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Chronometer or not?

A
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Hello everybody

I got an interesting watch. The case looks like a reference 2300 but the case back is closed with a bezel as can be seen on the photos. The material is 14k gold.
I think it was delivered to the usa because of the three letter marking.
The movement is an r 17.8sc but finished like a chronometer. Like the 30t2rg it has some parts polished and the pallet fork has beautiful anglage!
Do you think it was a chronometer but not marked as such for lowering export costs to the usa (marked as unadjusted) or do you think it has this finish just for aesthetical reasons?

20230910_215733.jpg 20230910_215703.jpg 20230910_215452.jpg 20230910_215415.jpg 20230910_215410.jpg 20230910_215406.jpg
 
malilis
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Nice watch indeed ! Is the crown original ? large size crown for that vintage watch ..??
 
A
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malilis malilis
Nice watch indeed ! Is the crown original ? large size crown for that vintage watch ..??
I find the crown very big as well. I don't know if it is original. But i have seen ck2300 with similarly sized crowns.
 
s-l1600 (1).jpg omega_ref_2300_stepped_case_wi_1605081647_64ed23e6_progressive.jpg IMG_4125.JPG ref1043-01.jpg
speedb
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I don't believe the r17.8 family were ever chronometer grade, i think you just have a clean looking movement. Import costs would have higher as the gold case is Swiss, rather than the grade of movement.
 
A
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speedb speedb
I don't believe the r17.8 family were ever chronometer grade, i think you just have a clean looking movement. Import costs would have higher as the gold case is Swiss, rather than the grade of movement.

I have to object. It has definitely been produced in chronometer grade. At least the r17.8 without central second.

You can find an example with extract from the archives in this thread:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-chronometre-2144-rare-petite-w-extract.155923/

I would be curious what mac_omega thinks about it.

My movement is not only clean. It has polished inner part of the ratchet wheel, polished teeth of ratchet wheel and crown wheel, anglaged pallet fork, differently shaped upper balance cap jewel setting.
Please compare those photos:
20230910_215415.jpg 20200107_133920kleinpnj8g.jpg
 
mac_omega
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hard to assess because we don´t have any "Chronometre" markings neither on the movement nor on the dial.
Only the Omega archive could shed some light on this "problem" (in case the archive process will be activated again).
As I also wrote in the T17 thread I think there might be some sort of "silent" chronometres which means they show the full finish which is known from other chronometres, i.e. polished teeth of ratchet and crown wheel, pallet fork with anglage, etc. as you pointed out correctly.
All I found were sold to the US (OXG marking) and had a higher jewel count of 17 which was the threshold for higher import duties/taxes.
So the jewel count was not any problem. I don´t know if "declared = marked" chronometres were subject to higher taxes in those days. This would explain why they were not marked as such. Just a theory I can´t proof (yet).
 
gatorcpa
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mac_omega mac_omega
Just a theory I can´t proof (yet).
Here is some information on your theory.

upload_2023-9-11_22-1-45.png


This an excerpt from the November 1949 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. This is only a few years (and a World War) after this watch was made.

It discusses the practice of marking movements as “unadjusted” even if fully adjusted in all positions and isochronism to save on US customs duties.

The whole article can be found here:
https://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2319&rid=0

Hope this helps,
gatorcpa
 
mac_omega
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
Here is some information on your theory.

This is great - thanks a lot! It some sort of "confirms" my thoughts...
 
A
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
Here is some information on your theory.

upload_2023-9-11_22-1-45.png


This an excerpt from the November 1949 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. This is only a few years (and a World War) after this watch was made.

It discusses the practice of marking movements as “unadjusted” even if fully adjusted in all positions and isochronism to save on US customs duties.

The whole article can be found here:
https://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2319&rid=0

Hope this helps,
gatorcpa

Thanks a lot. It fits the 14k case.
 
Archer
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
Here is some information on your theory.

upload_2023-9-11_22-1-45.png


This an excerpt from the November 1949 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. This is only a few years (and a World War) after this watch was made.

It discusses the practice of marking movements as “unadjusted” even if fully adjusted in all positions and isochronism to save on US customs duties.

The whole article can be found here:
https://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2319&rid=0

Hope this helps,
gatorcpa

The article states that:

"Watches adjusted for 5 positions omit the stem down position."

This is incorrect - they omit the crown/stem right position. Hopefully if people are relying on the rest of that article, the information is of better quality.
 
gatorcpa
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“Ademars Piquet”? No, it’s not perfect.
gatorcpa
 
sokard
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You can always check with a timegrapher.....
Chronometer or not after so many years it would be interesting to see how it is performing.

Great info on this post though!!
 
A
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It is not running within chronometer specs anymore :-D
None of my chronometers from the 1940s or 1960s are.
I think that is normal. A good watchmaker might achieve it with a lot of work as far as i know.
But i am only a hobbyist and am proud to have got it running fine enough for daily use and with a healthy amplitude.
I dont want to try dynamic poising and risk scratching or damaging this beautiful movement.
 
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