These two have come into my care from a charity the smaller one is in really nice condition, the case is 9ct gold and it runs well ( the bracelet is from something else) The bigger one is really nice inside but the case is a little more lived in, it too runs well. I gather it’s gold plated. Both are manual winders. I doubt anyone there is old enough to know what a manual winder is, they thought they weren’t runners. I want to find out more so I can give the charity an idea as to what they have and how they can get a good price for them. They won’t get much in the shop. I don’t know much about ladies watches, but I do know that they don’t command anywhere near the prices that bloke’s watches do…..probably on account of women being more sensible that us blokes and tending to go for more accurate quartz watches that are less fiddlesome and probably more reliable than ours! But where’s the fun in that!
The first picture is a watch from the series Omega called “Sapphette”. This series was always in karat gold cases, the gold content depending on the country. This one is 9-karat (.375 gold content). In my country (Canada), and likely in the U S, the cases were 14-karat (.585 gold content), and in much of Europe, they were 18-karat (.750 gold content). All of the Sapphette series had synthetic sapphire glasses in them (not glass, not tempered mineral, but synthetic sapphire). If you look closely, the outer edge of the glass has been faceted. This process involved lapping the facets in the same manner as the facets on a genuine gemstone. The only movement I have ever seen in a Sapphette is the calibre 482, as shown. The markings on the movement in the picture are indistinct, but I believe it has 17-jewels, and is shock protected. The bracelet doesn’t add anything to the watch. It is aftermarket, and the colour is wrong. The watch was likely sold in England, and (oddly), being a Swiss made case, it is lacking the usual hall mark and date letter as would likely be seen on such watches. The watch is likely from the early to mid-1960s. These were a premium watch in that era. The other Omega is in a gold filled (could be 80 micron layer of gold, case is likely marked somewhere), with a steel back. From the Geneva series, and more of a “sports” watch than the Sapphette. Water resistant, not pretty like the Sapphette, but probably more practical if on the wrist of a lady who was more rough-and-tumble compared to the lady who would wear the other one. That butt ugly bracelet is after market, and doesn’t do anything for the watch. A quality leather strap (black, in my opinion) would add a lot to the look. The movement is 17-jewel, and is shock protected. My guess is it is likely from the mid-1970s.
My wife has a few like these. I bought them cheaply (they don’t have much value if that’s part of your question), but she loves them so I paid to have them serviced. The cost of service was far more than their financial value, but she loves wears them so that’s all that matters. The Sapphette most likely came on a braided cord type strap and not that bracelet. The Geneve on slim leather. Both are smart looking when dressed in their period straps.
Another Sapphette, 14-karat white gold, pastel blue tinted synthetic sapphire crystal creating a darker blue “halo” around the circumference. One of my wife’s faves, bought for scrap, rusted out, worn out, but worth the effort to restore. Refinished dial