Just how rare is this ?

cristos71

Sorry, no it doesn't belong there. Your dial isn't signed Fab.Suisse or equivalent and that's actually what the thread is about.

I get a little bit of the feeling that you're now hoping for something 'rare' that just isn't there. I don't see anything that makes me believe that the case has anything to do with Omega, be it Swiss or French. If you look through the Fab.Suisse roll call thread you will see many examples of the French Omega precious metal cases and they generally have the same old Omega logo, French case number and various assay marks. Unfortunately yours has none of those things.

Flip

Well it does have a french hallmark albeit not an eagle head. I noticed a french Connie on the thread that isn’t a Fab. Suisse and although different, it has a connection to the French market.
Yes I’m a little disappointed but it’s still an oddity all the same. I’ve had enough Omegas though my hands over the years to know that the quality is there even if the name isn’t.
It’s a cracking watch whatever and although it may not be worth anymore after all the research, it’s still rare and I’d say it’s better than a redailed Omega 😀

Bill Sohne

Hi Gary

Please post a photo of your movement as well..... might give some more insight.

It is what it is ..... unsigned 18k gold cased Omega ....

Good Hunting
Bill

Bill Sohne

Hi Thanks...

was looking for IMPORT MARK or something else that might have given additional info.... but nothing else to gather....

Best regards
bill

X350 XJR

OXG is the US import code for Omega watches and or movements. One would not see OXG on a South American watch.

Dan S

Yes, that's why it's called the US import code. 👍

Bill Sohne

Hi Flip

was looking to see if maybe the movement was marked fab suisse.... as a last chance that maybe the movement was for the French market .

good hunting

bill

François Pépin

Hello,

I do not think anything in the watch can be related to one French department in particular. The Owl is an import hallmark - or a hallmark for unknown origin items. That’s it! Your watch is still nice and still has an interesting size, but it has no more relationship to the French market.

Cheers,
François

François Pépin

Hi Gary,

You are right! We discussed this issue before, but I wanted to point that, even IF the 44 really refers to the French departement which has this number, it would only tell that your watch has been assayed in that place. It would not have any other particular relationship with that departement.

By the way, I said "IF" because I am not sure of the meaning of the number on the chest of the owl. Like you, I have read online that this number relates to the assay office which tested the gold item, and that 75 refers to Paris' assay. It may be true even if I have not found any official proof of that statement. But I wonder if any French departement had its own assay office. Today, there are 10 "bureaux de garantie" in France - including the ones outside the metropole - and I would be surprised if there were about 100 of them by the past. Thus I am not sure that 44 actually refers to one particular departement. But it only a doubt I have: I have not found yet any clear data concering this issue.

Best regards,
François

Flip

Hi François,
I forwarded your reply to a French contract who is currently researching the history of French cases, this was his reply ....

“Hi, very interesting, I would agree that it’s highly unlikely that each department had its own assay office, but since the watches which were indeed treated by the parisian office were marked with the number 75, I’d say it’s not a coincidence. My guess is that the 44 on your watch means that the watch was treated by the Loire-Atlantique assay office but that doesn’t mean that the watch was necessarily sold in that department”

We agree that it was a complete watch of unknown origin when it was stamped at the assay office 👍
It’s an odd one whatever it’s history

More research needed, which to me is all part of the fun of owning vintage Watches 😀