Omega Pocket watch Chronograph

Hi valued members of the forum, I've learned from your discussions, now its the first time for me to ask for adivce. I would appreciate comments on the watch I have in mind to buy. My untrained eye sees no flaws, do you, valued experts and collectors?
That is the beauty:

You have PM. Tom

Omega’s (famous) 19’’’ pocket watch was introduced in 1894 (together with similar movements of different sizes within the ‘family’). The 19’’’CHRO was introduced in 1898 and added the chronograph complication.

There were many variations of both dial and case. It was produced as both lépine (open face) and savonette (hunter)(for the savonette, the button under the bow was used to open the cover, the chrono functions were carried out with a separate pusher at 6 o’clock.

The choice of case material included almost everything (gold, silver, niello, nickel, steel - both blackened or gun metal, etc). The quality of movement varied (the better grades having jewelled chrono mechanisms - see image below).

The chrono minutes sub-dial (at 12 o’clock) was either 15 or 30 minutes (see images). A special ‘Cadran s.g.d.g.’ dial (image below) was (usually) fitted to a larger version of the same movement (19/22’’’) - the same movement mounted in a spacer - and this (usually) had only one sub-dial, a 15-minute chrono at 12 o’clock . There were still more (tachymetric and telemetric) dial versions.

Ringed in an image below is the ‘finger piece’, mounted on the chronograph wheel, which turned the chrono minute hand exactly on the elapsed minute (as opposed to the minute hand moving continuously).

As we see in the images, the OP’s watch was the original 19’’’ CHRO version, with a 15‑minute sub-dial and a continuous seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. All grades (of the version the OP shows) had a swan-neck regulator.

The 19’’’ CHRO was followed (1906) by the 18’’’P CHRO (also both lépine and savonette). ‘P’ stood for the French ‘Plat’, meaning flat (because the movement was only 7.15 mm thick, compared with the 9.25 mm of the 19’’’ CHRO. In 1929 came the 39 CHRO (only lépine). In 1932 (after Lemania had joined) came the wrist chronographs (28.9 in 1932, 33.3 in 1933) and then in 1942 the 27 CHRO - which led on to the 321 and …. yes, the Speedmaster!

Only for completeness, I show here the movement from an 18’’’P CHRO. As described above, there were different grades of movement (B, Bs and Cs): lots of info about this in AJTT. The Bs had jewelled chrono mechanisms, the Cs (as shown in this image) also had chatons (examples of each are ringed).

Also ringed is an ‘O’ (just beneath the ‘M’ in OMEGA). That shows that the watch had a gold case and was for the French market. As recoded elsewhere, watches for the French market had movements that were marked ‘M’ (if merely metal cases), ‘A’ (for the French word argent, for a silver case) and ‘O’ (for the French word or, for a gold case).

And as we see, the Cs also had the highest quality regulator.
The chrono minutes on this watch were also 15 minutes. The ‘finger piece’ (described above) is also visible here.

Further to the above, I show two catalogue extracts from 1906 that show the OP’s watch. The first is from a catalogue by Kirby Beard (Omega’s main agent in France at the time).

Than is this a 18 chro ?

That is correct. In fact, from what we can see from your image, it's an 18/20''' CHRO (thus an 18''' CHRO movement in a larger case). It would appear to date about 1928 - thus quite late in the 18'''CHRO production (shortly before the introduction of the 39 CHRO that replaced it).

The number is 57518.. is it not from about 1906 - 1910
I have seen some , but never without gilding of the movement

What number? Dating of Omega watches in this period would be done according to the case number (which you haven’t given us). If your ‘57518…’ number is the movement number, it won’t help much with dating.

With no disrespect - but you weren’t even sure that your watch is an 18’’’CHRO - so it would seem that you haven’t seen that many. Keep looking.

Sorry if something came across wrong, but I have the last few days so much researched and see before loud clockwork the actual no longer
Am you for any info really grateful - thank you

I wonder why the 18" chronos look so completely different from the watch (as at the top of this page) that is only one ligne larger? And not just because the company decided to put their name on the movement.

Apologies but I find your post difficult to understand. I’ll do my best.

To deal first with your comment about the Omega name appearing on the movement: The 19’’’ (and similar calibres in the 19’’’ ‘family’) were typically not signed Omega until about movement number 2,500,000 - which was in about 1906. The use of ‘about’ is relevant! Batches of movements were used over a period of time, difficult to be precise - and dating of Omega watches in these early years is by case number. Therefore it is not unusual to find the early movements (regardless of whether the pocket watch or chronograph version) unsigned.

As written above, the 19’’’CHRO dated from 1898, the 18P’’’CHRO from 1906 - by which time, (all) movements were typically signed.

The reason the 18P’’’ ‘looks so completely different’ is because it is a different calibre! Design had developed over those 8 years.