Omega Cal.30 T2 18ct Pink Gold 1945

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 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 into space on NASA’s Mercury Sigma 7 mission, and in 1969 two Omega Speedmasters were the first watches to arrive on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Description

A beautifully restored Cal.30 T2 gentleman’s 18ct pink gold dress watch from 1945. The star of the show here is undoubtedly the movement as the ultra high-grade Cal.30 T2, often specified as chronometer grade, is simply one of the finest hand-wound movements ever conceived. It is an important movement from a horological point of view for its record-breaking levels of accuracy and reliability attained at the numerous competitive trials it entered and won. See below.

Other notable features of this watch include its simply wonderful and highly elegant dial, which is typically 1940s, along with its wonderful oversize 35mm pink gold watch case.

The Dial

The honey-coloured dial carries 1 – 12 standard Arabic numerals with art-deco influences. The numerals are transcribed by the original pink gilt ‘Leaf’ hands.

The dial catches the light wonderfully and changes from a pale mustard yellow in daylight to a deeper golden yellow indoors. It is beautifully balanced with a subsidiary seconds hand at ‘6’.

The dial simply carries the Omega brand and signature. A new correct lens has been fitted as part of the restoration.

This is the original dial which has been restored to the highest standards by our dial restorers who are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Movement

During the late 19th and early 20th century, manufacturers and their master watchmakers expended significant amounts of time and resources in preparation for Observatory trials held throughout Europe. Unlike today’s annual watch fairs, these events were not intended to showcase new products, but to focus on the science of Chronometry and the ability to make chronometers measure time precisely.

Geneva observatory trials were opened exclusively for companies in the Canton of Geneva, whilst Neuenburg (French: Neuchâtel) competitions were open to all manufacturers. This is why Omega and Longines set up branches in Geneva as each wanted to take part in these prestigious Geneva competitions. The Omega Cal.30 was first released in 1939 and was so successful it remained in production, regularly certified as Chronometer grade, until 1963. It became famous for winning the first prize ‘for Precision’ i.e. accuracy and reliability, at the Kew Observatory trials in 1946 and went on to win back to back 1st prizes at the worlds most competitive trials in Geneva and Neuchâtel throughout 1947-1951. It not only beat all comers, including Patek Philippe but also relegated Omega’s own Tourbillon movement to second place!

As can be seen, the movement looks spectacularly pristine having been well cared for and properly maintained. It is marked ‘Omega’, ‘Swiss’ and ’15 jewels’ with the serial number 9686377 which means the date of manufacture was 1945.

The movement has been fully overhauled and serviced by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. The watch winds, runs & sets smoothly and it is keeping excellent time. Following its service, it has been calibrated and is currently running arrow straight at +4 seconds/day! This excellent for any watch of this age and has been verified on our electronic timegrapher instrument. The watch also has an excellent power reserve of 44 hours. We are therefore more than happy to offer 12 months warranty on the movement of this watch*.

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

The Case

The sturdy 18ct pink gold case measures 35mm in diameter, excluding the correct Omega winding crown. This makes this an exceptionally large wristwatch for the period. The case is of three-piece construction, with a rounded case-back which is of full thickness and has never been engraved. This is tight-fitting and presses down with a pleasing and reassuring click.

The case profile is completely rounded where the bezel meets the case and case back, which makes this a very simple and elegant design. Likewise, the elegantly shaped sweeping lugs lift the watch slightly on the wrist, again increasing the overall impression of quality and sophistication.

The watch has been very well cared for and so after a close inspection has simply required a careful clean and a gentle polish to bring it back to its current, almost as new condition. The case, the case-back and bezel are all in superb condition with no marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. Even under high magnification, it is very hard to find any signs of wear, indicating this watch has seen very little use and has had a charmed life.

The case is of full-thickness and has never been inscribed.

Inside the case, all is as expected and correctly signed: ‘Omega’, ‘Swiss Made’ and carries the case serial number 10429635, along with Swiss Geneva 18ct hallmarks.

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

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality, brandy alligator strap has been fitted, along with matching pink gold-plated Omega buckle. 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 at short notice.

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 1945.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

The high quality hardwood presentation box shown in the photographs will be included with this watch.

In Conclusion

An exceptionally high-quality vintage wristwatch with one of the best hand-wound movements of all time. This watch is in as fine a condition as one is likely to find and in a rare 18ct pink gold oversize case.

Omega watches of this quality and rarity will always remain collectable and values will remain strong, so 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.

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.