Don't know much about these, are they sought after? Any collectors value to them?

I have read its uncommon to have the script reversed but that's about as far as my knowledge lies..

 

They talked about it here

http://omegaforums.net/threads/ref-166052-168033-cal-1001-from-1969.1535/

I don't like it, I don't collect these and that's all I know.

 

I had a feeling they weren't. Not my cup of tea, but interesting to learn.

 

I heard 1001 is the most unreliable Omega movement. Some watch maker refuses to work on it.

 

I'm glad I didn't buy it then. I got offered it at a very low price, considering its solid. I had a feeling the vendor couldn't sell it.

 

I'll agree with 2 of the 3, but you can never have a watch that's too thin.

 

Seen that - and even made it one of my recommendations when I wrote for a certain men's magazine.

http://www.playboy.com/playground/view/fall-fashion-watches

You guys might recognize some of the vintage IWC pieces in the last photo.




From right to left, there's my ultra-thin caliber 401, then the ribbon lug caliber 89 that used to be mine but now is owned by member alam, then member/mod cicindela's caliber 89, and finally a caliber 854 automatic which was another former watch of mine now owned by member Gavin.

However, if you want to discuss the thinnest calibers, the Lassale manual wind 1200 was only 1.2 mm thick. It didn't work so well though, depending on tiny ball bearings that were prone to wear quickly. The thinnest viable caliber is the AP 2003 (formerly based on a JLC, but now AP outright owns it) at 1.64 mm.




The Piaget 9P is 2.0 mm thick.

 

Incredible, I just measured an Aussie dollar coin, 2.5mm!

 

The movement is certainly more problematic than earlier or later movements were, and this goes for the whole series in fact so including the 1010, 1020 series as well. These problems stem from trying to make the watch very thin, and when you do that parts become thinner and more delicate. This is especially true on the dial side, and for example the tension on the cannon pinion has to be just right or you will either have hands stalling during the date change, or teeth shearing off the sliding pinion, minute wheel, etc. when you try to set the time. I keep new cannon pinion assemblies in stock for all of these watches because of this issue, as the cannon pinion is often seized on the wheel, and the wheel is so flimsy it's difficult to disassemble them without bending the wheel or having it come apart. This design of the cannon pinion is sort of a stepping stone from a traditional design like you find on a 550 series, and the later ETA design found in more modern watches like the 2892 based watches.

I am also personally not a fan of some of the plastic parts inside...or the cheap round wire springs used.

Can they be serviced and made to run well? Yes of course they can, but this requires someone who has experience working on these and knows the areas where the movements tend to be weak. They can certainly be accurate, but when compared to a 550 series movement, they feel and look very cheap. I don't refuse to work on them, and they aren't particularly difficult to work on if you know what you are doing, but replacement parts for these are certainly not inexpensive - for example the date corrector yoke is quite an expensive part to replace compared to any part of the dial side on a 565 or similar movement.

Not Omegas finest hour IMO. They were made on a budget, and they look like it.

Cheers, Al