I believe the style of Arabic numerals seen on this dial below are called Breguet numbers. Whatever, I really love 'em.

But it seems they are only to be found on Omegas imported into the USA. Is this correct, or are there European Omegas with these Breguet numbers? Because, one way or another, I'm going to have to get a dial with numbers like this . . .

 

I love it, Dennis, but I think that one might be a bit beyond my means . . .

 

Yours & mine both, brother.

 

Hi,

Those Breguet style numerals were also usually used in european watches before the war.

French ad from 1910's :


1925 French catalog :


1936 German catalog :

 

Interesting. So what happened? Post 1945 we seem to find that the Breguet numbers are no longer offered on the European watches, with one notable exception - the Centenary 2499, at 12 o'clock only. It is either plain Arabic numbers or hour batons or a combination of both. But large numbers of movements and dials exported to the USA, which end up in American 14k cases in the G6xxx series, do have the Breguet numerals.

 

Does the dynamic iii count? If I'm following this correctly i think this is what we are talking about? Like in this thread:

http://omegaforums.net/threads/new-watch-dynamic-automatic.7809/#post-92273

 

Dear me. Such a thing is far, far, too modern. After 1955 I lose all interest

 

Well, yes - but i was attempting to tackle the original question... Maybe not in the spirit though!

 

Hi again,

Sorry I continued to search my collection and catalogs I have, but I found nothing with those numerals after 1940's , except for

a 1966 Pocket Watch :



Two quartz watches from 1980 :




The quartz symbol from 1990 :



The Deville Tonneau from 1998 :


this ref 1360099 from 1972 :


So nothing post war and before 1955....... Even in my US catalogs.

Are you sure that the dial you showed in your first post is original?

 

Many thanks for this useful research, chaps. That pretty much confirms my own conclusions, and it is strange because post 1946 there are lots of Brequet dials on USA Omegas. Norm has just sold a beauty with numbers at every point on the dial, and Tim Mackrain has a nice black dial example from the early 1950s -



And there are loads of these 14k automatics in the G6xxx series, usually with a Wadsworth case -



So it seems that for a while after WW II, Breguet numbers were really cool in the USA but rather old hat in Europe, at least as far as Omega were concerned.

 

Hi,

I can't be affirmative, my interest goes on pre 1950 Omega, I have much less watches or documentation from later period, but I would say that this style was somehow old after mid 30's, when replaced by art deco style.

However, what about having a couple of examples from real watches rather than from catalogs, although I always refer to old catalogs for info on dials and hands, more than on watches, because you can never be sure that the dial and hands have not been replaced for restoration. Moreover, retailers where proposed different dials for the same case during the 30's and probably also at other periods, so alternative dials could have been assembled at the Bienne factory, or by the retailer before the sale.

A nice 26.5 from around 1933 with enamel dial and matching Breguet hands :


Another 26.5 with original painted dial and other hands :


Unusual case (lugs are probably not original Omega, the rest is) from the 20's with enamel dial :


An older (mid 10's) silver cushion :


And my 1998 DeVille Tonneau

 

Lovely examples, TC, thank you very much. So the Breguet numbers go a long way back, and would indeed have seemed pretty old-fashioned by the early 1950s. It is always dangerous to generalise, of course, but from the evidence it would seem that for Europe dial numbers were standardised to a very plain non-serif style after WW II. Then we see a further trend away from numbers altogether in the 1960s, with simple hour batons and a minimum of decoration.

 

Yes the Breguet numbers were used a lot on Pocket Watches and early wristwatches. I guess taht during the mid 30's the fashion was on art deco with simple straight lines.
To illustrate :
this page of a 1927 Catalog is still full of Breguet numerals :


then this 30's catalog is a kind of transitional, with some Breguet, some art deco numerals and some hour batons without numerals :


then the 1940 catalog has almost only modern numerals


Finally, in this 1955 catalog, you have a majority of dials without numerals :


and when you have some, they are of this modern style (1956) :

 

Incoming, a dainty 1930s model with Breguet numerals to add to the milieu,
Based on 31mm diameter and production year I imagine it is a 26.5...

 

Amazing the wealth of knowledge of some members in the forum. Thanks guys for sharing with the community

 

Did OP ever get that watch? These all look amazing

 

Just helping the thread along. This one's U. S. for sure. From 1949 and with a 351 automatic movement. Love the numeral markers.