Omega Seamaster Cal.501 14ct 1958 Original Unrestored Two-Tone Dial

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 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 the 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

The Omega Seamaster was first released in 1948 and has been a cornerstone of Omega’s product range ever since, remaining in production to the current day. The model has always represented the highest standards of accuracy, reliability and dependability. Its design and robust construction have always meant solidity and excellent standards of shock, water and dust resistance.

The example here is a rare early 14ct gold Seamaster, which is in superb original condition in every aspect. Usually, watches of this age have had, or are in need of, a dial restoration and often some work on the case. However, here, due to the superb original state of preservation, we have left all completely alone save for some very gentle cleaning and hand-polishing, along with a movement overhaul and service.

Note: This watch would make a wonderful 60th birthday or anniversary present!

The Dial

The superb two-tone dial is in tip-top original condition, save for some very light spotting which is mostly unseen, except under high magnification. It is very rare to find an original unrestored dial in such superb and original condition. Typically a dial of this age will have been damaged to a lesser or greater extent by one or more of the following… sunlight, humidity and dust. These typically cause fading, staining, spotting and pitting. However, this dial has almost none of these. It is just about as good as an original dial can be, after 60 years and a great deal of care.

This is the classic 1950s Seamaster design with bold applied gilt numerals and ‘Dagger’ hour indices, matched with the original ‘Dauphine’ hands and centre seconds hand.

The centre of the dial is Silver-White, while the outer dial is Silver. However, depending on how the dial catches the light, the subtle difference can contrast, or seem the same, or even reverse, as we have tried to demonstrate in the photographs.

This is the original unrestored dial which has simply been gently brushed with small, soft, dry artists paint brush, to clean it and remove any dust.

The Movement

Between 1948 and 1958, Omega used ‘Bumper’ automatic watch movements which used an oscillating rotor, bouncing between two springs to wind the watch. However, this watch carries Omega’s first 360 degree fully rotating rotor. The Calibre 501 automatic movement was an Omega milestone design of very high quality. It is highly accurate, highly reliable and highly dependable in all conditions.

As can be seen in the photographs, the copper-plated beryllium bronze, high grade Cal.501, 20 jewels automatic movement is in simply spectacular condition! The movement is correctly signed: Omega Watch Co, Swiss, with the Calibre number 501 and ’20 Jewels’, along with the serial number 16,477,554 which dates this watch to 1958.

The movement has been fully overhauled by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. This means disassembling the watch movement down to all its component parts, careful inspection under high magnification, and replacement where necessary with only genuine Omega parts, then careful reassembly and adjustment before final calibration in 5 positions. This watch, therefore, winds, sets and runs accurately and reliably within +2 seconds per day, averaged over 5 positions. Please bear in mind this kind of performance is outstanding for any watch, and particularly of this age. This is no exaggeration – we have checked these test results on our electronic watch timegrapher. The movement also has a 46 hour power reserve when fully wound. We are therefore highly confident in offering 12 months’ warranty with this watch movement*.

The automatic winding mechanism is very efficient and if worn regularly each day, this watch will never need winding and seldom need resetting. The movement winds, runs and sets smoothly and is working perfectly.

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

The Case

The noticeably heavy 14ct Yellow Gold case measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the correct original signed Omega winding crown.

The case has a heavy, press-fit case-back with a strong, deep, main body and substantial swept back lugs. This was one of the very last proper Omega Seamasters, with a screw-back case-back and without the Seamaster motif. Importantly, the case back is of full thickness and has never been engraved.

The case is immaculate, with no scratches, dings or other marks visible to the naked eye. Indeed it would be very difficult to distinguish this watch case from a ‘new old stock’ example in the Omega Museum in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland!

Inside the case-back, all is exactly it should be: Double signed Dennison and Omega Watch Co. This is because this watch case was made in the UK for Omega by Dennison, as a great many watch cases were, during this period. The case carries Birmingham UK 14ct Hallmarks and the case reference number 916698. Please note, the watch case was hallmarked in Birmingham in 1960, so this watch could rightfully be described as either a 1958 watch, based on the movement serial number, or a 1960 watch, based on the case, or even a 1959 watch, this being somewhere in-between.

This was originally marketed as a waterproof watch and although the rubber seals have been replaced as part of the restoration, the watch has not been tested for water resistance and this is not guaranteed.

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

The Strap & Buckle

We have fitted a high quality, Chestnut Lizard strap with a gold plated Omega buckle, which we feel matches the watch very well. 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. However, we 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 1958. Our detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included in the sale, along with our detailed receipt and 12 months’ warranty*. 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 at any time, 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 matching vintage Omega presentation box shown in the photographs is included.

In Conclusion

A simply stunning example of an early 14ct Omega Seamaster in beautiful condition, which is perfect for use as a dress watch for special occasions. However, as Omega Seamaster watches were designed to be waterproof, dustproof and shockproof, this watch is also perfectly suitable for use as an everyday watch.

The 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 Seamaster watches are highly collectable and the rarity of this early 14ct watch means its value will always remain strong.

This watch will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though vintage Omega prices have risen markedly recently, we feel fine examples such as this still remain undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage watches expands, availability will become more limited, so 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. 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 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.

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 our landline  020 7727 7095   or mobile  07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095  or mobile +44 7515 949 250.

We are here, ready, available and awaiting your call! 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.