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Tom Dick
·Finally chaps I thought you might appreciate this:
I am mad keen on Vintage Quartz watches from the early 70’s, especially Omegas. In my time collecting (about three years now) I have owned most variations of the wide range of quartz watches Omega produced during the period.
The 1970’s really was a time of revolution in watch making, the emergence of quartz was like the industrial revolution of the watch world, before the day of mass produced Asian (and Swiss) quartz movements. It was a time of massive change, the sky was the limit in terms of development and IMHO no Swiss company embraced this like Omega.
A quick scan of any of the 1970’s sales catalogues produced by the company (can be found at http://www.old-omegas.com ) will reveal the breadth and range of Omega creativity, they really were ground breaking! Fresh from the huge success of the ‘Moon Watch’ and cash rich, they invested huge sums of Money in R&D, working in partnership with 15 other Swiss companies to create the Beta21, the first Swiss production quartz movement launched in 1969 and used by such lofty names as Omega, Rolex, Patek to name but a few.
The thing quartz (at the time) brought to the marketplace was accuracy, even most modern chronometers vary by some 3-5 SPD, these early quartz watches varied by around 5 seconds per month!
In the 1970’s quartz watches where far from the cheaper more cost effective alternative they are perceived as today, they were in fact quite the opposite, early quartz were considerably more expensive than auto’s or manual winds and where very much the top f the range of the Swiss companies and the movements where like early steam engines, a cacophony of micro technology mixed brass main plates and gears and cogs working in union to drive the hands
At the same time Omega where working (with others) they where also working on a secret quartz project, investing monumental sums of money in the pursuit of the most accurate wrist watch ever, with a remit to create a watch with an accuracy of circa 1 second per month.
In 1970, at the Basel Fair Omega previewed the cal 1500 Elephant, a marvel of technology and a watch that had an accuracy of 1 second per month or 12 seconds per year!
This really was like wandering in to a car show and seeing a genuine working hover car, it was inconceivable to many at the time that a wristwatch could have accuracy like this! The prototype watch is on the top row left in a silver case with round dial:
Above is the best image I have ever been able to get of one of this first run of prototype watches
The original cal 1500 was produced in a rumored 5 examples, in a very distinctive case in either gold or silver. The movement (nicknamed the Elephant or Mickey Mouse because of the twin battery compartment) was the result of two years of development by some of the greatest minds in early quartz technology.
A year later it appeared on the market as the caliber 1510 and shortly after 1511 Marine Chronometer, boasting an accuracy of 1 second per month and cost the same as a very good family car, they where the absolutely top of the range of Omegas models, cost far in excessive of any of their other watches, including their other Electroquartz and Megaquartz 32Khz lines (which had an accuracy of 5 SPM)
When I first laid eyes on the 1510 version of these watches I was smitten, being a 70’s child I was enamored by the style of the watch, unlike the prototypes it was a huge rectangular case with integral SS or Shark skin (occasionally crocodile) bracelet, which is much more akin to the fashion of today!
The watch was available in a number of dial variations, most commonly and probably famously the ‘Stadust’ a deep blue dial with hand laid aventurine crystal, which shimmered, like the night sky when in sunlight! There were also a couple of other variations, the Puprite dial, an electric blue dial which again appeared almost metallic in sunlight and the waffle dial, a dark tone plain dial with a waffle print effect. Of the 1000 1510’s made between 100 and 200 where solid 18K gold, available in either Stardust or Puprite variations, with a price tag that at the time would buy you a new Porsche!
At the same time Omega produced the Marine Chronometer, running effectively the same movement but under cal 1511 but certified by the Beacon Institute as a Marine Chronometer, to this day the only wrist watch official hold this title, each watch being rigorously tested over a 6 week period and being certified with an accuracy of at least one second per month
I finally acquired my first 1510 about two years ago now, the watch went to Omega official vintage restorer in the UK (http://www.swisstimeservices.com) who are the only company (including Omega) who still service and warranty these watches, after 8 weeks and an (at the time) mind bending service bill of over £500 this beauty came back to me:
And, as they say; ‘so it began’
In the last three years I have owned over ten of these special watches, I have also added to my collection a completely mint cal 1511 Marine Chronometer (again only 1000 where made) a watch that really was a destiny purchase, originally sold at Nidds and Sons of Grimsby (my home town and the shop I purchased my first Omega from, a quartz Bond when I was 21) on the 19th of July 1977, the day I was born, here she is in all of her post STS serviced glory:
I have long hankered after getting a full set of these watches, I owned a Puprite a few years ago and stupidly sold it, but then about a month ago lady luck shined, firstly from our very own Victor Boyd, who sold me his very original Waffle dial the same day as I managed to purchase a virtually crack free NOS dial (these dial are notorious for cracking very badly), fresh back from a complete service and overhaul at STS I am really pleased; it is a more understated and I guess wearable version of the Stardust, and the only one i have personally seen that didn't have a badly damaged dial:
Then a few weeks later another Puprite dial fell in to my lap, she’s at STS as we speak having a complete spa treatment and I am sure the results will be stunning, this really is the rarest production variation of these watches and other than the one I have already owned I know of only one other, owned by a fellow forum member Toshi
With these recent new purchases under my belt and my collection growing I set my sights on an 18K Stardust (other than the seven 18K Marine Chronometers, of which not even the museum has one) was the only model I now didn’t own! I was just about to fire a fellow forum member who I knew had one a begging email when I came across genuinely my holy grail on ebay!
At first I didn’t believe my eyes, I thought it must be a scam as there was simply no way on earth it could be for sale! It as one of the five cal 1500 prototypes, presented in a gold case and for sale in Switzerland by a seller I had already dealt with over another Prototype Omega Hard metal I had bought a few weeks earlier!
I fired him and email and after a lot of back and forth he confirmed to me he had bought the watch and my earlier prototype as well as some other parts from Jean Girrad-Othenin, the man who was responsible for the development of the cal 1500 and later 1510, 1511 and the later 1515 and 1516 models.
The watch was listed as an auction and I made the commitment in my mind to go for it! After a few fellow forum members (you know who you are) graciously agreed to step back and give me a shot I put a bid of the maximum I could afford to spend and waited for the auction to end, I don’t think I have ever been so anxious about a watch purchase in my life!
I had no delusions I would win the watch I fully anticipated it to go far beyond what I could afford and had every expectation that there was a likely hood Omega would step in and buy it for the museum as they only have a silver version in their display
The day of the end of the auction came; I was at home with my folks helping my dad (who’s recently had a stroke) clear out the room in the roof! I resigned myself to not watching the auction end, I gave my laptop to my wife Esther with the instruction to let me nowhere near it and got on with the task in hand!
After 6 trips to the tip, 7 trips to the charity shop I staggered out of the roof about 9:00pm, I sat down in the lounge and opened my laptop, logged on to ebay and with a heavy heart prepared myself for disappointment………………….
My ebay loaded and I scrolled down to won, clicked the button and at the top of the listing was this:
One of five Omega cal 1500 Elephant prototypes ever made and probably most significant (to me) watch purchase I will ever make, not only that but it came with two spare cases, one gold and one silver
The prototype is now residing in Swiss Time Services (Omega Vintage UK) museum collection, the owner and I are close friends and I came to the conclusion that if:
a) I wore it and damaged it I would be mortified
b) If it stopped (which of course it might) I would be buggered
c) It really does belong in a museum
The watch is currently on display at STS so if anyone ever gets a change pop in and see it
Hope you enjoyed the article?
Cheers Tom
I am mad keen on Vintage Quartz watches from the early 70’s, especially Omegas. In my time collecting (about three years now) I have owned most variations of the wide range of quartz watches Omega produced during the period.
The 1970’s really was a time of revolution in watch making, the emergence of quartz was like the industrial revolution of the watch world, before the day of mass produced Asian (and Swiss) quartz movements. It was a time of massive change, the sky was the limit in terms of development and IMHO no Swiss company embraced this like Omega.
A quick scan of any of the 1970’s sales catalogues produced by the company (can be found at http://www.old-omegas.com ) will reveal the breadth and range of Omega creativity, they really were ground breaking! Fresh from the huge success of the ‘Moon Watch’ and cash rich, they invested huge sums of Money in R&D, working in partnership with 15 other Swiss companies to create the Beta21, the first Swiss production quartz movement launched in 1969 and used by such lofty names as Omega, Rolex, Patek to name but a few.
The thing quartz (at the time) brought to the marketplace was accuracy, even most modern chronometers vary by some 3-5 SPD, these early quartz watches varied by around 5 seconds per month!
In the 1970’s quartz watches where far from the cheaper more cost effective alternative they are perceived as today, they were in fact quite the opposite, early quartz were considerably more expensive than auto’s or manual winds and where very much the top f the range of the Swiss companies and the movements where like early steam engines, a cacophony of micro technology mixed brass main plates and gears and cogs working in union to drive the hands
At the same time Omega where working (with others) they where also working on a secret quartz project, investing monumental sums of money in the pursuit of the most accurate wrist watch ever, with a remit to create a watch with an accuracy of circa 1 second per month.
In 1970, at the Basel Fair Omega previewed the cal 1500 Elephant, a marvel of technology and a watch that had an accuracy of 1 second per month or 12 seconds per year!
This really was like wandering in to a car show and seeing a genuine working hover car, it was inconceivable to many at the time that a wristwatch could have accuracy like this! The prototype watch is on the top row left in a silver case with round dial:
Above is the best image I have ever been able to get of one of this first run of prototype watches
The original cal 1500 was produced in a rumored 5 examples, in a very distinctive case in either gold or silver. The movement (nicknamed the Elephant or Mickey Mouse because of the twin battery compartment) was the result of two years of development by some of the greatest minds in early quartz technology.
A year later it appeared on the market as the caliber 1510 and shortly after 1511 Marine Chronometer, boasting an accuracy of 1 second per month and cost the same as a very good family car, they where the absolutely top of the range of Omegas models, cost far in excessive of any of their other watches, including their other Electroquartz and Megaquartz 32Khz lines (which had an accuracy of 5 SPM)
When I first laid eyes on the 1510 version of these watches I was smitten, being a 70’s child I was enamored by the style of the watch, unlike the prototypes it was a huge rectangular case with integral SS or Shark skin (occasionally crocodile) bracelet, which is much more akin to the fashion of today!
The watch was available in a number of dial variations, most commonly and probably famously the ‘Stadust’ a deep blue dial with hand laid aventurine crystal, which shimmered, like the night sky when in sunlight! There were also a couple of other variations, the Puprite dial, an electric blue dial which again appeared almost metallic in sunlight and the waffle dial, a dark tone plain dial with a waffle print effect. Of the 1000 1510’s made between 100 and 200 where solid 18K gold, available in either Stardust or Puprite variations, with a price tag that at the time would buy you a new Porsche!
At the same time Omega produced the Marine Chronometer, running effectively the same movement but under cal 1511 but certified by the Beacon Institute as a Marine Chronometer, to this day the only wrist watch official hold this title, each watch being rigorously tested over a 6 week period and being certified with an accuracy of at least one second per month
I finally acquired my first 1510 about two years ago now, the watch went to Omega official vintage restorer in the UK (http://www.swisstimeservices.com) who are the only company (including Omega) who still service and warranty these watches, after 8 weeks and an (at the time) mind bending service bill of over £500 this beauty came back to me:
And, as they say; ‘so it began’
In the last three years I have owned over ten of these special watches, I have also added to my collection a completely mint cal 1511 Marine Chronometer (again only 1000 where made) a watch that really was a destiny purchase, originally sold at Nidds and Sons of Grimsby (my home town and the shop I purchased my first Omega from, a quartz Bond when I was 21) on the 19th of July 1977, the day I was born, here she is in all of her post STS serviced glory:
I have long hankered after getting a full set of these watches, I owned a Puprite a few years ago and stupidly sold it, but then about a month ago lady luck shined, firstly from our very own Victor Boyd, who sold me his very original Waffle dial the same day as I managed to purchase a virtually crack free NOS dial (these dial are notorious for cracking very badly), fresh back from a complete service and overhaul at STS I am really pleased; it is a more understated and I guess wearable version of the Stardust, and the only one i have personally seen that didn't have a badly damaged dial:
Then a few weeks later another Puprite dial fell in to my lap, she’s at STS as we speak having a complete spa treatment and I am sure the results will be stunning, this really is the rarest production variation of these watches and other than the one I have already owned I know of only one other, owned by a fellow forum member Toshi
With these recent new purchases under my belt and my collection growing I set my sights on an 18K Stardust (other than the seven 18K Marine Chronometers, of which not even the museum has one) was the only model I now didn’t own! I was just about to fire a fellow forum member who I knew had one a begging email when I came across genuinely my holy grail on ebay!
At first I didn’t believe my eyes, I thought it must be a scam as there was simply no way on earth it could be for sale! It as one of the five cal 1500 prototypes, presented in a gold case and for sale in Switzerland by a seller I had already dealt with over another Prototype Omega Hard metal I had bought a few weeks earlier!
I fired him and email and after a lot of back and forth he confirmed to me he had bought the watch and my earlier prototype as well as some other parts from Jean Girrad-Othenin, the man who was responsible for the development of the cal 1500 and later 1510, 1511 and the later 1515 and 1516 models.
The watch was listed as an auction and I made the commitment in my mind to go for it! After a few fellow forum members (you know who you are) graciously agreed to step back and give me a shot I put a bid of the maximum I could afford to spend and waited for the auction to end, I don’t think I have ever been so anxious about a watch purchase in my life!
I had no delusions I would win the watch I fully anticipated it to go far beyond what I could afford and had every expectation that there was a likely hood Omega would step in and buy it for the museum as they only have a silver version in their display
The day of the end of the auction came; I was at home with my folks helping my dad (who’s recently had a stroke) clear out the room in the roof! I resigned myself to not watching the auction end, I gave my laptop to my wife Esther with the instruction to let me nowhere near it and got on with the task in hand!
After 6 trips to the tip, 7 trips to the charity shop I staggered out of the roof about 9:00pm, I sat down in the lounge and opened my laptop, logged on to ebay and with a heavy heart prepared myself for disappointment………………….
My ebay loaded and I scrolled down to won, clicked the button and at the top of the listing was this:
One of five Omega cal 1500 Elephant prototypes ever made and probably most significant (to me) watch purchase I will ever make, not only that but it came with two spare cases, one gold and one silver
The prototype is now residing in Swiss Time Services (Omega Vintage UK) museum collection, the owner and I are close friends and I came to the conclusion that if:
a) I wore it and damaged it I would be mortified
b) If it stopped (which of course it might) I would be buggered
c) It really does belong in a museum
The watch is currently on display at STS so if anyone ever gets a change pop in and see it
Hope you enjoyed the article?
Cheers Tom
