Hello all

I'm trying to find out more about a recent purchase - a 30T2RG chronometre with the reference 14161. I requested an extract from the archives from Omega, but they no longer have the records for this watch. I contacted Franco at squelette and he suggested posting it here.

The watch is a very large size for 1940s at 37.4mm (I guess maybe originally 37.5 looks to me like the case may have been repolished in the past) and it's in rose gold. Dial is original and I believe the handset it original too, although Franco thought it might be a replacement.

I attach pictures here and hope that someone can shed a bit more light on this reference, has it been seen before?

 

Hello
have been in touch with MrJones - and what I think of this watch is that, together with an excellent dial, a nice movement, dubious hands (leaf hands needed, I think) - it has a case that, we would say, does not belong to a chronometre.
However, it is ref. 14161 - a case reference number not distant fom the 14159 which I have. The 14159 is also an atypical chronometre reference (similar to Erich's ref 2363), so was wondering if we are facing an as-yet-undescribed chronometre case.
I am told that Omega archives do not contain this information, which does not help.
I enclose images for my extract and my watch. May be Erich has seen one of these already?
Best wishes
Franco

 

That's an amazing find. It feels like case is original even if not seen before. Hopefully we learn more but either way beautiful.

 

We do not know if it is a great find yet. But would love to know if it is !
Dauphine hands, am afraid, never seen in proper Rg watches.
Ciao F

 

I was watching this one as well but ended up passing due to the hands, South American seller, and unknown reference number to me.

Following along to see what you find out!

 

I was following this auction but didn't have the courage to bid I'm under the impression that this is a potentially unknown chronometre variant due to the the closeness of the reference numbers 144161 and 14159. The hands do seem odd but stranger things have happened. Perhaps @mac_omega will chime in.

Congratulations on your purchase @mrjones!

 

Waiting for the outcome

 

Another weirdly interesting one. Similar case, reprinted dial. They say ref. 14142, movement no. 11'060'016, but then case n. 14163 and 10824006. There is one number too many - I guess they managed to get Omega Museum information.

 

thanks for all the thoughts and input so far gents, the Christie's watch with another very close reference is obviously interesting.

Can someone explain how the Omega reference system works - how do the 5 digit reference numbers (14159 / 14161 etc) fit in to the more normal four digit (2366 / 2367) numbering system?

@Franco can you clarify your comment above - is 14142 the actual ref for the model, and 14163 the ref for the case only?

I'm mostly collect English and military watches, so forgive my ignorance here!

 

For Rg chronometres: steel cases usually have just the reference number for the model (e.g. 2367), and the Omega marks. The Omega Museum can only say if the serial on the movement was corresponding to a certain type of case or reference.

Gold cases usually have a serial number for the case, and the museum can say which movement belonged to which case by the serial number.
This is not possible often for cases produced by the local Omega firm, i.e. France, Argentina, Italy, UK which I have seen.

Not sure about a serial on the inside back of a gold watch, as it seems to be in this case.

The five-digits vs the 4 digits as far as I know has no rules. Know however that often Omega, like Longines, used their internal reference system

 

ok understood, so are there example of non-chronometre watches in case 14161 / 14159 / 14163?

I can't find any searching, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong places...