Hi I hoping someone can tell me if this is authentic?
Thanks in advance

 

Great thanks

 

Anybody know why the movement is gold in colour but others are mostly all stainless?

 

I don't think any are stainless. They were originally brass plate, then gold plate for the early display backs like yours, and then rhodium plate for the latest ones.

 

For the models with display backs, they dressed the movement up to look extra nice.

 

Thanks for the response guys. It appears to be a strange model as the end links are not numbered but this is correct.

 

It's just what Omega did.

Originally (from 1969 or so), you had the 861 movement (for you purists, I'm ignoring the 321), of which there are variants with copper or yellow gilding (plating), and either 17 or 18 jewels. Later (1997), Omega used rhodium plating and called that movement the "1861" (rhodium is what you're calling "stainless", and is often used as a coating for "white gold"). Rhodium supposedly resists corrosion better, and that was one reason given for the change. IIRC, rhodium is more expensive than gold, but note that rhodium in only used here as a plating. These movements are used in solid caseback watches.

When Omega decided to produce display caseback watches (1985?), they took the 861 and added some lipstick to the movements to make them look pretty. This resulted in the 863 movement, and it originally had copper gilding. Later versions used yellow gilding. The color wasn't the only decorative change, though: the movement also got better finishing in the form of Côtes de Genève (the scalloped waves that go across the movement) and pearlage (hard to see, but on the baseplate). Depending upon the age, you also had either 17 or 18 jewels. Later (1997), Omega used rhodium gilding instead of yellow, and called that movement the 1863. When you see an 1863 movement, these are probably your "stainless" movements.

It's sadly incomplete (the author has passed away), but you can get more details here: http://chronomaddox.com/moonwatch_cal_background.html

What you have in your pictures appears to be an early 3572.50, likely dating to 1995-1997, with a tritium dial and yellow-gilded 863 movement. Most 3572.50s will have the rhodium-gilded 1863 movement, and either a tritium or luminova dial.

Edit: unmarked end links appear to be common for this model. You need to look on the clasp for the numbers, and it is likely to be a 1499/842 bracelet.

 

@VillageIdiot the 861 / 863 had 17 jewels, and the upgrade to the 1861 / 1863 introduced the 18th jewel. Otherwise, spot on as far as I know

 

Ah, I hate to say this, but that isn't right. Even if you ignore the various examples on the internet, and the one that I happen to have, it's also documented on page 51 in the "Moonwatch Only" book. In fact, you can see a copy of that page in this book review: http://www.fratellowatches.com/moonwatchonly-book-review/

Sorry,

(Darn, I should have pointed out that picture in my original post.)

Edit: eek, you may have been speaking about the 861. While that did have an 18th jewel, that's documented on page 48, which is not shown in the review.

 

You're right - it was the move to rhodium that demarcated the change. I'd glossed over all that previously

 

What a wealth of knowledge. I have gone ahead and bought the watch and it will be here hopefully by the end of the week.

 

Congratulations! A fine choice you've made, too - the tritium dials age very nicely (Luminova doesn't age) and it should provide you with lots of fun for a very long time
Be sure to post photos of it on the WRUW thread!

 

Thanks. Really appreciate all the help
I'm really a vintage Tudor man and have no knowledge of omega. Is there a database I can use to date it?

 

Well, as has been stated earlier above - yours is an early 3572, so it's probably from 1995-1997 (pre-1995 was the 3592.50, and post-1997 they used Luminova on the dial instead of tritium). Serial number charts can help, but are generally only for the regular Moonwatch with the solid back. Try this one though http://chronomaddox.com/romans.html

If you're really curious, and willing to pay, you could order an Extract of the Archives from Omega, though I'm not sure your watch is old enough to qualify.

 

When you get the watch, make sure that the serial numbers are both readable and match:


You'll need a good magnifying glass/loupe to read them, though. Since you'll have a magnifying glass out, you can also check out the really tiny but cool Ω symbol molded into the very center of the hesalite (plastic) crystal. The orientation will likely be random, though.

Edit: also, unless you have service records, it might need servicing (and servicing an Omega chronograph is not cheap). When I bought my (used) 3572.50, it seemed to keep decent time, but was apparently long overdue. Instead of the usual fast tic-tic-tic sound, I heard a fast tictic-tictic-tictic sound. (I'm not complaining -- I bought mine without box or papers, and I fully expected to send it in for servicing ASAP.)