Omega - The Geneva Watch Auction: NINE Geneva Saturday, May 11, 2019 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1915
    Reference No: CH 568.18
    Movement No: 4'428'289
    Case No: 5'414'153
    Material: Silver
    Calibre: Manual, 18"' SOPB CHRO, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle
    Dimensions: 46mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract of the Archives confirming the production of the present watch on September 15, 1915.
    Literature: A similar timepiece is featured in Omega Watches by John Goldberger p. 66

  • Catalogue Essay

    Omega was amongst the first brands to create wrist chronographs in 1913 and the present timepiece from 1915 with a military background can certainly be considered an important piece of the company’s early history.

    The 18”’ SOPB CHRO was originally a pocket watch movement housed here in a substantial 46mm silver case. The enamel dial bearing large luminous military style Arabic numerals is striking in its modernity. A pink gold plated button placed discretely between the lower lugs starts, stops and resets the chronograph.

    The caseback is engraved with the initials C.G.L. Wolf a trained biochemist who reached the ranks of Captain in the British Royal Army Medical Corps where he served in the Hygiene Laboratories in Boulogne, France during World War I.

    So important is this watch within Omega’s history that in 2018 it relaunched this chronograph in an exclusive 18 piece limited edition using original movements from 1913.

    The watch has remained in incredible condition considering it was made over a century ago. The historical importance, the military background, the striking features and its ultimate rarity make the present timepiece a must have for the avid collector.

  • Artist Biography

    Omega

    Swiss • 1848

    Omega'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.

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Ref. CH 568.18
A historically important extremely rare oversized silver single-button chronograph wristwatch with enamel dial

1915
46mm Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 30,000 
€17,800-26,700
$20,100-30,200

Sold for CHF62,500

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Sale
+ 41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: NINE

Geneva Auction 11-12 May 2019