Vintage
mac_omega marks his 600th post by delving into the world of large-diameter vintage Omega 30mm family movements, specifically focusing on references 2545 and 2544. He presents a comparative analysis of these 'XL' models, discussing case variations, dial characteristics, and the challenges of authenticating vintage pieces. His detailed observations offer valuable insights into collecting these historically significant Omega references.
Hi all,
as you know every 100th post is a little different to my usual contributions...
You might remember a thread about the (probably) largest Omega Ref. at 39mm diameter housing a 30mm family movement.
I have been lucky to buy 3 examples, one of Ref. 2545 and 2 of 2544
Ref 2545 is the center second version.
It is beautifully preserved and seems to have the original dial with pink gold hour markers and luminous dots..
The second Ref. is 2544 which is the sub second version of this similar case references.
The arabic numbers are also executed in pink gold on a honey comb patterned background.
It is well aged and shows some (unfortunately uneven) patina - but I think it is still acceptable as it is.
Hands are somewhat too tarnished for my taste and I will look for some matching replacement.
The first example I bought was a Ref. 2544 and when I got the Ref 2545 I thought to have found a difference in the shape
of the lugs. They seemed a bit smaller compared to the 2545 case.
It is still a project, missing the crystal,... movement is not accurately fastened, just lying in the case...
But after comparison with the second case of ref. 2544 the difference was less - so I guess the smaller lugs may have been
the result of polishing. Also the off centered lug holes let me think in this direction... But also larger tolerances in the case making process
at that time may have caused this difference.
Below you find a direct comparison with the pristine (non buffed) ref 2544 case with the pristine ref 2545.
You can see that the difference in the lugs is less and not significant IMO.
The most significant difference between the 2 references is the case back of course... due to the different movements.
The ref. 2545 with the center second movement has a more bulbous case back.
While preparing this post it happened that another "XL" version of a 30mm ref. showed up on the XXXX well known auction site: Ref. 2808
The seller claimed it to be of 39,7 mm diameter - I do not know if he used a caliper or just a ruler and how accurate the measurement was.
Unfortunately the official Omega website does not provide any information on ref. 2808 to verify the diameter.
Picture: courtesy the seller
The watch was in awful condition, the gold plated case was worn through badly in many places, the dial was an awful redo -
so I decided to let it pass...
Maybe one of the purists has bought it (but I doubt because of the bad condition)... if somebody here is the new owner -
maybe he can shed some more light on this topic and provide accurate dimensions.
Wish you all a pleasant weekend
Erich
.........and two very nice pieces. Regards desmond
and nice to read. In those days these were huge dimensions - probably meant for people with KingKong wrists? Somebody claims this ref. 2505 - 27 (seller's pics) at 38mm without the (partly hidden) crown, something in the vintage jumbo-category as well ! Please do hurry up with your next 100th post... Ben .
Hi Ben, thank you for your kind comments. What sellers claim and what is true often differs in reality! ;-) Ref 2505 actually is of 37,5 mm diameter - I have 2 of them and also the Omega website describes it with the same diameter... Kind regards Erich
Thank you Desmond, yes these are pretty uncommon birds and do not show up too often... kind regards Erich
I remember seeing that first watch you pictured and am glad that it went to a good home - I know you understand its real value and scarcity! Here is a recent acquisition of mine continuing on your big vintage is uncommon theme - it is a cal. 332 in a 37.5mm 18k YG case - the case ref. is 2618 (not in the omega vintage database probably because not many of them exist). I generally restrict my pursuit of bumper movements to the chronometre grade ones but couldn't resist this piece! I hope you enjo
It's always a pleasure to read and learn new things from your posts, Erich. Regarding that 2808 on XXXX, I have no idea if it is genuine or.....and let it pass with the same reason like yours. By the way, here are my 2544 and 2545. The cases are identical, except the caseback. Best regards.
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