Omega

amanico
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The Omega CK 2913 is ... MINE!

Now you know the story behind this watch.

I have a kind of golden rule, I never buy the same watch than the one which was stolen.

But these Seamaster " thin bezel " are so lovely, so nice, that I had to make an exception to my rule.

After all, rules are made to know some exceptions, from time to time, don't you think?



In the present case, it is not absolutely true, as the watch which was stolen was a CK 14755:



And the watch I was offered was the CK 2913.

So the deal was simple: As the seller is a friend of mine, he offered me to take the watch for the holidays, to think about it, and to take a decision when I come back home.

He's a friend, but he's also a clever guy, as he knew that living with the watch for some weeks will help me to take the good decision.



The CK 2913 - 3, as you saw it in my previous post:



Why did I made an exception to my rule?

Because I love the Seamaster 300 so much that, in itself, it is a good reason, but a superficial one, as I answer to a question by another question.

Why do I love it so much? Let's go deeper.

When you are interested in Vintage Diving watches from the Fifties, what do you have?

- Monsters like the Rolex Big Crowns 6538 / 5510 / 6200,Tudor 7922 / 7924 , or small crowns like the 6536, 5508, 6205.

- The historical competitors with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, with or without moisture indicator, civilian or military.

- The elusive Panerai 6152, but I still wonder if it didn' come before, in the late 40ies, and it doesn't display the key codes of the modern diving watch.

- Breguet, with a kind of Type XX with an external bezel, without subdials.

- Zenith, the S 58.

- Breitling, and the Superocean Ref 1004, which existed in a time only version and ALSO in a superb Chronograph version.

- And last but not least, the curious Jaeger - LeCoultre and Lecoultre Deep Sea Alarm ( European and American models ).

The Omega CK 2913 can be seen as a true competitor of the Rolex Subs, Blancpain fifty Fathoms, Breitling Superocean Ref 1004 ( no date, clean dial, rotating bezel ), even closer to Rolex due to the fact that both use an in house movement, and to JLC because both shared the same ... Case, made by Huguenin Frères, which is 39 mm big.

The JLC DSA and the Omega CK 14755 case ( same than the CK 2913 ) :



A family picture of Vintage Diving watches from the Fifties:



And here, in good company, with the Breitling Superocean and the Zenith S 58:



So you got it: While we can say that Rolex and Blancpain ( unless it is in the inverse order, I was never able to know it ) installed the first foundations of the modern diving watch in 1953, Omega was not far behind, when they released, in 1957, their Seamaster 300 Ref CK 2913.

The Fifties can see been as the golden age, for Diving watches. Look at what happened in the Sixties, in the Seventies, or even nowadays...

Did or do we see better models, nicer watches than in the Fifties?

Mechanically speaking, the components of the movement, the oil the watchmakers use and the overall finish is another standard, of course, but when it comes to the spirit and the soul of the watch, do we, nowadays, do better?

I'm not sure.

Back to the CK 2913, it is, in my opinion, and according to my aesthetical tastes, one of the most elegant Diving watches ever made, with the JLC Deep Sea Alarm, and the Breitling Superocean.



The shape of its case, its dimensions are much less " macho " than a very pleasing Rolex Big Crown, but yes, it has this elegance, this timeless appeal which makes the difference.

Have a look, once again, on the comparison picture I took of the Seamaster and the Deep Sea Alarm, which shows the profile of both of these watches, it speaks much better than a thousand words.

All I will allow myself to say is that I appreciate a lot the sandwich profile of the case, in a more romantic way, a kind of UFO case, where the case back and the bezel come over the case itself.

Superb.

As for the dial, this is another nice detail of the CK 2913, which plays the same elegant partition, with its long and thin triangular radium indexes, the original short big arrow hour hand, and the long dauphine minute hand ( radium fitted, too, of course ).

The warm patina of the dial gives just the final touch, the soul of the watch.

And what to say about the bezel, original, dressy, should I even say ... Sexy, as well as the perfelctly integrated slightly domed plexy, which bears a discrete Omega Logo, like a discrete, almost secret signature.

For the most curious of us, the bezel is rotating in both directions, without ratchet, like on the Fifty Fathoms and the Submariner.

Here are some holidays pictures of this lovely CK 2913:





The inside part of the screw in case back reveals the o ring gasket, and the origin of the watch, as it bears the Huguenin Freres Logo ( HF ), and lets show the Cal 501, which is a 20 jewels automatic movement, while the later reference, the CK 14755, housed the Cal 552 also seen on the Ref 14755 and on the later Ref 165 024.

I must confess that I don't know enough the Omega Vintage world to make a clear distinction between the Cal 501 and the Cal 552, except the fact that the last one had 24 jewels.



The crown, which bears the Omega Logo, is another interesting and well thought element of the watch.

On the Rolex Big Crown, it is perfect, oversized, which doesn't only give a very strong look to the watch, but which also allows an easy and comfortable manipulation when you wind the watch.

The same cannot be said on the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, or even worse, on the Breitling Superocean: Winding your watch is a painful experience.

The crown of the Seamaster 300 CK 2913 is absolutely perfect. 1mm less big than a 6538 or a 7924 ( 8 mm for the Tudor and the Rolex ), it still is comfortable to handle, and saves some elegance / coherence and strenght to the thinner CK 2913.

The CK 2913 was 200 meters water resistant, which was as good as the Rolex Big Crowns, and better than all the other competitors from this era.

To be complete, it was delivered on a bracelet, or on a leather strap, and the retail price, in 1959, was 360 Swis Francs with the bracelet, and 320 Swiss Francs on the leather strap.

OK, enough now with the rational speech, let's give some place to Passion, through some pictures!



One thing I never understood is why the CK 2913 is so under rated in the heart of the collectors, compared to the Fifty Fathoms and the Submariners.

When you look at it, or better, when you live with it, it is as desirable as its 2 natural competitors.

A summit of elegance and legibility, in its natural element, the Sea:



Strangely, this is not an easy watch to take in pictures, for the same reason, I think , than the JLC Deep Sea Alarm, the inner polished ring, which causes a lot of reflections on the dial + the thin polished bezel.

But, even on this mediocre wrist shot, you can feel how good the watch sits on the wrist, its superb presence.



As we're mentionning the wrist shot, I have to say that finding a correct strap is a tough mission, due to its dimensions: 19 mm between the lugs.

Go and find a decent 19 mm Nato, you will have some difficulties, as well as a Vintage Tropic in the same size. ( 2O mm for the Subs / 19 mm for the Deep Sea Alarm / 18 mm for the Breitling. )

Here, on a 20mm leather Nato a good friend kindly sent to me. You will notice that it works, even if it is a tad too large:



Anyway, I kept the best shot for the end, the Trieste roofsunsetshot, as I think it perfectly sums all the qualities and the irresistible appeal of this watch:



Looking forward to reading your reactions, corrections, and thoughts,

Best.

Nicolas.