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This four-piece, double-hinged
silver case was made especially for Omega. The desirable dust cover inner
lid, a true sign of quality military watch. This was used to protect the
mechanism from dust and debris and to provide an extra layer of protection from
shock or moisture. Both the inside lids of the case signed with case serial
numbers #4003850. The inside of the outer case lid is signed OMEGA with
trademark Omega symbol. What’s nice about this particular dust cover is how
its decorated, complete with six medals in the center & OMEGA GRAND PRIX
PARIS 1900.
This was to commemorate Omega’s Grand Prize award at the 1900
Paris Watch Fair. Manual wind and higher-grade 15 Fifteen Jewel with gold
plated lever escapement movement with red Ruby jewel settings that is signed Omega-4343599.
This serial number dates this watch to 1914 as per published production numbers.
Each watch has a history. The history of Omega is rich with various achievements in the field of watch skill which at times amazed the world literally. In the Greek alphabet letter OMEGA is a synonym of total perfection. In watch industry
Omega is, perhaps, one of the most known marks, a symbol of the absolute design and technology.
History of Omega: Louis Brandt started researching and developing pocket watches in 1848 in La Chaux-de -Fonds, Switzerland. The quality of workmanship and attention to detail would foreshadow the watches that would later carry the Omega name. Brandt continued making watches there until 1877, when he formed Louis Brandt & Fils company with his oldest son, Louis Paul.
Louis Paul and his brother Caesaer moved the company to Bienne two years later. It remains there to this day. Innovators in every way, the Brandt brothers were the first
Swiss watchmakers to use the divided assembly line. Allowing quality watches to be mass-produced, this process also allowed the prices of the watches to be moderated as efficiency improved.
The company went through several name changes through the
years:
Louis Brandt & Frere (1891)
Louis Brandt and Frere-Omega Watch Co (1903)
Omega, Louis Brandt & Frere (1947)
Omega Ltd in 1982. Throughout all the name changes, the pride in quality of workmanship remained
with the Omega watch. While accessible to the general public, the Omega watch
was first mass-produced the pocket watch in 1894. By 1902 Omega introduced the first wrist watch.
Omega has been the official timer of 21 Olympic Games
Omega watches were designated the
watch of American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. Omega was the first watch to be worn on the moon. Neil Armstrong made that the case in 1969, and later by all Apollo
crews
How to care for your vintage and antiquarian watches
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Most vintage watches are mechanical.
Repairs will not be cheap. Most likely they will require replacement of non-standard parts (unlike
late model
watches)
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Vintage watches should
be handled with care and avoid being dropped as gold cases will dint
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Generally vintage watches
are NOT waterproof. Waterproofing watch cases was not in general production until the middle of the 20th century for most watches. Therefore protect your antique watch from exposure to
moisture
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If your watch becomes wet it should be dried off quickly. Carefully open all covers and use a hair drier to blow dry the movement, dial, covers, crown. This will reduce the amount of
rust
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If your watch becomes wet with any kind of salt water you should immediately immerse or spray your watch with fresh
water to remove all the salt before drying the watch completely
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Winding any mechanical watch tightly
will break the mainspring. Always wind the watch gentle and stop
when the crown springs back
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When adjusting the hands of your watch,
wind in a clockwise direction only. Counter-clockwise adjustments may damage the
movement
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If you must adjust counter-clockwise make it for small adjustments only (i.e. for minutes, NOT
hours)
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Be careful and gentle when adjusting the movement speed (faster or
slower) Don't make sharp movements, and don't touch other components in the movement especially the pendulum
mechanism
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Every 2-3 years it is necessary to service and oil vintage
watches
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When the watch is dirty - allow the watch to run down, don't wind it again until you have it serviced by a qualified watchmaker. Dust will absorb and remove important lubricants and cause the movement pieces to wear
down
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To clean the case, dial and crystal you should use a cloth that does NOT leave fibers as these may get caught in the movement.
Buy an approved watch cloth from a qualified jeweler
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Keep vintage watch away from magnets. Strong magnetic fields may affect the accuracy of your watch since some vintage watches were made with iron based components in the
movement
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Most watch cases are fine components and will not handle abuse well. The watch should not be shaken, beaten, or
stressed
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Vintage watches generally experience an error of up to 5-7 minutes a day. Any accuracy of +- 5 minutes is very
good
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