Sharing the Mystery.... This is a long read! (Opinions highly appreciated)

gatorcpa · Nov 20, 2013

Melhadary
Any luck with the crown for this one? I believe I will need a replacement in my case as well, and I guess they would be the same size...

I would recommend having a talk with your watchmaker. My understanding is that even the modern Omega rose gold crowns (Ofrei.com has them) are a different shade than the rose gold used on the older watches and still doesn't look right.

If you have the correct crown in yellow, then it may be possible to have the crown "dipped" in rose gold. I put the term in quotations because I don't think the piece is actually put into molten gold.

It is some method of plating that is thicker than electroplate, but thinner than gold filled. I just don't remember the process. It worked very well on my rose gold capped Seamaster that came with a yellow crown.

gatorcpa

cristos71 · Nov 20, 2013

gatorcpa
I would recommend having a talk with your watchmaker. My understanding is that even the modern Omega rose gold crowns (Ofrei.com has them) are a different shade than the rose gold used on the older watches and still doesn't look right.

If you have the correct crown in yellow, then it may be possible to have the crown "dipped" in rose gold. I put the term in quotations because I don't think the piece is actually put into molten gold.

It is some method of plating that is thicker than electroplate, but thinner than gold filled. I just don't remember the process. It worked very well on my rose gold capped Seamaster that came with a yellow crown.

gatorcpa

Yes I'm aware of this possible colour issue and I'll take a look when it is fitted and judge whether or not it is an improvement. He'll be keeping the original of course, just in case.

rshroff · Nov 22, 2013

I have never seen case back stampings/hallmarks like this -only on pocket watches - is the case original? What does the "JP" stand for?

mac_omega · Nov 23, 2013

R rshroff
I have never seen case back stampings/hallmarks like this -only on pocket watches - is the case original? What does the "JP" stand for?

This is a French case - so French markings... they are quite common.

Melhadary · Nov 26, 2013

cristos71
Oh, no, don't mention the crown 😵‍💫

I sourced one in the US and when it arrived the seller had sent yellow instead of rose, when I mailed him to let him know of his mistake he told me, "If you ordered rose then I sent rose" . Nice. He did come around though and after another couple of weeks I eventually got a rose one.

The watch is now with my watchmaker for service/crown swap/second hand swap and I received a mail from him only a few days ago to say the crown I provided doesn't fit, it is for a 2mm tube and we need one for 2.5mm.🤦

Another long search followed and I found one from a very nice and helpful guy in Argentina, estelaupartson Ebay, it is hopefully correct and hopefully somewhere over the Atlantic as we speak!

The pains we have to go through for our pleasures, huh!! 🙁

Please keep me updated how you get along.... Thanks

Melhadary · Nov 26, 2013

R rshroff
I have never seen case back stampings/hallmarks like this -only on pocket watches - is the case original? What does the "JP" stand for?

I find this website extremely helpful when it comes to looking at these antique hallmarks:
http://www.mikrolisk.de/

The closest I've found to the JP hallmark here is the Jules Piault, Paris hallmark.

Melhadary · Nov 26, 2013

Melhadary
I find this website extremely helpful when it comes to looking at these antique hallmarks:
http://www.mikrolisk.de/

The closest I've found to the JP hallmark here is the Jules Piault, Paris hallmark.

Still, there are thousands of them there, so I may be very wrong! 😵‍💫

cristos71 · Nov 29, 2013

cristos71
Oh, no, don't mention the crown 😵‍💫

I sourced one in the US and when it arrived the seller had sent yellow instead of rose, when I mailed him to let him know of his mistake he told me, "If you ordered rose then I sent rose" . Nice. He did come around though and after another couple of weeks I eventually got a rose one.

The watch is now with my watchmaker for service/crown swap/second hand swap and I received a mail from him only a few days ago to say the crown I provided doesn't fit, it is for a 2mm tube and we need one for 2.5mm.🤦

Another long search followed and I found one from a very nice and helpful guy in Argentina, estelaupartson Ebay, it is hopefully correct and hopefully somewhere over the Atlantic as we speak!

Updating what is now becoming quite possibly a new world record for the amount of air miles flown for a crown. I just recieved the crown ordered from Argentina and I can't hardly believe it, but I have again been sent a yellow gold one instead of the ordered pink 🤯

IF, when this one is returned and I eventually get the correct sized, pink one that I need then there will have been 3x8000km (US-NL-US-NL) and 3x11000km (ARG-NL-ARG-NL) flown to complete this exercise, a grand total of 57000km, The mind boggles.🤩

X350 XJR · Nov 30, 2013

Pink crown.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-N-O...388121106?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item3a87e65012

cristos71 · Nov 30, 2013

X350 XJR
Pink crown.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-N-O...388121106?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item3a87e65012

Thanks, but I bought one of these originally from this same seller ( see above ) and it has the wrong sized tube and he doesn't have the 2.5mm one that I need. Luckily the Argentinian seller is now sending me the ( hopefully ) correctly coloured one and I can finally get this watch on my wrist 😀

Xtof · Nov 30, 2013

Hi,

I know well the French cased Seamaster Chronometer whose photo was used on PuristPro in the article about the Fab. Suisse. It has a very close serial for the case back and a very, very, very close serial for the movement. In addition, the watch came with its original Chronometer Certificate. The reference of the mouvement is printed on it: 352.

In addition, I asked Omega for an Extract of The Archives. I had no issue to have it delivered and this document confirms few points: Cal 352, Production 1953, Delivered to France without a case.

Is "352" engraved on the movement? To be honest, I don't remember as it was open for the last time several years ago when I bought it. I just remember that I checked the overall condition, the RG regulator and the matching between the serial of the mouvement and the one printed on the certificate. Next time I have the opportunity to see the movement, I will confirm.

Last but not least, I think the crown is correct one even if it not the most usual one.

Best,

Xtof (aka Marv)

Xtof · Dec 2, 2013

A short update and a confirmation.

My Omega Seamaster has the same dial, the same French case, the same crown, the same engraving inside.

The serial is close to 11093725, the serial number of Melhadary's watch.

The serial numbers of both movements are in the same short sequence 127229XX.

But the movement is 352, as expected from the Chronometer certificate and Omega's archives.

P.S.
Concerning the crown, I have very few doubt that it is the correct one as I also found a 1952 catalog with the same crown.

Best,

Xtof

Melhadary · Dec 9, 2013

Xtof
A short update and a confirmation.

My Omega Seamaster has the same dial, the same French case, the same crown, the same engraving inside.

The serial is close to 11093725, the serial number of Melhadary's watch.

The serial numbers of both movements are in the same short sequence 127229XX.

But the movement is 352, as expected from the Chronometer certificate and Omega's archives.

P.S.
Concerning the crown, I have very few doubt that it is the correct one as I also found a 1952 catalog with the same crown.

Best,

Xtof

Very much appreciate your update and confirmation, Xtof! 👍
This is as close as we can get, I guess, to validating that it's a 352 RG French cased SM!
BTW, love how "clean" your beauty is!
Thanks.
Mazen

cristos71 · Dec 22, 2013

A little update regarding my 1950 Fab Suisse 352.

I've had this one in for a service, crown change and second hand change and have just picked it up a few days ago from my watchmaker. He had contacted me a week or so ago to say that it was ready but I had been patiently waiting for the Argentinian crown to arrive before driving over to pick it and a few others up.

Well my patience evaporated and I caved in and picked it up before the crown arrived as the waiting was killing me!

The blued steel seconds hand was donated from a 1947 cal 28.10 bumper that I have and I think looks great on the 352 😀

Of course and needless to say, the day after I collected my watches I received the crown in the post from Argentina! It is pink and bonus it looks like it will fit too 😉
The first small job for the New Year then........

dsio · Dec 22, 2013

Love that blue hand, great feature that

Melhadary · Jan 7, 2014

cristos71
A little update regarding my 1950 Fab Suisse 352.

I've had this one in for a service, crown change and second hand change and have just picked it up a few days ago from my watchmaker. He had contacted me a week or so ago to say that it was ready but I had been patiently waiting for the Argentinian crown to arrive before driving over to pick it and a few others up.

Well my patience evaporated and I caved in and picked it up before the crown arrived as the waiting was killing me!

The blued steel seconds hand was donated from a 1947 cal 28.10 bumper that I have and I think looks great on the 352 😀

Of course and needless to say, the day after I collected my watches I received the crown in the post from Argentina! It is pink and bonus it looks like it will fit too 😉
The first small job for the New Year then........

Perfect, that blue steeled hand, cristos.... congrats 🥰

Can we see the full combination, a la 2014? 😉

cristos71 · Jan 7, 2014

Melhadary
Perfect, that blue steeled hand, cristos.... congrats 🥰

Can we see the full combination, a la 2014? 😉

Thanks! I really like it too 😀

I'm planning a trip over to my watchmaker in a couple of weeks where the crown will (hopefully) be fitted!

Melhadary · Jan 8, 2014

cristos71
Thanks! I really like it too 😀

I'm planning a trip over to my watchmaker in a couple of weeks where the crown will (hopefully) be fitted!

Looking forward to see this beauty in final condition, and hopefully by then I'd have received mine from my watchmakers to share along side yours on this thread, "Fab Suisse" style 😀

cristos71 · Jun 9, 2015

Bit of a thread resurrection here with my Fab Suisse duo. The one is on the right has now finally a correctly fitting crown in a rose colour that matches the case perfectly 😉

The new one on the left I thought based on the auction pictures to be YG but when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find it also in RG although a much more subtle shade. Surprising really that such colour differences could abound in what was probably quite a small run of this national production case reference. The 352 serials are 143 apart, with the one on the left being the younger sibling.

This one is proving to be much more tricky when it comes to matching a crown, the YG being way too yellow and the RG way too pink, so it looks like the worn original will be staying for the foreseeable future.

gatorcpa · Jun 9, 2015

cristos71
This one is proving to be much more tricky when it comes to matching a crown, the YG being way too yellow and the RG way too pink, so it looks like the worn original will be staying for the foreseeable future.

Yes, the modern replacement crowns match the style, but not the color of the original gold.

All too common, and not just Omega either.
gatorcpa

Sharing the Mystery.... This is a long read! (Opinions highly appreciated)

gatorcpa

cristos71

rshroff

mac_omega

Melhadary

Melhadary

Melhadary

cristos71

X350 XJR

cristos71

Xtof

Xtof

Melhadary

cristos71

dsio

Melhadary

cristos71

Melhadary

cristos71

gatorcpa

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