As many vintage watch collectors would agree, perhaps the greatest pleasure in collecting is actually the process itself. There are, of course, a number a different factors that contribute to the process, including the patience required in order to find and acquire a special watch, the learning process which often unfolds naturally as part of the hunt, the refinement that comes from years of having bought and sold many watches, and the making of good friends along the way.
For reasons that should soon become clear, the watch that is the subject of this post probably comes the closest to embodying all of the pleasures of the collecting process than any other watch that I have owned. And, as I hope to convey, it has special meaning to me as a result.
While I don’t want to digress too much, allow me to set the stage a bit. For many years after I first started collecting, I was ambivalent about vintage Omega watches. The main reason was, frankly, that I was being both superficial and a bit snobbish, noting that as Omega had produced so many watches over the decades, they were readily accessible to the masses, and there weren’t many rare and interesting examples to be pursued. I should add that I am generally not interested in chronographs or dive watches, as my focus has always been simple time (and occasionally date) only watches. So I was basically looking at the Constellation, Seamaster and Genève models produced in the 1950’s and ‘60’s (I later gained an appreciation for their early chronometers).
So, up until a couple of years ago, I had only owned a single vintage Omega watch, a cal. 601 Genève bought solely because I was attracted to its clean aesthetics. And even though my wrists are small, I found that the watch lacked substance, and sold it on.
Around that same time, coincidentally, I happened to have the good fortune to be seated next to an interesting collector at a NYC gathering. That collector was Bill Sohne, and the two of us subsequently became good friends. Bill, as most of you reading this forum know, is one of the world’s leading experts on vintage Omegas, as well as having vast knowledge across the broad spectrum of vintage watch collecting. And, as you might imagine, my friendship with him inevitably led to my being exposed to many interesting vintage Omegas, as well as being enlightened about countless nuances relating to them.
Months later, when he and I got together one day, a particular gold dress model of his caught my eye. And even though Bill went on to share many other dazzling watches, I kept returning to that particular one. The interesting detail that he provided about the watch, coupled with my attraction to its aesthetics, led me to enquire about whether he would consider selling it, and he generously agreed to do so (though if it hadn’t been a snap-back, I might have been out of luck!).
The watch that Bill kindly agreed to sell to me that day is a rare, rose gold, 36mm Genève. The movement dates to 1956, and the watch was probably sold a couple of years later. It is a ref. 2748, and is powered by a cal. 266 movement. The Genève line, as I learned first from Bill, can be divided into two basic categories, based on production dates. The early versions, first manufactured in the late 1950’s, were an important part of Omega’s top-level of production. They were (generally) not chronometers, but were considered to be among the finest of Omega’s offerings during that period. The earliest of these fine Genève models featured a distinctive and elegant script logo, centered on the dial usually above, though sometimes below the hands.
In the 1960’s the line was re-introduced as more of an entry level watch, and, as there were so many more (and different types) of these latter versions produced, the general reputation of the vintage Genève tends to be based on this large, disparate group.
This Genève is also unusual because of its size. The vast majority the watches produced by Omega during the 1950’s were around 34mm, and, given how very few are seen these days, the larger Genève model in particular must have been produced in very small numbers. I should add that it wears even larger than 36mm, given its narrow bezel.
When I acquired the watch, it was in good condition throughout, including a patinated dial, and a case that had received some polishing years ago. Patination is typically found on vintage Omegas dials, and, as I have touched on in previous reviews, it can be beautiful, off-putting, or somewhere in-between. In this case, I’d say that while it added character, it was not especially attractive.
There was also another small issue that gnawed at me until very recently. That was an apparent difference between the color tone of the case, and that of the crown, markers and hands. The case had something of a yellowish tinge – though it was clearly not yellow gold – while the markers, hands and crown were a classic rose tone. I didn’t really give the issue too much thought, and was basically resigned to accepting the slight discord.
Then, a couple of months ago, while perusing eBay, I stumbled across – of all things – a NOS dial that appeared to be correct for my Genève, pink gold markers and all! I double-checked the dimensions, given that I needed the correct size for my larger version, and bought the dial. This was the first time that I had purchased a NOS dial, but I thought that under the circumstances it would be interesting to see how the Genève would look with a new dial.
I brought the watch in to a local watchmaker who helps me with smaller jobs, and he asked whether or not I wanted him to polish the case as well. I squirmed for a moment, as I generally resist case polishing, but decided to trust him with a light polish.
Well, as it turns out, this was one of those interesting and, I’m happy to report, thrilling outcomes. When I picked up the Genève, I was absolutely gobsmacked (to use one of my favorite British expressions). First, the NOS dial looked spectacular, but adding greatly to my pleasure – and much to my surprise – the light polishing had completely transformed the color of the case from a rather dull yellowish-pink, to the most gorgeous, sparkling rose tone imaginable! I walked outside to a sunny afternoon in midtown Manhattan, and was simply bowled over by the dazzling beauty of the 50 year-old watch on my wrist, glittering in the natural light as if it were new.
Finally, I’d like to thank Bill and Nelson (my watchmaker) for having given me the opportunity to fully enjoy and appreciate this superb Genève, and for helping me to expand my knowledge of vintage Omegas, as well as the art of bringing beautiful old objects back to life.
So, without further ado (wait – you just had to plow through quite a bit of ado, didn’t you?), here she is…
