Hallo Omegoids,

I posted a thread a while back about these curiosities. They don't appear to come up for sale very often and then command cult prices for what they are. Whether that's because people collect and keep them, or that the (Tissot collaboration?) cal 1480 and 1481 is a bit unloved- I think they were only in production from around 72-74....or perhaps even the over the top 70's case styling is too much for most. As a big guy, I've noticed my collection is veering slowly towards the bigger late 60's and early 70's styling anyways. Think Elvis at Vegas, or Evil Knievel jumping canyons (or not) in rockets!!....
Anyway this example came up on ebay Canada being sold out of South Africa and I had to jump.....Yup it's a bit tired, much more of a beater than a safe queen, It also needs a bit of revision and fixing. The case has lost much of it's sunburst lapping and has a couple of dings. It's been worn hard, but the dial and hands look great to me...the best thing of all? 230 USD with shipping !!! You can't even find a bog standard Dynamic for that sort of money nowadays..woo-hoo!! Seems in the description it's going to take a long time to get here, and then it'll go straight to my watch guy.
If any of you has one out there I'd really like to know what kind of Omega strap it takes...or should I go the whole hog and get a stingray strap? vintage-review-omega-geneve-stingray-cobra
These came with and without diver type bezels (though never classed for diving strangely enough)..i'm not sure if this has lost it's one, or never had one. Pics are inconclusive.

 

Curious. The movement looks to me to be the same as some models of Tissot. Namely Tissot 2481. Image from the Ranfft archive.

http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&2&2uswk&Tissot_2481

 

It does say 1481 right next to the balance.

 

The Ranfft image indicates the 2481 is equivalent to Omega 1481, for sure. The reason for my post was that I have never seen an Omega with a Tissot movement! As I stated, “curious” (to me).

 

Interesting point. I'm inclined to believe this movement is original to the watch which the seller states as a '72. As this was the earliest point of production of these models and movements there might have been a more homogenised movement made with a common rotor blade and odd blade attachment. Here is another pic of the movement I must have forgotten to post in all my excitement.

 

As the Ranfft listing indicates, the Omega 1481 and the Tissot 2481 are the same. It seems for certain that the movement is original to the watch. I just find it curious that Omega used this movement, when there were so many other, more familiar calibers available to them, at that time.

 

It was a time of changes...Three years after the first quartz watches appeared. Omega was slowly leaving behind full in-house production of their movements. This was amongst the last mechanicals they produced before they farmed out movements completely. I'm guessing it was both a trial and a cost cutting exercise to work with Tissot. (I don't know if the 1480 was also a collaboration). You're right though, I'd have gone for a cal 565 or a 752....but as I don't have a 1481 in my collection.......

 

Nice catch, I like the silver dial, a bit less shupaz than my gold and blue version. I got this one a few years back. Have not had the chance to wear it yet but looking forward to giving it a run out in a few months time.

 

Wow, what a nice find! I like the slightly eccentric look of these Stingrays. For this price I definitely could not have resisted as well..

Saw one just recently on eBay (with diver bezel and certainly better case condition) which sold for EUR 1.400 (https://www.ebay.de/itm/A-Rare-Vint...4L%2BIMgViLN%2BIKNwvY%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=ncPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network).

And interesting to see that Omega has shared movements with Tissot. Certainly does look as good as the typical Omega calibres of that time.

Enjoy the watch and keep using it as beater

 

Interesting - have you been cryo-frosted?

 

I dig the unique case. Nice pick up.

 

Not quite, my watches are at home while I work in Africa. I have a new job starting in August in Romania and I am planning to take my watches when I move there.

 

I'm a sucker for Omega's from the 70s but this one is a bit much ;-) Actually I think I have a Bulova somewhere with a rather similar case!

 

If you mean it looks rather plain and utilitarian then yes it does. The rotor attachment looks very like that used on the Lemania 5100, is there even a bearing on it? The Omega 1000/1010/1020 series which immediately preceded and indeed followed it was similarly minimalistic. Frankly it looks like what it was: cost cutting. They did something similar with quartz movements, I had a Tissot quartz which used an identical movement to an Omega 70s quartz design.

No offence intended Chips old boy, I too would love one for completeness sake but as you say it is a controversial piece reflecting turbulent times for the Swiss watch industry.

 

There is also the ref 166.122.

 

I sort of like it.... BTW that's not the only non-dive-rated Omega to come with a dive bezel; there is also a 1022 Cosmic 2000 day-date model similar in appearance to the dive-rated 1012 date model.

 

Tissot and Omega movements are different in colour. Omega used the Tissot designed 2481 in some Geneves, under the reference 1481, and Tissot used the Omega designed 1020 in some Tissot watches, with the reference 2930

Tissot:


Omega


There is also a huge squarish Geneve of the same family



which won some obscure design prize back in the day.

 

There is a hummer too with a similar dive bezel to that above which wouldn't be much cop as an actual diver. I forget the case number 198.029 maybe. Ah found it;

 

Couldn't agree more. Utilitarian, cost cutting, stylised, 70's flashy and a little gauche:. "fur coat and nae knickers" as we Scots like to say. : )
... And yet history has perhaps been kinder to the cal 1481 "workhorse" compared to some of the earlier supposedly groundbreaking and terribly flawed "self lubricating" 1xxx models. I forget which ones are a bit of nightmare (for owners and repairers alike) to keep maintained...1001, 1010?
Who can tell me more of the designer Gerald Genta ? I haven't really heard his name in the hushed corridors of the OF.

 

I hear you. I had a 1010 that needed significant expensive work so have been distrustful of the 1000 series ever since. Was your watch a Genta design then? Wasn't aware he worked for Omega too. Not a fan of the AP-RO or Oysterquartz but loved his earlier stuff like the Polerouter etc.