Omega Ref.2613 c.1949 | Steel
Kicking things off this week is a relatively rare Omega reference – in fact the first example of this model that we’ve had at Black Bough. The dial has a particularly eye catching configuration, comprising black Arabic numerals and multi-faceted pink batons at the quarters. Styled to match the dial, the leaf-form hour and minute hands are pink metal while the centre seconds hand is tapered blued steel. Measuring just a shade under 35mm, the steel case has distinctive, shapely lugs which have a pronounced flare; the bezel has a sharp chamfer. There are some light spots to the dial and a couple of splodges by 3 o’clock but this is a really cracking vintage watch that looks absolutely great on the wrist. We have fitted this watch with a Christopher Clarke for Black Bough No.3 handmade pig leather strap.
Omega Cal.23.7S T2 | 9ct Gold Enamel Dial
A handsome early Omega wristwatch, this mid-sized model has a white enamel dial with bold black Arabic numerals and blued steel hands. The watch is cased in 9ct gold and hallmarked for the year 1931. Manually wound, the movement has decorative damascened stripes to the backplate and is engraved with the fancy graphic early Omega signature. There are a couple of very small hairlines at the edge of the dial just above the numeral at 2 o’clock but these are only visible with a loupe/strong magnification. The case has light scuffs and scratches from wear.
We have fitted this watch with one of our new Wild Boar leather pull-through watch straps, for which….see below:
Handmade Pull-Through Wild Boar Leather Strap
Made exclusively for Black Bough, these pull-through watch straps are handmade in Shropshire using Italian wild boar leather. The grain of this wild boar leather has a wonderful three dimensionality and a scribed border frames the straps’ edges. The tongues finish in a smart chisel-form tip. Ideal for watches with fixed bar lugs, the straps can be attached in the same way as NATO-style straps. The leather is thinned down to a thickness of 1mm and the supple nature of the leather ensures that the straps fit easily around a watch’s lug bars and case back. To ensure the malleability of the straps they are unlined and a solution of carrageen moss extract is applied to the back of the leather to bind the fibres and smooth the surface. The buckles and keeps are hand sewn using linen thread coated with beeswax.
Telda Triple Calendar c.1950 | Steel/Chrome
Bright and gleaming, this is a new/old stock Telda triple calendar wristwatch made in c.1950. A true time capsule, the watch appears exactly as it would have done when it left the Telda factory some 70 years ago. The days of the week and date automatically advance at midnight and the months require manual advancement at the start of each month via the pusher to the case side at the 2 o’clock position. Two further pushers at 4 o’clock and 10 o’clock respectively allow the quick manual advancement, if required, of the date and day.
Longines Admiral Ref.2301-2 c.1973 | Steel
One of my favourite 1970s models, we’ve had a few examples of the Ref. 2301 over the years. It’s the watch’s proportions that make it such a well-balanced design, from the length of the hour indexes and minute markers to the height, width and curve of the case. A sense of utility and clarity are re-enforced by the Longines calibre 6942 movement which has an unusual hack feature – when the crown is pulled out to the hand setting position, the seconds hand will stop when it reaches the 12 o’clock position, the user can then push the crown back in upon a time signal, or when synchronising to another timepiece, and the seconds hand will start immediately.
In lovely condition the case retains very crisp definition to its satin finished bezel and polished chamfered edges. The winding crown is an unsigned replacement but perfectly complimentary to the original design.
The Merlin Hallmarked 1947 | 9ct Pink Gold
With fancy lugs and a delightful two-tone dial, there’s a great deal to like here. The 9ct pink gold case carries the Poinçon de Maitre of the Swiss makers JSG SA. Even the decorative perlage to the movement is worthy of note. In excellent condition, the dial retains a rich lustre and its two-toning is particularly eye catching. The case has a warm pink tone and retains clean definition to its angles and edges.
Omega Genève Ref.131.019 c.1969 | Steel
A classic gentleman’s dress watch, the 131.019 model was first introduced by Omega in 1962. Made in the late 1960s, this example has applied gold coloured hour markers with black inserts that provide contrast to the silvered sunburst dial finish. The model has a relatively slim profile that measures just 8.5mm in depth including the crystal. Manually wound, this watch incorporates Omega’s excellent 17 jewel calibre 601.
Omega Genève Ref.131.5016 Hallmarked 1973 | 9ct Gold
This gentleman’s dress watch has a vertically satin grained dial. The applied gold indexes have slim black panels to their centres and the baton hands are styled to match. The 9ct yellow gold case has straight lugs and a polished finish with satin finished centre to the case back. Manually wound, the watch is powered by an Omega calibre 613 which has provision for quick date adjustment via a second setting to the crown.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal.P480 | Steel
Mid-sized and mid-century, this Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch has angular, multi-faceted flaring lugs. The two-part case has a solid upper body with an integrated bezel that is stepped and chamfered. Manually wound, the calibre 480 movement is beautifully finished with decoratively damascened bridges. There is patination and light oxidation spotting to the dial as well as a small scratch to the sub seconds dial and a small scratch between 10 and 11 o’clock.
Buy Polywatch
And rounding things off is this pretty miraculous German made polishing paste by PolyWatch. Designed to remove scuffs and scratches from synthetic watch crystals such as plexi-glass, it’s amazing stuff that works by using tiny abrasive particles within the polish to fractionally dissolve the plastic, these smooth away the edges of the scratches which are then filled with some of the original plastic from the watch crystal. You’ll need to use a bit of elbow grease but it works a treat on almost all synthetic crystals. Only £4.95 a tube…much more economical than a crystal change.
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