Exactly as mentioned in the title... Does any one know roughly when Omega started putting serial numbers on lugs?

 

I wouldn't mind knowing the answer to that.

 

I'd like to know as well but it must be classified information.

 

About late 80s or early 90s. It was there before super luminova was introduced (and tritium dropped off), but not that long before.
Before lug serials, we can see outside back case serials (like Speedmaster reduced, triple calendars, etc.).
If im not wrong, what was annoying back then, is that only the Moonwatch or other chronographs that had the 861 later 1861 family movements had matching numbers -> case and movement.
The transition seem to have started with cal. 2500.
For the rest, the serial was only on the case.

/F

 

So... cal. 2500 was around Y2K

 

When i meant transition, i was thinking about matching serials both on movements and cases.

As i said, the cases and lugs were etched since the last 80's early 90's.

/F

 

Really depends on the model. My Speedmaster has it on the case back, and it's circa 2001. My 2013 Aqua Terra, on the lug

 

Serials matching on case and movement I believe started around the 60,000,000 serial numbers based on my observations, so very late 90's.

I have had examples in the shop that are as late as the 59,645,XXX that do not have the serial number on the movement, but have it on the case, and I also have a very early 60,000,000 watch here right now (60,001,XXX) that has matching serial numbers on the case and movement.

These are chronographs, but not 861/1861 based watches as they are all 7750 base movements so Speedmaster dates and SMP chronographs.

Cheers, Al