Omega
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 ’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 Speedmasters landed on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
Description
Here we have a Omega Cosmic Triple Date Moonphase, in 18ct pink gold from 1946 – and what a beguiling work of art this timepiece is – and so easy to fall in love with!
In common with Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Longines, vintage Triple Date Moonphase watches of this period each adopted very similar designs for their dials. And while you may pay £20,000+ for the vintage Rolex triple date moonphase version, the Omega watch here has a movement which is at least on par, for a small fraction of the price.
The Dial
The rare, original, unrestored and untouched ivory dial is in top grade condition. The light reflects against the ivory dial wonderfully and complements the applied pink gold standard Arabic numerals and original ‘Dauphine’ hands. The blued sweep date hand features a leaf on the very end which frames the day of the month perfectly. The outer date track in blue, looks superb against the ivory dial, pink gold case, numerals and hands.
Setting this watch is very simple and straightforward. Setting the day of the week is done first. This is achieved by rotating the hands until the correct day is shown. The month is then set via a small pusher on the edge of the case at 2 o’clock. The date of the month is then set via a pusher at 4 o’clock. Finally, the moon phase is set via a pusher at 8 o’clock. An important point to remember is never to advance any of these functions while the hour hand is anywhere close to the number 12, as this can harm the movement. Another point to note is that the month does not auto advance at the end of each month. This is done manually. As long as one remembers these points, the watch will perform faithfully and reliably.
The dial is simply signed ‘Omega’ below 12.
Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however, we decided in this case, due to its unique condition, to retain its originality and charm for the many collectors who prefer this. This watch has a clean original dial with a very even patina, except for a mark at 5 o’clock, which can be seen in the photographs. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored.
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 see here 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
This watch contains its original and very special Omega Calibre 27 DL PC, 17 jewel, moonphase movement. It is in sparkling clean condition, signed ‘Omega Watch Co’, ‘SWISS’ and the movement serial number 10,938,382.
The three push buttons on the edge of the case each have their own responsibilities. The pusher at ‘8’ advances the moonphase by 1 day with a single push, the pusher at ‘2’ advances the month by one with a single push and the pusher at ‘4’ advances the day by one day with a single push. An important point to remember is never to advance any of these functions while the hour hand is anywhere close to the number ‘12’ as this can harm the movement. It is, therefore, safer to set the hands to say 6:30 before operating any of the pushers.
Our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker has just given the movement a full inspection, overhaul and service and commented that he found the movement to be particularly clean and also indicated it has been properly maintained. Following the service he has carefully calibrated the watch and following our final checks, including testing the watch for accuracy on our electronic test instrument, we found the watch to be keeping time within +15 seconds per day. This is outstanding for any watch of this age.
We are very happy to offer the watch with our 12 months’ warranty*. With care and with regular servicing, say every 3 – 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to run quite happily for many more decades to come!
Please note – our 12 months’ warranty will only be applicable if the list price is paid.
The Case
The three-piece 18ct pink gold case measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the correct Omega signed winding crown.
The case, as we would expect from Omega, is very solid and well made and 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. It is signed with the Omega Watch Co branding, ‘Fab Suisse’ and ‘Swiss Made’. The serial number 10802562 is also shown, along with the model reference 2473 and 18ct hallmarks.
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 high quality black leather strap and pink gold-plated Omega buckle has been fitted, 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 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 1946.
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 with a high quality hardwood presentation box as shown in the photographs.
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 watch offers charm, beauty and delight, along with functionality and reliability, which we are happy to stand by completely. This watch is outstanding for its age and the moonphase is working perfectly.
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. 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 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, Repair 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 on +44 207 727 7095.
Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.
Thank you
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
