Just picked this up. I may have been lucky as I think it’s an uncommon reference. So, am posting it here for the bumper experts such as @MSNWatch @hoipolloi @styggpyggeno1 @cristos71 @John R Smith to let me know if it's good (there may be other experts in this but thought I'd blatantly call the obvious ones so opinions very welcome).

Here it is in the middle of an SM300 and a pie pan Constellation 168.005 (or 168.004, I can never remember). Back has some marks – one for @styggpyggeno1 and his “morons and do it yourselfers” thread. It's a big watch for the '50s.


Back removed and it has the chronometer markings on the rotor. Looking good


Serial number comes out about 1952 which, I think, is early for a 354. Movement looks fairly clean and the screw heads are not chewed up which is unusual for these 60 year old movements. Suspect it hasn’t been serviced regularly…. It doesn’t run for more than thirty seconds but I’ll fix that while I’m servicing it. Balance swings freely. Let down and rotor removed and it's a bit dirty but with nice even colouring:


Case is rose gold cap and in pretty good condition. Will need a new Omega crystal:


De-cased to see the dial properly. Honeycomb dial in very good condition, hands very good and I believe everything is original. I can’t find many pictures of these but, here’s one from an 18k rose gold example and I’m not seeing any differences. Was a bit worried about the straight sided “M” in “AUTOMATIC” but both are the same and all looks fine under magnification:


Reference is 2494-8 and 2657. I thought this was for a 352 but am never sure with the old bumpers.


Here in the middle again and it feels big on the wrist at 36.5 mm with 18 mm lugs.


There's not much information out there for these old jumbo chronometre bumpers but it all looks good to me. Very interested in opinions from anyone. Thanks in advance.

Cheers, Chris

 

looks perfet to me - XL bumpers are rare as hen´s theeth...

 

Oh wow nice find

 

Large bumper, rose gold, and honeycomb. I don't know much, but this sounds like a hen with teeth and a mustache.

 

Overall it looks kosher. I would not worry much about that "M" as the rose gold one in your link does have the same dial. That one looks a little "blobby" though - compared to yours - that looks finer. Mine has all slant M-sides - but it is a totally different dial.

 

Very nice! Super-clean dial, too.

Just to round out the catalogue, here's a full steel cased version with pink dial furniture to go along with your pink gold-capped, and the full pink gold to which you linked:

 

If that's a refinished dial it's perfect. I don't think there's much worry about a 354 being used in that reference.

Nice score!

 

I still hope for someone to mis-list a Chronometre version as an ordinary Seamaster on eBay. The 2577 with a redial I followed a few days ago qiuickly got too expensive for something looking, well, less than pretty.




...Cue some OF member posting gorgeous photos of it in WRUW tomorrow, I'll bet

 

All I can say is...Dibs! As if that would ever happen...congratulations on an incredible find Chris!

 

Thanks for the compliment, but I´m absolutely no bumper expert, I just know a little bit about what I like

Lovely looking watch, which the moment I saw it reminded me of this one which was for sale here not too long ago. A different jumbo reference, in 18kt, but pretty much an identical dial and also running a 354 chronometer.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/rar...-pink-gold-jumbo-seamaster-chronometer.13092/

 

Brilliant, thanks Guys. There's been a few bumper threads lately and the one of @styggpyggeno1 has that beauty above and as well as the one from @cristos71 here.

I mislinked the solid rose gold one as an example just to a picture. It was sold here and is well worth a look. Slightly different ref but seems the same dial as mine.

Tony, that's a beauty as well.

I was pretty confident all would be well but have been waiting to get a thread up here being a bit nervous.. It came from a seller (@ConElPueblo - take note, it does happen) who didn't know what he had and was obviously not a WIS although has a long history of selling watches. Took me all of 30 seconds to decide and then an hour of searching the web to see I hadn't made a stupid mistake. Sold for parts ! Anyway, the Watchmakers force strong is not in me yet but used a little to fire it up for a minute.

@Hijak - always worth asking! I have sold, precisely, zero watches so far... that may change later this year.

Cheers, Chris

 

Just an FYI - that's a 168.005 Constellation. The .004 has a partially hidden (recessed) crown, while the .005 has the angular dogleg lugs.

 

Thanks again, am very happy with it now.

As it's absolutely spot on twice every day, thought it deserved a quick wrist shot as is before rebuild. Here with a Speedmaster Pro.


It's now stripped and has a couple of issues but solveable.

Regards, Chris

 

For anyone interested, I'm servicing this watch over here. The movement looks very nicely preserved but has a few issues...

Regards, Chris

 

Hi Bill

Could very well be as I just measured with a ruler....

I was reading your post here on the 352s the other day. Very interesting, thanks!

Regards, Chris

 

A quite brilliant watch on the wrist as I've finally rebuilt it as shown here.

Have only been wearing it for a few hours but am very taken with it. Just need to find a suitable strap as this was from the spares box. I do have an RG plate BOR so might try that but it would be a shame to separate it from my 166.0002. Seems to wear a lot bigger than my other sixties watches, that couple of mm makes a surprising difference.



Cheers, Chris

 

That really was good hunting!! Well done Sir!

 

Hi guys
Now safely tucked away in my collection
Feeling very lucky