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18ct rose gold Omega automatic dress watch, 1959 — view 1 of 4
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

18ct rose gold Omega automatic dress watch, 1959

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
OMEGA (maker)
Date
1959
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
rose gold
Stock no.
O.3370
Credit line
Dealer listing, Somlo Antiques (O.3370)
Catalogue title (original)
18ct rose gold OMEGA automatic dress watch. Made 1959 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Somlo Antiques (dealer), London (stock number O.3370), this is a wristwatch by OMEGA, dated 1959. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: rose gold. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Somlo Antiques

These few watches follow the fashion of the 1950's, with their refined style and simplicity featuring plain dials and simple cases, falling just shy of the extragevant and bold 60's. Brand: OMEGA Made: 1959 Model: Dress watch Reference: OT 2897 Calibre: 501 Movement: Automatic Material: 18ct rose gold Features/complications: - Dial: Silvered dial featuring polished applied baton hour indices and Dauphine hands Case dimensions: TBA Bracelet/strap: Leather strap Accessories: - SKU: 03370

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Automatic (self-winding) watches

Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.

What to look for

  • A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
  • 'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
  • A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.

Dating clues

  • Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
  • Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
  • Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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