OMEGA
Omega is a Swiss luxury watchmaker known for producing high-quality and prestigious timepieces. The company was founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland; Louis Brandt started as a watchmaker, and he produced key-wound pocket watches. Originally, it was called "Louis Brandt et Frère" and they primarily produced pocket watches and it was until 1903 that the company officially adopted the name "Omega."
Throughout its history, Omega has continued to innovate and produce high-quality timepieces. Today, it remains one of the most prestigious and respected Swiss watchmakers, offering a diverse range of collections that cater to various lifestyles and tastes. Today, Omega continues to be a prominent and highly regarded Swiss luxury watch brand.
"Vintage Omega watches are very highly regarded for their quality, particularly their movements which are outstanding."
OMEGA SEAMASTER
Seamaster, the longest product line still produced by Omega. It is also, the first waterproof watch Omega and the oldest current Omega's collection, "The Omega Seamaster is a line of manual winding, automatic, chronometer and quartz watches that Omega has produces since 1948."
Originally, it was produced in 1932 based upon designs made for the British Royal Navy to be used in submarines during the war. The Omega Seamaster turned out to also be useful for watches and in 1948 it debuted in celebration of Omega's 100th anniversary. "The model was an immediate hit and became the brand’s best seller."
"The Seamaster is the longest product line still produced by Omega."
AUTOMATIC WATCH MOVEMENT
It was until 1926 that Fortis introduced the first wristwatch with an automatic winding rotor designed by the British watchmaker John Harwood. Harwood modeled the new design on the one that Abraham-Louis Perrelet devised for pocket watches in the 18th century. Harwood culminated in the first prototype of a self-winding wristwatch that was created from a discarded pocket watch. He also was inspired by the actions of a wooden see-saw in a playground – he noted how the energy from the bump-stop sent the plank back into the air.
From the Northern Watch Co Magazine, “Harwood’s original automatic had two plungers, bit like miniature shock absorbers on a motorcycle, to act as pushers inside the case. The rotor ran on a little track and bounced between the two plungers. Harwood staked all he had on his own watch factory in 1928 and started making his watches, but the crash of `29 and the Depression put him out of business. (…) That left the field open for the Swiss and the Americans, who were very big on watchmaking in the 1930s.”
From omegawatches website – “An automatic first 1931. Affecting the design of movement for generations to come, OMEGA prototyped the first automatic movement to use two weights. This new design enabled the winding of the movement in both directions, dramatically improving winding efficiency. What was one a prototype has since evolved to become the industry standard and is still in use today, powering a wide spectrum of mechanical watches.”
Omega is well-known for both aesthetically and mechanical innovations, thanks to that, Omega made its debut into automatic wristwatches in 1943 when Omega first commercialized an automatic movement built around the “bumper” principle, the caliber 28.10 (renamed 330 in 1949 and became the basis of the calibers 34_ and 35_) bumper automatic movement – considered to be one of Omega’s legendary calibers. The term “bumper” refers to a type of self-winding, automatic movement which were very popular from the 1930s to 1950s, usually from Jaeger LeCoultre, Omega, Mido and more.
Bumper automatic watches were expensive when new and consequently were typically looked after well. Omega among the last to abandon the bumper technology, they manufactured these bumper mechanisms until 1955. By the 1950s, all the top tier Swiss makers gradually introduced rotor winding movements and certainly by 1960, bumper movements had all but disappeared from the industry as a whole.
Bumper vs. Rotor Movements
While a conventional automatic lets the rotor slip back and forth using gravity (the rotor spins a full 360 degrees), a bumper automatic watch works by using kinetic energy (an oscillating weight) to bounce the rotor from one side of the watch to the other (a bumper moves back and forth at about 120 degrees), thus winding it as you move your wrist, the bumper have two springs inside that send the rotor back on its original path. This bumping can be felt by the person wearing the watch.
1950 OMEGA Seamaster
Bumper Automatic
Ref. 2577-17
Wristwatch
IN BOX!
This highly collectible 1950 Omega Seamaster Bumper Automatic is a beautiful, well-preserved mid-century timepiece.
Featuring an original Omega bumper automatic movement caliber 351, it is a self-winding watch with 17 jewels, a sweep second hand, a 42-hour power reserve, and a frequency of 19,800 A/h. Swiss-made and in excellent condition.
It still has the original two-tone dial with gold Arabic numerals and square hour markers setting against the bold inner minute/second track, complemented by matching gold hands. The dial is also signed with the Omega name and logo, with "Automatic" at the top and "Seamaster" at the bottom.
Encased in a 34.4mm round stainless steel case with a fixed bezel and stylish lug design. Original Omega signed crown.
It comes on a brand-new Hadley-Roma blue genuine leather two-piece strap. Also, it is coming with the original Omega box.
After 75 years old, it continues to perform well, keeping precise time.
This vintage Omega Seamaster is an exceptional find for any watch collector, showcasing the brand’s impeccable quality and legacy.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or reasonable offers. Thank you for looking!
Movement:
OMEGA Watch Co.
Swiss
Seventeen 17 Jewels
Unadjusted
Cal. 351
12099403
Case Back Markings:
Omega Watch Co.
Fab. Suisse
Swiss Made
Acier Staybrite
2577-17
SC
Measurements (mm):
Case Diameter 34.4
Case Diameter w/Crown 37.5
Case Lug to Lug 43
Case Thickness 11
Lug Width 18
Band Width 18
Vintage watches are traditionally smaller than today's watches. Men’s watches typically measure between 29-36mm wide (some larger, some smaller) excluding the crown. In the listing details we typically try to do our best to list all pertinent dimensions of a watch. If you don't see it, or we failed to do so, please reach out to us. Women’s watches from the 1900s-1970s were also much smaller than today's offerings. Please also feel free to ask any questions you have pertaining to size.
We prefer to shoot photographs outside when weather is permitting. However, when we shoot indoors, please be aware that we shoot our photographs inside of lightboxes that are lit with 360 LED bulbs. This indeed magnifies any flaws. Usually, they are much less obvious to the naked eye. Having said that, we never photoshop any of our photography, remove blemishes, etc. We adjust the lighting, when necessary, but what you see is what you are getting, and we take pride in that.
The condition is pre-owned.
The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear but is fully operational and functions as intended.
Please review the photos and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
It will be carefully packed.
Please view our other listings.
Thank you for looking!
WA-4931
