Omega

I hope it's all right to post this here but I've just been trawling through the net looking at the watches and came across this:

An original receipt for an Omega Tresor dated 1953

The watch is datable to 1950 so it was in stock for a while before being sold.  But the point which struck me was the price of £80.  If you can believe it, the average wages of a craftsman in 1950 in the UK was £320 per year (I've just looked this up).  So the watch represented around a quarter of a years wages for an average man in 1950!  Fast-forward that to the present day and the equivalent cost would be around £7500 - which I suppose for an 18kt gold watch today is about right.

You can tell the wife's gone shopping again and I'm at a lose end!!

Cheers

Andrew

Like a lot these finds of the past.

I had the chance to put my hands on a complete box and papers Rolex 1680 Red... The price was 470 USD at this time...( 1972 )



There are a few other examples like yours or mine, which would be great to see.

Best, and thanks!

Nicolas.

Andrew,

this is an important find!

I remember a past thread where at least 2 people claimed the "Tresor" to have been a poor man´s watch... 

now we have proof that it cost as much as a worker earned in a quarter of one year - so what?

Does anybody still believe it was a poor man´s watch? 

kind regards

Erich

An 18k gold tresor (35mm) cost about 50-60% compared to an 18k gold constellation or an 18k gold seamaster.  It was clearly intended by omega to be an affordable 18k gold watch alternative to those who could not afford a gold connie or seamaster.  

The working man context is interesting, of course. But it would also be useful to see some context within the Omega model line at that point. In other words, does anyone have prices on other models from that period?

Ref, 2648 constellation (1952-1954) 840 CHF
Ref. 2577 seamaster (1954) 775 CHF
Ref 2710 Tresor (1954) 510 CHF

do you know the pound/franc conversion rate of the day?

Historical exchange rates may be found here, or in these simple pdf tables for…

Thank you for that, Francois. But assuming that your information is accurate, the subject Tresor would have cost roughly the equivalent of 960 CHF, which is far different than the picture painted by the Omega database according to Mike above.

…is a complicated question: http://www.measuringworth.com/

....... the Omega database shows the Tresor to be worth around 60% of the cost of a gold Connie and about two thirds the cost of a gold Seamaster.   So if the receipt of £80 for the 1952 Tresor and Graham's example of £6 a week for a white collar worker is used, it still represents a quarter of a year's wages - and projected (approximately) to today, that represents around £7500.

So just think what you'd have to earn in 1952 to be able to afford to buy an 18kt Connie!!  WOW, that is equivalent to over £12000 today.  That puts it into perspective - the Constellation must have been SOME watch!!

Cheers

Andrew

When you think about it, the dealer price for a vintage Tresor as shown would be around £1500 - £1800.  Compare that to the projected price of a new comparable 18kt gold Omega (£7500) in my last thread and you see just what good value vintage Omegas are.  I know, I have moaned about the soaring dealer prices of vintage Omegas in the past but hey-ho they suddenly look cheap!!

Cheers

Andrew

 

for an 2648 Constellation in Fr. from 1952, but i dont now what the Fr. was compared to the £ at that time.

Best Thomas

i have to admit to not actually knowing what 'Tresor' means, but at the time it was sold, the year after my mum and dad got married he was earning about £6 per week in a white collar job which does indicate the equivalent cost of the watch.

i shouldnt complain now about the cost of modern gold watches

G

No message body

In 2009, £80 from 1953 is worth:

£1,660.00 using the retail price index

£4,800.00 using average earnings

as well as your insights into the pricing..

J