Very early Omega caliber ?? Serial 1812535 1900’s

pilotswatch · Jan 8, 2025

Here is one that puzzles me.

This is a Regina movement and Regina signed & private dial. Regina being a sister brand of Omega.
The movement has a Omega caliber configuration. Only info found on the movement is the serial number 1812535.
It measures 32mm therefore making it a 14 ligne.

I can’t find any reference on internet or in the big book. ( A journey through time)
The setting mechanism is the puzzle. I install the movement in a pocket watch case and I can’t wind the watch.
Pushing in or out the crown , neither will wind the watch ,only change the hand position.
There is a small lever you can pull out on the side of the movement and this engages a round spring which changes the position of the winding clutch and enables the winding process.
When this lever is pull out, the movement cannot be installed in the case. When pushed in, only the hands can be moved.

Can anyone enlighten me, please.

JimInOz · Jan 8, 2025

It's a lever set movement and I suspect it may be in the wrong case.
Lever set movements were generally used by railways and the case had to be opened to set the time, thus preventing inadvertent time changes by the person wearing the watch.

As it's a Regina, our Canadian railroad guru @Canuck may be able to explain more.

JimInOz · Jan 8, 2025

PS: I could also be pin set. Does the clutch engage when you push the "setting thing" in from the edge of the plate?

pilotswatch · Jan 8, 2025

JimInOz
It's a lever set movement and I suspect it may be in the wrong case.
Lever set movements were generally used by railways and the case had to be opened to set the time, thus preventing inadvertent time changes by the person wearing the watch.

As it's a Regina, our railroad guru @Canuck may be able to explain more.

Hi JiminOz, That was my first thought but the lever is positioned in such a way that it cannot be pulled out from under the dial side.

It would have to be inverted and closer to the dial. (Photo NAWCC)
Mine is Winding pulled out and setting pushed in. The opposite of a lever set.

JimInOz · Jan 8, 2025

Very confusing.

The plate has a stamp for Brevet (Patent) 8760 which relates to the keyless works.
However, it does not correspond to your setting system. I'd be interesed to see the other side (under the barrel bridge).

Brevet 8760 from David Boettcher's excellent site.

pilotswatch · Jan 8, 2025

Thank for that info on the patent, this makes it even more intriguing.
The watch is working perfectly, so for the moment I’d rather not dismantle it. I’ll wait for more comments before doing so.

Canuck · Jan 9, 2025

Difficult to comment without seeing the watch in its case. The movement was originally fitted into a hunter style case with the hinged front cover. Thereby, it could never have been used on a railroad. It is a 7-jewel movement, apparently 14-size. This one is a private label watch, could be for a jeweller in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada. There is a Wikipedia article available which gives background of the Regina Watch Co. As to the description of the winding/setting functions? I have never seen such an odd arrangement. I have three Omega/Brandt watches that are similar in layout to the subject watch. Two of them are lever set, and one is stem set. But there would be none of the keyless works arrangement on the subject watch that would be interchangeable with either Brandt or Omega watches. I’m afraid I’m not much help.

I’ve shown a picture of one of my Brandt railroad approved movements. Similar earmarks. Vast difference in quality. The plate layout between the two differs a bit because mine in open-faced, and the subject watch is a hunter.

pilotswatch · Jan 9, 2025

Thanks Canuck for your input.

I just went through my Omega parts and to my surprise found a partial movement (signed Omega) with the same winding configuration.
I figured that my initial movement had a stem problem. The stem on this watch is a two part stem. First part of the stem is connected to the crown (case). The second is in the movement’s winding gears.
On the partial movement, when the crown/stem is pushed in, the second stem (inside gears) pushes the gears (hour setting) and then the circular spring is activated and pushes back to the winding position.
The reason my initial movement didn’t work is because the second part of the stem inside the gears is broken.
Hope I’m clear in my explanation.

I found a early thread which I think mentions this movement configuration by Trim

https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-1-9-mill-serial-chronometre.50606/

Now I need to figure which of the two movements to salvage.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread.