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18ct white gold Omega automatic wristwatch with diamond set bezel & portrait of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, 1979 — view 1 of 4
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

18ct white gold Omega automatic wristwatch with diamond set bezel & portrait of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, 1979

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
OMEGA (maker)
Date
1979
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
white gold
Dimensions
Case 37 mm
Stock no.
O.3352
Credit line
Dealer listing, Somlo Antiques (O.3352)
Catalogue title (original)
18ct white gold OMEGA automatic wristwatch with diamond set bezel & portrait of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa. Made 1979 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Somlo Antiques (dealer), London (stock number O.3352), this is a wristwatch by OMEGA, dated 1979. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: white gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 37 mm. 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

This custom watch from OMEGA features a diamond set bezel and diamond hour markers, but most importantly a portrait of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa. Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (1930–1999) was the Emir of Bahrain from 1961 until his death in 1999. He played a crucial role in the modernization and development of Bahrain. Brand: OMEGA Made: 1979 Model: Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Reference: - Calibre: 711 Movement: Automatic Material: 18ct white gold Features/complications: Portrait of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa of BAHRAIN Dial: White gold dial featuring applied diamond hour indices with 18ct white gold Dauphine hands Case dimensions: 37mm Bracelet/strap: 18ct white gold bracelet length approximately 182mm Accessories: - SKU: 03352

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

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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