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Omega Marine Chronometer: Final Piece Of The Puzzle Complete

  1. Tom Dick and Harry Feb 17, 2013

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    Morning all

    As any forum members who know me know my real passion in terms of watches is the Omega Megaquartz F2.4Mhz family and specifically the Marine Chronometer, I've owned over a dozen 2.4Mhz watches but the jewel in my collection are my Marine Chronometers. This dream came to fruition three years ago when I lucked upon the opportunity of a life time to find and birth year, birth day watch sold originally in my hometown of Grimsby from the jewellers I got my first Omega from way back 15 years ago when I was 21.

    The Marine Chronometers as many of you know is a very special watch, the most accurate watch Omega have ever made and the only one to ever be awarded the prestigious title of Marine Chronometer. Although fundamentally the same watch as the Megaquartz F2.4Mhz, the watch was rebranded and produced in 1000 units (in 1511 format) and 6000 units (in 1516 format).

    When new the watches came in a range of bespoke boxes (and so they should, they were £762 when new, which was the price of a two year old Porsche 911 or a brand new family car, as part of the package you received customers also received a set of Marine Chronometer certificates from the Besancon institute confirming the watches status as a Marine Chronometer. Many of these watches lost their certificates but they are available as duplicates from Besancon.

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    The certificates originally came in a Lizard print vinyl folder, I have only seen pictures of these!

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    Anyway, now owning four Marine Chronometers I decided I would have the certificate holders reproduced for my watches, and here are the results, I know it might seem OCD of me but these are such special and amazing watches I wanted the sets to be as complete as they possibly could be

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    Anyway, wanted to share my OCD with the forum and if I do say so myself I am quite pleased with the results


    Cheers Tom
     
  2. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Feb 17, 2013

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    Oh wow, damn fine set you have! So did you have that certificate holder re-made to the original design or is that an old one you've located?
     
  3. SpikiSpikester @ ΩF Staff Member Feb 17, 2013

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    Wow, that's an impressive obsession with detail. Looks great.
     
  4. Tom Dick and Harry Feb 17, 2013

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    Thanks chaps I had a uk company make them bespoke for me from images of the originals! Obviously they are not absolutely identical but I think the quality of the modern ones is better! They weren't cheap to do but well worth it as they complete the sets brilliantly
     
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  5. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Feb 17, 2013

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    Actually that's pretty cool indeed!
     
  6. Privateday7 quotes Miss Universe Feb 17, 2013

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    Wonderful piece of work.......
     
  7. BASE1000 Prolific Speedmaster Hoarder Feb 18, 2013

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    WOW! Great!
    I love this watches and still am a bit sad, that I have sold my two versions a couple of years ago to a great collector.

    Here a pic how they looked like (in front: cal 1516, back: cal 1511)

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  8. BASE1000 Prolific Speedmaster Hoarder Feb 22, 2013

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    As I sold the above shown examples already a couple of years ago, I had a super occasion to finally buy once more a Marine Chronometer from the earlier and more sought after cal. 1511 again. This time even with this fancy paperwork. These are damn impressive watches and I missed mine all the years they are gone. Will arrive next week ::psy::
    Tom I will probably return to you for such a fine cover for the Besançon Certificate!!!
     
  9. BASE1000 Prolific Speedmaster Hoarder Feb 25, 2013

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    Hello guys,
    here is the beast. The original booklet with certificates from Omega and Besancon as well as the original bill from November 1977 in Austria came with it :thumbsup:

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    Tom: You are absolutely right that the quality of this lizzard printed booklet is rather poor and shows this uneven surface as it the sun heated it up too long....
     
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  10. Jaguar Feb 25, 2013

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    :thumbsup:

    a 1511 - congtat's

    I have the 1516 which make me proud - but - in the end of march my ordered 1511 (with the ultra ultra rare wooden box) is mine. Yuppiiiee
     
  11. BASE1000 Prolific Speedmaster Hoarder Feb 25, 2013

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    Damn, yesss, this wooden box is a killer!!!
     
  12. Jaguar Feb 25, 2013

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    :)

    ... with it's brass inlays at the corners ...
     
  13. Tom Dick and Harry Feb 25, 2013

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    Jaguar

    The wooden box with brass inlays looks like this?

    Here's some variations:

    My 1511 in original box with papers from 1977, sold the day I was born, in my home town, from the dealer I got my first Omega from 21 years later!

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    My completely 100% NOS 1516 Marine Chronometer

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    Extremely rare combination, note the SS bezel and plaque, made for the French market as they would not allow Omega to sell the gold bezel version without visible hall marks. The box is amazing, look at the detail in the construction

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    Jaguar, I assume you refer to this box? Also available under a different guise for the later constellation Chronometer as presented to a number of US astronauts

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    Gunnar, great catch mate!

    Cheers Tom
     
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  14. Jaguar Feb 25, 2013

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    the lowest
     
  15. BASE1000 Prolific Speedmaster Hoarder Feb 25, 2013

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    first and last boxes are so cool ::jumpy::
     
  16. Jaguar Feb 25, 2013

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    I get the last one - and - send you pic's as soon as possible
    ;)
     
  17. Tom Dick and Harry Feb 25, 2013

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    Ralph, this box in quite a rare one, I note that the sales date on your new example is 1978 so towards the end of the marketability of the Marine Chronometers and Megaquartz 2400, the box with your is a adaptation of the box set that came with Omega flagship cal 1343 Quartz Chronometer which physically resembled the Marine Chronometer and was introduced as it's replacement, these watches were very much Omega flagship constellation post the MC and as mentioned presented as gift to a number of NASA astronauts. Unfortunately this was around the beginning of the 'dark times' for Omega where their quality started to wain and the quartz revolution which they (amongst others) had started and pioneered nearly caused their demise!

    Gunnar, yep the 1511 box with mine is really nice, I was really lucky, I bought the watch about three years ago as a stroke of luck on ebay advertised in my home county, when I contacted the seller he explained he was in my home town. I bought the watch as a watch only then got an email form him about six months later saying he'd found a few other bits, imagine my amazement when the box, original receipt and instructions arrived in the post!

    Happy days
     
  18. ulackfocus Feb 25, 2013

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  19. Tom Dick and Harry Feb 25, 2013

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    Ralph

    [​IMG]
     
  20. SpikiSpikester @ ΩF Staff Member Oct 25, 2013

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    Decided to bump this thread because it is just too good to stay buried :)
     
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