Last week, Alex started an interesting thread on art-deco '20's and '30's movements that ended up discussing the "Medicus" 23.4 sc . Here's the one I picked up, just arrived today in an old Omega swiss made box (but not old enough!) Here are the sellers gut shots. Came with an old Hadley-Roma strap(logo barely visible) and possibly the original buckle. Seconds hand is bent a little (may not be right, seems long, Hoi) and I'm not even going to touch the crown yet to try and wind or set or anything until I learn more. I would be extremely grateful for any advice on how to proceed, a plan of action over and above of "get it serviced" and "don't touch that dial". This obviously won't be a wearer, per se, and I'm not going to spend much on it. My gut is just to clean and oil the movement but I'm open to consider a little sympathetic upkeep if anyone has any thoughts, ideas or experiences.
I don't even need to say how I feel about this... You did well uncle buck. As for upkeep, I would leave alone. The dial is healthy and lightly aged, looks much better than the sellers pics. Love your first shot which really accentuates the two tone dial!
Thanks Alex, would you clean and oil the movement and use the watch? I'm worried about what might happen to the dial when it is separated from the case. If I find out the second hand is right it may affect what I do. As the person with first dibs, I feel you should be consulted on all matters! I forgot to give a hearty thanks to Warren for alerting me to the significance and collectability of this piece. The more I find out about Omega's history, the more reverent I become.
Congrats, that's the very first naiad model. I am away from my doc, but I will be able to give the Omega ref tomorrow evening when I'm back home. As already said, the dial is very nice (the spots at 5 may be cleaned I think) and the alpha hands very desirable.
Oups! I posted before I had finished so I continue in a new post ( is there any possibility to edit?). You should fear for the dial when opening the watch, the only difficult part is when separating the hands, you should always use a protective sheet to avoid scratches from the hans removing tool. I think the second hand is the right one, I have often seen very long ones on those models, bent towards the dial at the end. The counterweight (round ans sometimes oval) is also typical for this era.
I have a very similar red box from 1943, which I just had out on the table a half hour ago, showing some watches to a good friend. Here it is (open -- I don't seem to have a ready shot of it closed):
Thanks Tire, I would very much appreciate you sharing your knowledge, Warren mentioned naiad but I am ignorant. As for cleaning, the mess between 3 and 5 detracts, but wouldn't you be fearful of trying to remove? Age/patina is a plus in my book as I have mentioned before on this forum, but that looks more like schmutz. Glad to hear about the second hand!
Adam, What box? All I see is a stunning watch! Is that a 30t2 or 30.10 by any chance? It looks quite large. That is exactly my box only this one has gold trim. the bottom states "SWISS MADE" on one corner and "FABRICATION SUISSE" on the other. I will get drunk tonight if this may be a correct box. (watch for 20-30 posts)
The watch in my pic I've shown before -- it's a cal. 26.5 T3, stainless steel with pink gold bezel, sold in Buenos Aires (original booklet with info inscribed by the jeweler in 1943). It seems to have been made for the South American market, and I can't find it in "A Journey Through Time". The screw-down case back is marked "Modele Depose", which I've seen on a number of early '40s Omegas.
Hi, Naiad is the first water resistant line launched by Omega, with 23.4SC. It was some years after the launch of the Marine, the first real diving watch, with a 19.4, You can easily identify the very first model because the back is wider than the rest of the watch. I think this model was launched just after the first 23.4SC (the square medicus) together with the Saint Christophe and the Chantilly. Here some ads of that era : As I wrote I am not currently at home, I will be able to give more precise dates and refs, and pics of the Naiads I have tomorrow. Regarding the dial, I will never give one for any cleaning to anyone. If I decide to try a cleaning, I do it by myself. It is always a risky exercise and you can easily ruin the dial. If you like patina, maybe it is better to keepit as is. If you want to try something, I can give you some hints, the first one being try first on non valuable ones, and go to this one only when you feel confident.
Correct reference is 2120. Omega has the exact watch, dial and all, on the Vintage Database: http://www.omegawatches.com/spirit/history/vintage-omegas/vintage-watches-database?ref=25885 It certainly would be worth spending the bucks on a service. I would ask the watchmaker his opinion on cleaning the gunk off the dial when he see it close up. It might be something very easy to remove, but there is absolutely no way to tell from a photograph. The box is nice, but I think it is of 1960's vintage. Omega had some very distinctive boxes for these watches of the 1930's: I was watching the listing and you did quite well on the purchase. gatorcpa
This picture seems to come from the 1941 catalog, it's probably not the model with the wide back. However the text mentions the 1937 collection so it may be the right reference with an unaccurate picture. I have a copy of the 1941 catalog, I'll check tomorrow. The refs on the ads I posted are 2063 and 2064 with pictures of the same case IMHO. Anyway it's always difficult to identify a ref from catalog pics, they are also often not accurate. Dials and hands were ... let's say varying without understandable explanation at that time, so I usually base my identificationon the case more than on the dial+hands.
Quite true, but very rarely do I see a match of the dial, hands and lugs to a specific watch like this. The 1937 date more likely refers to the introduction of the movement caliber, not the year the watch was offered for sale. It very well could have been sold in 1941. It also could have been offered for several years before or after. Hope this helps, gatorcpa
The 1937 reference on Omega database is the international collection for the model. 23.4SC was creted on year earlier, with the square medicus. However, I fully agree that this date may be irrelevant, it can have stayed in the catalog for four or five years with same ref and case. I noted that ref 2175 in the database has apparenttly the same picture (http://www.omegawatches.com/spirit/history/vintage-omegas/vintage-watches-database?ref=14327) but one is a water resistant naiad, the other a medicus. I'll check if that is also the case in the catalog, or if it's a mistake in the database. I think that the watch posted by Unclebuck has the wide back of the first Naiad, which you can see on ref 2064 (and 2063). It also has a flat bezel (http://www.omegawatches.com/spirit/history/vintage-omegas/vintage-watches-database?ref=20561). For me, 2110 and 2120 have a different case.
Gentlemen, What an age we live in to discuss these matters over so many, many miles. Evan, Thanks for the ref. #, I agree with your thoughts regarding the box, it just feels 70's+ in hand. I had typed a pm to you about this watch piece but deleted it, feeling that I was bothering inappropriately over a few hundred dollar piece. Warren, we were talking about other things, no less respect to you! Adam, having said that about the box, I hope you are on to something. After all, I am wearing a 1949 watch that seems beautiful and current by todays standards, having received a nice compliment today. (Thanks, Stuart) Evan, those bakelite boxes scream art-deco!!!! I picture the Zephyr train or the picture "Metropolis" every time I see one. Definite bucket list item.
You are spot on, Tire. This definitely has the wide back. Any thoughts as to the 49 stamped in the caseback and on the lug? Naiad?
We just started to have fun! I place no ego in those discussions so feel no harm in contradiction. I hope I didn't look aggressive in my answer. If that was the case, I apologise. If not, I post a pic of my 2120 with no wide back and same dial and hands ( )
That's still a mystery for me. I have seen those numbers on cases dating from 1915 to 1940. They do not relate to a catalog reference (at least not one known to me). Maybe production serial numbers? They usually are on both the case and caseback. Maybe one way to identify which parts fits whith which other? I have tried to fit a bezel on a case of the same refbut with a different mysterious number, and it did not fit, so I concluded that they may have been manufactured in different series, with slight differences. If anyone knows the answer, he can make my day!
There's an outfit in Singapore that seems to have several of them. I think they ask some serious money for these, but drop them an e-mail. http://www.heirloom2.com/accessories.htm You never know, gatorcpa