Omega Chronomètre ref. 2657, searching for more information

Michal_S. · Thurs. 4:05am

Dear all,

Today I would like to share with you this new find of mine, and I would really appreciate your opinions on it.

It is a 36mm oversized Omega Chronomètre, ref. 2657, with 2494 SC stamped below the caseback. Based on the serial number 1157XXXX, I have dated it to 1947/48. Inside is a Cal. 352, whose production I found started in 1949, so I assume this is a piece from the early production.

I have only found one article discussing these early Chronomètre watches, which mentions that this movement was developed from the chronometer variant of the 28.10 RA.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find much more information. I assume these watches were design predecessors to the Omega Seamaster “beefy lugs” models.

My questions are:

How did the production of the Chronomètre models work? I always thought there was a “basic” model and then a Chronomètre version. What would have been the basic model corresponding to this one? When searching online, I mostly come across the Omega Seamaster “beefy lugs”. Was this design first introduced with the Chronomètre models and then reused for the Seamaster later on?

How rare are these watches, and where would you place them in terms of collectability? For example, I know that the Omega 30T2RG is very popular, but on the other hand, I have never come across a 28.10 in a Chronomètre version.
The watch is in my opinion fully OG including signed crystal.

Thank you very much for your help!

gatorcpa · Sat. 1:08pm

Your questions are kind of all over the place, but I’ll do my best to make sense of this.

Your watch contains a cal. 352 movement, which is the chronometer version of the cal. 351. Both were used in many models including the Seamaster and Constellation model lines. But some were used in dressier watches like Tresors and other had no specific model names at all.

The cal. 352 has some significant upgrades to the regulation and other parts to make it easier to pass the chronometer testing of the time.

Regarding you question on rarity, these are not common, but they are available from eBay and auction houses. So they are not super rare, but collectors do like them as they are an upgrade from the standard Omega movements of the time.

Omega made a watch called the Centenary in 1948, which contained a chronometer-grade version of the cal. 28,10 without the RG regulator. I think this movement way have used in some steel cased references as well.
gatorcpa

mac_omega · Sat. 2:45pm

gatorcpa
a chronometer-grade version of the cal. 28,10 without the RG regulator

AFAIK the movement in the Centenary was the larger cal 30,10 JUB
and the later (younger) Centenaries often had cal 333 which had already the Rg regulator

gatorcpa · Sat. 5:48pm

mac_omega
AFAIK the movement in the Centenary was the larger cal 30,10 JUB
and the later (younger) Centenaries often had cal 333 which had already the Rg regulator

Of course, you are correct. I get the movements in the two different sizes mixed up. However, the earlier examples of the Ref. 2499 did have a chronometer version of the 28,10.

I got thrown off by the OP’s cal. 352 watch which is based on the cal. 30,10.

gatorcpa