Omega Bumper Automatic Ref.2550 18ct 1950

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 40s 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 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 landed on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Description

A truly exceptional wonderful bumper automatic dress watch in 18ct yellow gold, in complete original, unrestored and untouched condition. There are numerous aspects which make this watch special, including the stunning honey dial which carries a beautiful even patina. This watch also carries a very high grade Cal.351 bumper automatic movement which is running perfectly.

The Dial

The superb, completely original, unrestored and untouched honey dial catches the light beautifully, as we have tried to demonstrate in the photographs. The original hour indices match the original unrestored ‘dauphine’ yellow gilt hands and look wonderful against the dial and yellow gold case. This is just the kind of style which never goes out of fashion and which many of the largest watch companies are trying to recapture today.

The dial is simply signed with the Omega branding and ‘Omega’ and ‘Automatic’ just below the 12 along with ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom,  below 6.

This dial is completely original, unrestored and untouched and there are some wonderful signs of ageing in the spotting and pitting you see across the dial. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided, in this case, to leave it alone, due to its unusually unique condition and to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original untouched condition. While the dial is in excellent condition for the year and many collectors prefer original and untouched dials, if a customer prefers we could restore the dial of this watch back to its original condition, at no extra cost.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement

As can be seen, the original Omega Chronometer grade Calibre 351, copper-tone bumper automatic movement here is totally pristine. Bumper movements use a rotor which wind the movement by gently bouncing backwards and forwards between two spring ‘bumpers’, caused by the movement of the wearer’s wrist. These watch movements are very accurate and reliable, making this watch perfectly suitable for both evening wear and everyday use.

Calibre 351 movements are highly sought after and highly regarded for their accuracy and reliability. This watch has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker and is calibrated to run arrow straight within +10 seconds per day with a 42-hour power reserve when fully wound. We are therefore more than happy to offer this watch with our 12 months’ warranty on the movement*.

The movement is signed ‘Omega Watch Co Swiss’, ‘Seventeen 17 Jewels’ and Cal.351 with the serial number 12478332 which dates the watch to 1950.

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

The Case

This watch has obviously been very well cared for and has seen only light use. The beautiful 18ct solid yellow gold case has swept-back lugs which raise the case slightly on the wrist and emphasises its presence. At 35mm in diameter, excluding the correct Omega signed crown, this is a good-sized watch by the standards of its day.

The watch has been very well cared for and 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-back, all is correct and as expected, signed ‘Omega Watch Co.’, ‘Fab Suisse’ and ‘Swiss Made’ with the case serial number 10995942, the model reference 2550 and UK 18ct hallmarks.

Please note – as ever our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap and Buckle

The watch is fitted with a high quality black leather strap and Omega gold-plated buckle, which we feel suits 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 burgundy and black straps in stock, in plain, padded leather, alligator, crocodile or lizard skin.

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 1950.

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 also 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”.

This watch comes complete with a high quality hardwood presentation box as shown in the photographs.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 month warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or 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 who happen to visit London 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 hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

A truly beautiful and very rare vintage automatic dress watch with a good-sized 18ct yellow gold case, from one of Switzerland’s best known and most respected brands. The Omega Calibre 351 bumper automatic movement is of a very high grade and on a par with watches far more expensive than this. Indeed when new, this watch would have cost more than the equivalent Rolex. Omega watches are highly collectable and the rarity of this watch means the value will always remain strong.

A word on 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 means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly 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 note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or a small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will also 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 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you