I just picked up this ref. 2366 chronometre with stainless steel case and rose gold bezel. It got me wondering how common this is and what other references might have a rose gold bezel.

I read on Franco's chronometre blog that these watches were also more commonly delivered to South America.

I remember seeing @Bill Sohne with one some time back. Do any other members have this kind of case? If so, what reference is the watch and do you know where it was delivered?

I will be getting an extract at some point so I can update with country of delivery. It was purchased from Florida.

 

nice watch

 

Just to be clear: every application on the dial and hands are pink gold too ? Dial was silver? Kind regards. Achim

 

Curious to hear more. She’s a beauty!

 

Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing.

 

I've seen fewer than ten rg chronometers with pink gold bezels over the years. Yours is the first 2366 - the rest were 2367 or 2410 central seconds versions. Never seen a small case (2364 or 2365) chronometer outfitted with one.

Acquired this contemporary automatic (cal 352) ref CO2494 in Argentina last spring.



Every picture I've seen of an original pink gold bezel steel chronometer had a matching pink gold crown. Fortunate to find a correct replacement crown at Otto Frei. That was nothing compared to the difficulty sourcing an Omega replacement crystal with a pink gold tension ring. (Al thankfully provided the part number.) Located precisely one on eBay. And I had to fight over this plated pink gold buckle.



The seller must've been shocked when a bidding war erupted. He'd come across a retired watchmaker's estate, and this buckle was easily the most valuable item in the lot.

Art

 

@MikeMan2727
Congratulations on a beautiful watch. I really like your example and was looking into it but ultimately decided to go for its tool watch sister. Wear it well!

 

Art, here is another CO 2366, it has details executed in black kiln-fired enamel - you can find it in my chronometer book...



Further there are examples of CO 2254, CO 2423, CO 2337 - I have also seen a single specimen of the small CO 2365

Some of these you can also find in my book.

 

I am not convinced that there were chronometers with yellow gold bezels.

All CO xxxx chronometers (and some other references) I have come across had bezels in 14 K rose gold only.

I would not rely too much on the website you linked to - read his statement carefully: "The 2366 model with indirect centre seconds are..." (end of quote)
I am not so sure if he knows about the stuff he writes...

 

Thanks for your comments Erich, very informative!

I agree, that yellow gold bezel does not look quite right. There is even a gap between the edge of the bezel and case, while the rose gold examples posted go to the very edge of the case.

Do you know if the crowns for these two-tone chronometres would have been rose gold or steel?

 

I am not sure about this because many watches have already replacement crowns - no wonder after 80 years...

I think both types of crowns might be legitimate. With the classic ref. 236x I lean towards rose gold, it is more plausible

With the screw down models (i.e. 2254, 2423, 2337) I think they have been steel. These crowns are very special due to the large size of the case tube they have to embrace. And they are waterproof with a gasket, hard to find in any metal...

 

Yes, my statement was for the 30mm chronometers and their cross-references, not for the later automatics, I should have been more precise...

 

My apologies for imprecision, Erich. I should have qualified my text with 'on-line, in watch forums'. Between TZ, Purists/Pro, and OF, I've seen maybe half a dozen original steel rg chronometers with pink gold bezels. As you so thoroughly documented, there are others. Mike's example is the first 2366 I've seen on a forum.

Was there a photo of a CO 2365 in your book? If there was, I either missed it or was too stunned to realize its significance.

Cordially,

Art