116
Omega
Ref. 2990-1
Ranchero
An extremely rare and well preserved stainless steel wristwatch with “broad arrow” hands, white dial, and subsidiary seconds
- Estimate
- $6,000 - 12,000
- Manufacturer
- Omega
- Year
- Circa 1958
- Reference No
- 2990-1
- Movement No
- 16’358’635
- Model Name
- Ranchero
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Manual, cal. 267, 17 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Leather
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel
- Dimensions
- 36mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, and movement signed.
Catalogue Essay
Meant as an entry-level alternative to the Professional models launched one year earlier, the Ranchero was styled after these watches and utilized the same configuration: black dial, triangle-shaped luminous markers, and broad arrow hands.
Despite presenting a compelling product – the Ranchero was thinner, water-resistant, and less expensive than its predecessors – Omega couldn’t properly market the watch and the model was phased out of production shortly after its launch, making the Ranchero the rarest of the four models. Possibly trying to capitalize on the success of the Ford Ranchero, released in 1957, which was a hybrid sedan and pick-up truck marketed to farmers and suburbanites alike.
It is estimated that only 20% of the Ranchero production encompassed white dials, while the remainder were fitted with black dials. Though not a success at its conception, the intervening years have allowed the Ranchero to garner a loyal following for its sleek looks and rarity. This beautifully preserved example consigned by an important collector impresses with a lovely original dial and handset for the collector looking for something on the more unusual side.
The present watch was delivered on October 1st, 1958.
Full-Cataloguing
Omega
Swiss | 1848Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.
Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.