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552 are any chronometer grade

calart
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Hello, I have seen a seamaster 552 with chronometer bridge the owner insists its original
Is that feasible that some 552,s were issued as chrono grade, have to admit I am less likely to believe

s-l16787.webp
 
uk_onega
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Likely a Frankenstein using parks from another watch as the movement is the same
 
calart
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uk_onega uk_onega
Likely a Frankenstein using parks from another watch as the movement is the same
Hi thanks yes that had crossed my mind but was just wondering if it was possible however unlikely
 
JimInOz
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calart calart
Is that feasible that some 552,s were issued as chrono grade,
No, because then it would have been a 551 or a 561.

Parts have been replaced as noted above.
 
dsio
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Yea that's definitely off a 551 or other chronometer, its not a big deal in practice as long as it works as its functionally identical but the owner shouldn't be insisting its original when it isn't. It's don't tend to see it as that much of an issue when its a chronometer bridge on a non-chronometer, but a bigger issue when its a non-chronometer bridge on a chronometer but that's just my personal taste on the matter.
 
Peemacgee
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There are suggestions (in Omega's production records) that there are chronometer grade 562s - but no-one has ever seen one (with evidence that it is correct)

However, I think this is the first time someone has claimed a 552 could be chronometer grade.

I also think it is a movement with swapped out parts.
 
MtV
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If it’s reflected in the price, I wouldn’t mind tbh, effect on functionality and visibility on the wrist are exactly zero. This hobby is all about patience anyways and it’s not uncommon for a chronometer-grade 551/561 to have a non-chronometer replacement bridge. As @dsio noted, it’s the bigger issue (in terms of impact on value anyways) if it’s a non-chronometer bridge in a chronometer watch, so chances aren’t slim you’ll find someone happy to switch and maybe pay for shipping as a little bonus.
 
Dan S
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How doe the owner know it is original? Is it one of those cases where he remembers that his father bought it in such and such a year and never had it serviced? Heard that before. Is the crown original too? These family stories are like a game of telephone, even if the original buyer was truthful, and sometimes the false story goes all the way to the beginning, like with my own father's BS stories. 😀
 
ErichKeane
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Dan S Dan S
How doe the owner know it is original? Is it one of those cases where he remembers that his father bought it in such and such a year and never had it serviced? Heard that before. Is the crown original too? These family stories are like a game of telephone, even if the original buyer was truthful, and sometimes the false story goes all the way to the beginning, like with my own father's BS stories. 😀
Yeah the only way to know FOR SURE is if it has never been serviced/been in a watchmakers hands, which, IMO, is worse than any alternative 😀

It doesn't take much for a watchmaker along these years to decide to/accidentially replace that bridge for some reason or another. A less-organized watchmaker could just have multiples in pieces and get things mixed up, a less scrupulous watchmaker could have damaged the original bridge and replaced it with one out of spare-parts (that happened to be from a 551/561), etc.

I'm not sure I would care TBH, on a watch that old consider this to be a 'service replacement'. It isn't a watch that is particularly valauble/collectable due to it being 'all original', and it isn't a visible piece.
 
Archer
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ErichKeane ErichKeane
Yeah the only way to know FOR SURE is if it has never been serviced/been in a watchmakers hands, which, IMO, is worse than any alternative 😀

It doesn't take much for a watchmaker along these years to decide to/accidentially replace that bridge for some reason or another. A less-organized watchmaker could just have multiples in pieces and get things mixed up, a less scrupulous watchmaker could have damaged the original bridge and replaced it with one out of spare-parts (that happened to be from a 551/561), etc.

I'm not sure I would care TBH, on a watch that old consider this to be a 'service replacement'. It isn't a watch that is particularly valauble/collectable due to it being 'all original', and it isn't a visible piece.
Back in the day when these were current movements, Omega offered the entire automatic assembly as a replacement unit, so all you had to do was remove 2 screws and swap the entire unit out.

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There is no difference between the chronometer and non-chronometer units, other than the text on the bridge. Back in these times it was more about functionality than anything so it would not be beyond the realm of possibility for a watchmaker to install a chronometer unit if that is all they had in stock at the time.
 
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