Medicus cal 23.4SC with bezel ring

Tire-comedon

Hi,
I am not convinced. I never saw an omega case that was not signed and numbered. I saw only one signed but without serial number. It had a 3 digit number, which I presumed (but no certainty) to be either a replacement caseback or a model numbered outside (like the Naiad you have bought) that has been overpolished.

I also never saw an Omega of that period with a spacer ring like the one you present. I don't know about the weems, but the only other rotating bezel Watch from that period from Omega that I know is the St Christopher, which doesn't have a ball bearing under the bezel, only a spring.

I would assume that the caliber dial and bezel are all original and in a very good condition, but they have been fitted in a non Omega case imho.

BTW I was keeping an eye on the Naiad you purchased and was also puzzled by the spacer ring. Would the case inner diameter be 25.6mm without it? Naiad were also produced with 25.6 cal and it could be the case of one of them. That was my guessing looking at the pictures during the sale but, not having bought it, I have not been able to investigate further on this supposition.

There is probably one way to know more : asking for an extract from Omega with the caliber number of the rotating bezel one, they should be able to say with which case it was delivered.

michael e

Hello Tire-comedon.
All three of the other examples I have shown have the same spacer ring as the niad medicus watch I have.
You said the niad medicus I had looked like it had the wrong spacer ring, then I showed you three other examples with the same spacer ring, I might be getting a little confused here so sorry if I am. What did you mean about the spacer ring not being correct, is it something I have missed?

The Omega with the rotating bezel (cal 23.4) is designed with a bezel which is held on by screws from inside the case, as you can see from the front the dial fits in the case perfectly with the uniform white plain space around the edge of the dial like the other Omega watches I have seen of this calibre or era.
what I have is a watch that the movement can only be removed from the back. The dial over hangs the movement so a spacer ring would have been needed to fit the case while the dial still fitted the space of the circumference of the bezel, looking at my pictures of the watch you can see with the dial and movement out of the watch the spacer protrudes a bit on the edges, if this spacer was flush with the dial it would have probably been too thin.
The watch also has 1940 and 1941 case cack service dates etched inside. I cannot imagine someone making this case, spending hours and days just to fit a Omega movement into it, surely to get another Omega case would have been easier? The person who had the machinery and tools in those days to craft a case of this quality must have had good training and money behind them especially to afford the precision tools needed.
The tiny round grooves on the middle case back made in the case making process are identical through a loop to the niad medicus I bought to compare the two watches, the materials used in both cases seems to be of the same quality too.
The case must be a one off, I am pretty certain a watch by any other manufacturer with a case style like this would be known to the collector market but I have not seen another one ever.
I have looked at the other watch you mention in your link and which we have looked at in this thread, this again is a design we have not seen before, The bezel marking and case back shape are very similar to the watch I have.
I think as collectors it is sometimes too easy to dismiss a watch that we have never seen before, to me it is better to investigate before dismissing the watch as a franken watch, the investigation is part of the fun of vintage watches for me. I still strongly believe that this watch and case are a one off made by Omega at the Omega factory as a experiment. I might be bias I know. I would love someone to show me hard evidence like a watch with the same case that was in production by another watch company. but as you have said without historical facts and maybe a time machine it is sometimes not possible.
Could you also answer my question regarding the niad medicus please? Do you think it is correct? and is this how it would have come off the production line?
Many thanks for you input, it is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mick.

michael e

Just a update on this.
I have spoken to the Alain Monachon at the Omega museum regarding the watch with the rotating bezel, according to the Omega ledger the watch is recorded as a CO 2063 stainless steel with gold bezel produced in 1939, we talked at length about the watch and the model 2063.
I said I was under the impression that the 2063 had a bigger dial than the (bezel) watch I own, My pictures above with the dial of my (bezel) watch alongside the Naiad medicus watch clearly show a difference in diameter, isn't the 2063 dial meant to have the same size dial? The dial on the bezel watch looks like it was manufactured to fit the case perfectly. I was also under the impression that the 2063 did not have a removable bezel and have never seen a bi metal 2063 or any other bi metal Omega from this era. I also wondered about the service marks for 1940 and 1941 in the case back, would someone re-case a one year old watch or is the case from another watch if so which watch?
Alain was very helpful and could see my point of view regarding the watch but said without going back in time he could not be certain of the manufacturing origins of the watch, he also noted the similarities in bezel design with the other Omega with inner bezel from the same time period of 1939 which was verified as a Omega CK 2093 by Marco Richon. This again seems a coincidence that both this watch and the bezel watch I have were both produced in the same year.
Hats off to Alain for calling me, we spoke at length about this watch and other Omega watches we both own and have owned, I was surprised at how helpful he was, he also sent a few pictures of some of his watches and the view he has from his desk in his office which was full of Omega goodies. He also owns a collection of Omega medicus watches too.
It is good to know someone has a real passion for watches at the Omega museum just like the rest of us here, he really made a good impression on me so cannot fault the service I got.
I am still non the wiser about this watch though, I know some of you guys know a million times more than me about watches from this era, so my questions are> Have you ever seen a 2063 with a gold bezel? are the bezels on the 2063 a integral part of the case or are they removable? What about the dial diameter, is the dial on the 2063 the same size as the bezel watch I have or is it bigger like the Naiad medicus?

I think my research on this watch is done, I have enjoyed it and guess it will remain a mystery, I might see a watch with the same case one day that doesn't contain a Omega movement or I might not, I might hear news that yes indeed someone owns a bi metal 2063 and it does exist.
My new research project is a 1940s Royal navy Vacheron & Constantin deck watch, I plan to find out which ship it served on so that should be fun. I have a couple of mystery watches which I will post about when I have a bit more time on my hands.
Cheers Mick