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Calibre 246 doing my head in - Deco Square

  1. Carlton-Browne Oct 28, 2023

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    I bought this last year to add to a long list of projects and have finally gotten around to making it something of a priority.

    [​IMG]
    It's a pleasant thing, I hope you'll agree, a little on the small side but it has that rather interesting dial pattern which we've seen on a few UGs and Zeniths from the 30s /40s (Yes, I'm looking at you, the owner of that salmon-dialled calibre 249).

    Here are some more photos:
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    As you can see, there is no case reference marked anywhere but I believe we can infer it's a 7362 given we have the case marking on what looks to be the same reference, albeit with a cal 260:

    https://omegaforums.net/threads/universal-genève-four-digit-references.152589/page-7#post-2245110

    I, it appears somewhat absent-mindedly, bought a spare movement that was advertised as a cal 246 but turned out to be a 245, also last year. You will see that my watch is missing the balance wheel and, in any case, I generally prefer to have some spares before I start troubling a watchmaker. The 246 is 19.3mm (8.6 ligne?) and the 245 is 17mm (7.5 ligne?) so that's not going to fly. One interesting point is that my watch appears to be a centre seconds (the more attentive of you will of course note it's a no-seconds), as indeed the 245 appears to be.
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    Spare 246s seem to be fairly sparse but there is this on Ebay (and which seems to be the right size):
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314909914943Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
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    The balance wheel on this one looks shagged so I'm not planning to entertain it but is it a common thing to use a sub-second movement and effectively blank over the second hand pinion? Or is it possible that the 246 is available in both centre and sub-second formats?

    I thought I'd check to see what the Bestfit catalogue offered as an alternative just in case there was a common A Schild/Movado/other equivalent and its giving me a Sonceboz 262 (which at least appears to have an approximately correct ligne size - 8.75) and which also appears to be known as an Aurore Villeret 262. I have no reason to believe there is any commonality with a UG cal 262.

    Can anybody else shed some light on the sub-second thing? Of course, if someone is sitting on a loose 246 movement or knows were I can find one, I really am all ears.

    Finally, do we have a name for this style of dial as a few examples seem to have cropped up in the last couple of years.
     
    Edited Oct 28, 2023
    Duracuir1, bardamu and LesXL like this.
  2. Mark020 not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer Oct 28, 2023

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    Nice one. Funny you mention the lack of a name for this (IMHO) typical UG design, same thing crossed my mind a couple of days ago. I even thought about opening a thread on them. What about Deco Square?
     
  3. LesXL Nov 2, 2023

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    Nice watch!
    Funny enough, I just stumbled upon this one with the same dial a couple of days ago... Similar case and reference number as this one posted by our local UG sales alert manager (@Mark020 )

    I shall receive it beginning of next week ... Needs a lot of love, but it is quite an interesting little thing Screenshot_2023-11-02-21-49-14-47_be80aec1db9a2b53c9d399db0c602181.jpg received_866058971844048.jpeg received_1069439094224872.jpeg received_851009383183066.jpeg received_1642587673225784.jpeg
     
  4. Mark020 not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer Nov 2, 2023

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    Nice one!
     
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  5. Mark020 not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer Nov 3, 2023

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    What do you make of the reference? 6424? And what is the size? Still trying to make sense of the idea behind the 4 digit numbering
     
    Edited Nov 5, 2023
  6. Carlton-Browne Nov 3, 2023

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    Lovely.
     
  7. Mark020 not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer Nov 7, 2023

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  8. LesXL Nov 7, 2023

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    I just got the watch... First pictures. It will need some love but could be a nice little project.

    Aside the service, the upper lug needs to be fixed, and new spring bars welded.

    Maybe for next year :)

    PXL_20231107_121704393.MP.jpg PXL_20231107_121500411.MP.jpg PXL_20231107_121425164.MP.jpg PXL_20231107_121514425.MP.jpg
     
  9. LesXL Nov 7, 2023

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    I believe it's rather a ref 6484 (similar to the one you mentioned here).

    It also has the serial and the reference number separated on the outside caseback.

    - Size is 22mm and 33mm lug to lug.
    - The batch number is 28 with a 2 standing for I don't know what...
    - The back of the dial also has a reference number 68 4153... Not sure why the spacing between the 2, maybe batch 68 and 4153 is a serial number.
    - note there is also a number "28" on the inner back of the top lug... Which matches the batch number on the caseback. Not sure why go to that extend?
    - other than the caliber reference "246", I don't see any other number on the movement PXL_20231107_140555069.MP.jpg PXL_20231107_150930953.MP.jpg PXL_20231107_140305783.MP.jpg
     
  10. Mark020 not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer Nov 7, 2023

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    The 68 number is from the dial maker I think

    Very nice catch btw
     
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  11. Carlton-Browne Nov 7, 2023

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    BTW - I've taken the liberty of changing the name of the thread to include "Deco Square" :whistling:.
     
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  12. LesXL Nov 7, 2023

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    Have you seen any reference number on the back of your dial too?
     
  13. Carlton-Browne Nov 7, 2023

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    I haven't had the dial off yet - I can contemplate sending it off once I have a donor movement. That's work in progress.
     
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  14. CaptainWinsor Nov 8, 2023

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  15. LesXL Nov 9, 2023

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  16. Carlton-Browne Nov 9, 2023

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    Can you show the entire page(s) - I'm keen to know that the advert is for both men's and lady's watches. The, or rather my, received wisdom is that these are men's watches and I just want to be sure.

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  17. CaptainWinsor Nov 11, 2023

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  18. Mark020 not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer Nov 12, 2023

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    Very interesting. However: I'm pretty convinced you will not find a UG marked with 3039 (nor 3040 for that matter)