Omega pocket watch

[Bill Keegan]

I have an Omega pocket watch I am trying to identify. The serial # is 1,171,313 which dates it to 1895 to 1900. It looks like a Calibre 19 (about an 18S) with fine and complex deemasking. There is no jewel marking but from the plate mountings I would guess 19 or 21. It is cleary marked Omega on the movement and dial. It has a Glashutte type regulator, not the swan-neck. It has no markings for DDR, DR, CCCR. The watch is open face, SW, SS and in an American silver case. Can anyone provide info.
Thanks,
Bill Keegan

[Bill Keegan]

I have an Omega pocket watch I am trying to identify. The serial # is 1,171,313 which dates it to 1895 to 1900. It looks like a Calibre 19 (about an 18S) with fine and complex deemasking. There is no jewel marking but from the plate mountings I would guess 19 or 21. It is cleary marked Omega on the movement and dial. It has a Glashutte type regulator, not the swan-neck. It has no markings for DDR, DR, CCCR. The watch is open face, SW, SS and in an American silver case. Can anyone provide info.
Thanks,
Bill Keegan

[Kent]

Hi Bill:

Welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board!

I'm not clear how you arrived at the date for your watch. Omega documentation* shows:

1,000,000 = 1907-1910-1912
2,000,000 = 1904 - 1916
3,000,000 = 1906 - 1919
4,000,000 = 1910 - 1919
5,000,000 = 1916 - 1927
6,000,000 = 1923 - 1927
7,000,000 = 1920 - 1935

* Omega memo:
From: Departement: Controle Central de Fabrication
Bienne la 16 Fevrier 1970
Concerne Annees de fabrication

It seems that, like Hamilton and, to some extent, Hampden and Seth Thomas, Omega may have pre-assigned huge blocks of serial numbers to different models or grades. This would account for overlapping series' of numbers, spanning a years.

There don't seem to be any North American railroad watches in the 1,000,000 series or 4,000,000 series and there are only small groups of North American railroad watches in the 3,000,000 series or 5,000,000 series. The bulk of the North American railroad watches seem to be between 2,360,000 and 2,600,000.

My experience with these is that if the number of jewels isn't marked, than its not likely to be 19 or 21 jewels. Can you see an upper center jewel? Similarly, if its not marked to be adjusted, it probably isn't.

If its in an American case, it may very well be an American size watch, as described in this 1908 Ad (http://photos23.flickr.com/35246731_604b147129_o.jpg). The ad says that they are all pendant-set, indicating that the railroad grades may not have been introduced by 1908. Is your watch lever-set or pendant-set (or some other method)?

Can you post a picture of the movement?

[Bill Keegan]

Sorry it took so long to reply. The URL has the link to photos. I contacted the Omega web site and they were not helpful. Omega stated they could only identify a watch by the case serial number, This watch has an American case. They did indicate the watch was probably from year 1886-87. The watch is marked ADJUSTED and is jeweled to the center wheel. This is the first time I am posting pictures to a URL so we will see if I got it correct.
Thanks,
Bill Keegan

omega (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63572218@N00/sets/)

[rrwatch]

Bill,
Your Omega is either a 16 or 17 jewel movement, depending on whether or not the lower center wheel pivot is jeweled. It lacks cap jewels on either the pallet or escape wheel arbors, so it does not contain more than 17 jewels.
I have a serial number/date index from Kevin James that puts the date of your movement at about 1895/6. A few years ago, I received a letter from the Omega museum that indicated that some of the dating on the Omega website was incorrect. They listed some specific serial numbers in the 2,3XX,XXX range as being from the 1905 period, which corresponds to the data in Mr. James list.

[Gary Renaud]

Can you help by telling me how do I post a new thread about my pocket Omega watch? I've looked everywhere on this page but can find the correct link. Thanks

[Kent]

Hi Gary:

Welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watches Message Board! We'd love to learn about your watch.

First, go to the European & Other Pocket Watches Forum (http://mb.nawcc.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=29).

Then, look on the left-hand side of the page, about halfway down from the top. You should see the button "New Thread"