Gold springbars

Verdi · Nov 27, 2020

Hi gang,

I have tried to find some info on this subject but the search button got me nowhere.

Did all solid gold Omegas came with gold spring-bars?
How about gold capped one?

Do stainless steel spring bars damage the solid gold cases? The whole get bigger?

Is there a way to source gold spring bars?

ConElPueblo · Nov 27, 2020

Verdi
Hi gang,

I have tried to find some info on this subject but the search button got me nowhere.

Did all solid gold Omegas came with gold spring-bars?
How about gold capped one?

Do stainless steel spring bars damage the solid gold cases? The whole get bigger?

Is there a way to source gold spring bars?

I don't know whether or not Omegas came with gold springbars, but steel ones will after a long period of use eventually widen the hole a bit. For gold capped watches you should use steel, as the material the holes are cut into are steel as well.

I believe you can source gold spring bars from a number of places, a google search should find a few.

cristos71 · Nov 27, 2020

Verdi
Hi gang,

I have tried to find some info on this subject but the search button got me nowhere.

Did all solid gold Omegas came with gold spring-bars?
How about gold capped one?

Do stainless steel spring bars damage the solid gold cases? The whole get bigger?

Is there a way to source gold spring bars?

In my limited experience I have only had, what I think to be period correct, gold spring bars on 1950's solid gold Omegas that came together with their solid gold bracelets.

Verdi · Nov 27, 2020

ConElPueblo
I don't know whether or not Omegas came with gold springbars, but steel ones will after a long period of use eventually widen the hole a bit. For gold capped watches you should use steel, as the material the holes are cut into are steel as well.

I believe you can source gold spring bars from a number of places, a google search should find a few.

I found one post by Desmond in which he says that solid Connies came with solid gold springbars but I have not seen any anywhere.

Ideally, Id want to source oem solid gold springbars for my Connie.

@cristos71
I would assume that solid gold springbars were also fitted to solid gold watches that came with leather strap.

OllieOnTheRocks · Nov 27, 2020

I had no idea about this. I own a small number of gold watches but none of them have gold spring bars. I bought a 9k Dennison cased Omega from the original family and whilst everything was retained including the strap and 9k buckle, and inner and outer boxes there were no gold spring bars so for Omega Dennison cases at least I don’t believe they came with gold spring bars.

What is the general consensus on this? Should obtaining gold spring bars really be something us collectors should be concerned about?

cristos71 · Nov 27, 2020

Verdi
@cristos71
I would assume that solid gold springbars were also fitted to solid gold watches that came with leather strap.

No, I wouldn't assume that. If that was the case I think we would see many more solid gold spring bars floating around.

ConElPueblo · Nov 27, 2020

cristos71
No, I wouldn't assume that. If that was the case I think we would see many more solid gold spring bars floating around.

The only gold spring bars I've seen for sale were from vintage Rolex watches.

Here is one of the gold spring bars that were on my 18k Certina DS-2 which came on an original Certina strap:

Immensely well built.

Verdi · Nov 27, 2020

Yes, I had solid gold springbars on my solid gold vintage Rolex watches.

Also, I have female solid gold springbars on my solid gold UG Uni-Compax.

I think a company like Omega would also fit gold spring bars to their solid gold watches, especially since its known that steel bars cause excessive wear on the lug holes....this was my “informed” guess....but lets see.

Archer · Nov 27, 2020

I was curious about current production, so I went through Omega's web site, picked out a few solid gold watches,. and looked them up on the Omega Extranet to see what material the spring bars were - they were all steel spring bars.

I then decided to search using specific part and attributes to see if Omega actually had any gold spring bars, and yes they have gold bars listed in both 18k and 9k gold, but none of these are currently shown as available. So it looks like they only used them ion the past.

They even offer gold plated spring bars, and I do see just one of those with stock still available.

068ND4875 | SPRING-BAR

MATERIAL : 20M AU750-2N PLAT

So yes looks like they used them at some point in the past, but no longer use them.

Cheers, Al

mac_omega · Nov 27, 2020

I can only tell you about watches from the 40ies and beginning 50ies: even the high end 18K solid gold chronometres with the 30 Rg movement did not have gold springbars, neither did they have solid gold buckles, just gold plated ones - although they were top line watches of Omega at that time.

M'Bob · Nov 27, 2020

mac_omega
I can only tell you about watches from the 40ies and beginning 50ies: even the high end 18K solid gold chronometres with the 30 Rg movement did not have gold springbars, neither did they have solid gold buckles, just gold plated ones - although they were top line watches of Omega at that time.

However: did some of them come with brass springbars? I believe I’ve seen this, and they would be less deforming than steel, I assume.

Caliber561 · Nov 27, 2020

I have a lightly worn OT2499 Centenary that appears to have gold springbars. The buckle also has a gold springbar. All 18k, presumably.

*The strap is a vintage Longines piece. I believe the keeper is plated.

Dr No · Nov 27, 2020

Caliber561
I have a lightly worn OT2499 Centenary that appears to have gold springbars. The buckle also has a gold springbar. All 18k, presumably.

*The strap is a vintage Longines piece. I believe the keeper is plated.

Every time I see a Centenary for sale, I look for gold springbars. They crop up occasionally, but more often not than with.

My 2499 . . .

. . . came with steel springbars.

Verdi · Nov 28, 2020

Ok, so, it looks like early on gold spring bars were fitted to gold models.

@Archer
Thanks for checking.
Would the gold plated springsbars be better than ss ones in terms of not damaging the lugholes?.....or it was just done for cosmetic purpose to look like the gold watch?

Archer · Nov 28, 2020

Verdi
Ok, so, it looks like early on gold spring bars were fitted to gold models.

@Archer
Thanks for checking.
Would the gold plated springsbars be better than ss ones in terms of not damaging the lugholes?.....or it was just done for cosmetic purpose to look like the gold watch?

Gold plated steel...no better than just using steel.

Spring bars don't usually cause a lot of damage to the holes just from normal wear. Using 18k gold spring bars is certainly a trade off in my view. Sure you have less risk with the lug holes, but IMO more risk of the bar failing and losing the watch.

OllieOnTheRocks · Nov 28, 2020

Archer
Gold plated steel...no better than just using steel.

Spring bars don't usually cause a lot of damage to the holes just from normal wear. Using 18k gold spring bars is certainly a trade off in my view. Sure you have less risk with the lug holes, but IMO more risk of the bar failing and losing the watch.

Very good point! 😀

Gold springbars

Verdi

ConElPueblo

cristos71

Verdi

OllieOnTheRocks

cristos71

ConElPueblo

Verdi

Archer

mac_omega

M'Bob

Caliber561

Dr No

Verdi

Archer

OllieOnTheRocks

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