collectors. 

The fear of every collector is paying a hefty sum of money for a watch only to find out that you ended up with a watch that is sub par with what you expected it to be.  The sad reality is that the market is flooded with a lot of "frankenwatches" which is a watch made up of a hodge podge of parts that are not specific for that model.  The demand for connies among collectors has spawned so many criminals out there who manufacture fake dials or slap together parts from different movements and then try to sell the watch as authentic. 

The item for sale was a gold cap, 24 jewel, caliber 561, Constellation pie-pan, date.  When I saw this connie up for bid, first thing I checked was the seller's rep.  While he did have a 100% satisfactory rating, I still had my caution mode up.  For those from my era, "Danger Will Robinson," from the robot of that popular TV series "Lost in Space," flashed through my mind.  For one thing, he didn't have that many buyers (less than 50).  It is also possible that a seller is entirely unaware that the goods he's selling may not be the real deal, especially if he's not into watches. 

One good advice given to me when buying online is to ask for a close up picture of the movement and caseback.  Walk away from a seller who refuses to provide this.  This particular seller however had provided several detailed pictures of the movement, caseback, dial, crown and the watch from different angles.  I looked up the serial number in the movement and the caseback number in the omega database and these matched with the period (1962) this watch is suppose to be. So far so good.   

The seller also described the dial as showing tiny dots/bubbles across the face.  This is most likely due to moisture entering the pores of the dial lacquer and corroding the paint of the dial.  In a way, this is a good sign that the dial is original and not refinished.  This patina would be par for course given the age of the watch. I would be wary if a dial from a watch this old looked new.  47 years of age can effect a lot of changes (an old fogey like me definitely knows what it is to be part of the aging process). 

Some would leave the dial alone as it adds to the character of the watch and does not distract from the readability or the over-all beauty of the dial.  After acquiring this watch, I brought this to the Omega center to be serviced. I found out that the reason for the dial corrosion was due to a worn out gasket which allowed moisture to seep in.  While the damage to the dial is minimal, I didn't want this to to be refinished so hopefully the new gasket will help protect the dial from further corrosion

I've learned from my research that one standard way of determining the authenticity of the dial is to use the MOY test.  An imaginary line drawn from the 12 o'clock minute marker should pass through the middle of the first chevron of the letter "M" in the word automatic, through the second letter "O" of the word chronometer, and if the dial contained the words, "Officially Certified," the line should pass just after the letter "Y" of the word officially.  The line should then hit the top point of the star located below the word, Constellation before hitting the 6 o'clock minute marker. The dial for this watch passed this test.

Close examination of the faceting around the date showed the requisite multi-faceting.  The hands were also correct for this particular model and since the markers had onyx inlays, the hands also had the requisite black inserts. So the dial seems to check out as authentic.  The decagonal crown with the raised Omega logo also matches the factory specs for a connie of this period.

Pictures posted by the seller of the gold medallion in the back of the case showed all eight stars clearly.  The acidic properties of sweat in our skin can wear out the logo over time so having a relatively bright, sharp image was another plus for this watch. 

Pictures also showed the sharp edges, unrounded chamfers and clearly defined facets on the lugs. Overpolishing of these can reduce the value of the watch. With these findings, my interest started to rise and my decision was made to bid for the watch.  A search across the net helped me determine the prevailing value of connies so with this in mind and my own limited funds, I made a bid for the watch.  Fortunately I won and here she is sporting a vintage omega gold plated steel rice bead bracelet.

Watches: My Seiko LM (circa 1977)

I visited my parent's home today and went to my old room.  While looking around, I found my old Seiko LM watch in my bedside table.  This was given to me by my parents as a graduation gift from grade school in 1977.

There it was lying at the bottom of the drawer after all these years where I had placed it the last time I must have worn it.  This must have been in 1993 when I bought my Tag Heuer with the first salary I had earned working.  At that point, I had alternated wearing the Tag with my prized Omega Geneve.

While this watch doesn't look much compared to my other watches, it continues to have a special place in my life.  If only this watch could talk, it would have many tales to tell - some memorable, some I would rather forget.   

I remember wearing it for the first time in a long trip in 1978 when I saw Mayon volcano spewing lava at night at a roadside in Albay.  

This watch was on my wrist during the highs and lows of high school and college life. It was what I would look at unconsciously when the school bell would ring to signal the start of classes in high school.  It was what I would stare at, trying to will it to move faster when sitting in a boring class or duirng my math classes where I was academically challenged.  It was the silent witness when I would cut class and spend the time playing video games (space invaders, pinball, pacman) at a nearby shopping center (they weren't called malls yet at that time).  

It was the item I hated to look at during parties especially when it signalled my "curfew time" to go home.  It was the one thing I constantly looked at to keep a date with girls that I courted.  It was the companion on my wrist when my first girlfriend said "yes" underneath a pine tree in the garden of their resthouse in Baguio. This watch was with me to complement my looks while wearing a suit during my high school grad ball, with my girlfriend clinging on to my arm.

And yes, it was also on my wrist on 22 May when we broke up that relationship and said "I love you" to each other for the last time as boyfriend and girlfriend.  After that, it was my silent partner that would seem to whisper to my beer sodden brain for me to go home in the early hours of the morning in the aftermath of my breakup.

This was the unforgiving reminder on my wrist when I struggled through my final exams in college, reminding me that time was almost up while my test booklet was hardly filled up.  It was present during those great times that I shared with my college buddies.  It was on my wrist when I went up the stage to receive my hard earned diploma from the University President

.

This was my faithful companion that kept me on track with my appointments for job interviews and was on my wrist when I signed up for my first job. 

This faithful companion unfortunately was not working when I picked it up today.  Tomorrow, I'm bringing it over to the Seiko service center and have it completely serviced.  It's the least I could do for something that has been a witness to my personal passage of time...

Watches: My 1958 Omega Geneve Calendar Auto

This watch has been with my family since 1959 when it was given to my Grandfather when he retired from the Manila Electric Company - the forerunner of Meralco.  He was an electrician who serviced the streetcars of Manila when these were still around. My grandpa passed this on to my Dad after having worn it for a few days. Being a simple man and coming from a blue collar background, he felt that it was pretentious for him to be wearing a watch. He told my Dad (who was the eldest son) that it would be right for him to wear a watch since he would be the first to be able to finish college. My Dad in turn passed this watch to me when I landed my first job.

The company operated a 52 mile tram transport from 1903 up to World War 2 with a fleet of around 170 streetcars (which were called tranvias then). The equipment and tracks of the system were severely damaged during the war and were eventually removed. Here are some pics of these tranvias which my grandpa serviced. The surviving examples of these tranvias are now on display at the Eugenio Lopez Center museum in Antipolo. It was a moving moment for me when I first saw these in the museum knowing that my grandpa's hands probably worked on these.

Tranvia operating in the streets of Manila

Tranvia in the Lopez Museum, Antipolo

In the late 1950's and early 1960's the Geneve range were part of Omega's top of the range watches. Later in the 1970's they started using the Geneve name for their entry level watches. 1970's watches are common, but the earlier Geneve models are quite scarce, especially with the original rice bead stainless steel bracelet. I came across this post in the net which provided some interesting information regarding the early Geneve range: 

(http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=265)

 

"When Omega took first ,second and third place in the chronometer competition held at the Geneva observatory in 1952 they decided to build a line of watches to commerorate the victory and named Geneve after the city where the competition took place.

They share some features with the Constellation line by having a pie pan shaped dial with cross hairs and an applied Omega name although surprisingly not chronometer spec'd.

In Omegas pecking order they came above the Seamaster line and just below the Constellation.

The way to tell one Geneve from the other as I recently posted is that the later cheaper line has Geneve in small lower case letters whereas the early desireable model has Geneve in fancy script."

This particular watch's movement and case serial number dates its manufacture date to 1958 per the official Omega database.  It is a caliber 503 automatic with 17 jewels

The watch was opened up and serviced for the first time after 37 year in 1995.  Truly a testament to Omega's quality in producing timepieces that not just track time but also try to outlast time! Here it is over half a century since it left the factory in Switzerland and still happy ticking away.

The technicians at the Omega center advised that I have this cleaned and serviced every 10 years but I haven't really strictly followed this since the watch has been keeping accurate time.  I finally had it serviced a few months ago and the technicians pronounced it good to go for another decade or so.  The only thing that worries me is that parts for this particular caliber are starting to become very scarce.  In particular, they identified the setting lever spring and winding gear as showing signs of extensive wear.

Fortunately, after a lengthy search across the net plus several email inquiries later, I was finally able to find a site that specializes in the sale of vintage omega watches.  The owner was kind enough to sell me the parts that I needed even if these were primarily reserved for buyers of his watches. 

It is my hope that I will be able to pass on this great timepiece in full working condition to the next generation.  While this is a gent's watch, I presently have one daughter.  She will get this watch if I will not be blessed with a son.

 

  

 

The Urge

Every once in a while, I get this urge to write and put my thoughts down.  Not that I'm particularly good at it.  I realize that time is fleeting and I recognize the unique opportunity that blogging provides.

Way back in my early high school days, I remember maintaining a diary.  Come to think of it, I wonder where this is right now.  I remember writing a lot of stuff in this little spiral notebook.  I remember drafting all of my love letters in this notebook before finalizing the letter on stationary that I had on hand.  And yes,  I recall putting down my feelings of pain, anger and emptiness when I broke up with her.

Unfortunately, I've never been able to recover that diary.  It would have been great to read these things again and perhaps be able to smile this time around.

And so I've decided to take up blogging in order to preserve my thoughts.  I figured the electronic/digital version of what was once my spiral notebook, would be a better way to store and recover those moments in the past.

True to my being a gemini, I do have a wide range of interests - some of them seemingly contradicting each other.  For instance, I used to collect stuffed toys.  I also like collecting knives.  This blog will be an opportunity to draft my thoughts on these different interests and hopefully be able to get responses from the readers out there.

This entry is the first step that I'm taking to answer "the urge." Perhaps, down the road, you and I will look back at these preserved thoughts, and smile.