Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1944 Movement No: 9.919.812 Case No: 10.615.634 Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 30 T2 SC RG, 16 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Gilt Omega pin buckle Dimensions: 35mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming this timepiece’s date of production on 18th September 1944 and its subsequent delivery to Portugal.
Catalogue Essay
Vintage Omega chronometers are treasured by collectors due to the impressive accuracy of their movements and top-notch engineering, made to withstand the test of time.
The present ref. OT 2326 from 1944 is a beautifully preserved manual-winding chronometer with center seconds. Boasting an incredibly attractive pink-on-pink configuration, its “Scientific” dial is furnished with applied Arabic numerals, topped with a pair of feuille hands and a blued steel center seconds hand. Featuring a crosshair division, the warm canvas complemented by a railway track chapter ring that perfectly frames the dial. Although this timepiece only measures 35mm in diameter, it is a quiet giant with an added wrist presence due to the distinct fancy lugs that bind seamlessly to the sides of its rounded case.
Under the hood lies the Omega cal. 30 T2 RG, a chronometer movement based on the famous cal. 30. Deemed one of the best calibers developed by the firm, an estimated 3000,000 movements were built using the cal. 30 as a blueprint from 1939 to 1963. The cal. 30 T2 RG was created in 1940 and is the ultimate evolution of this, which was designated a chronometer movement by independent Observatory testing.
The watch is completed with a set of Omega pig’s skin straps that enhances the overall vintage appeal of the present ref. OT 2326. As calfskin was rather costly in the 40s and 50s, pigskin was an inexpensive, durable alternative that was often advertised as watchstraps. With an unmistakable grain and feel on the fingers, the straps came in an array of colours ranging from beige, like the present example, to brown and tan. Pigskin straps were quite popular at the time as they could be dressed up or down depending on their wearer’s lifestyle.
If this vintage model looks familiar, that is because it resembles the highly coveted 1994 limited edition pink gold ref. 5950.30.03, from the 1894 Centenary Collection. Aside from the fancy lugs and the absence of a small seconds dial, the present example could have very well been one of the inspirations behind this homage series.
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.
A beautifully preserved and attractive pink gold wristwatch with center seconds, two-tone pink sector dial and fancy lugs made for the Portuguese Market
1944 35mm diameter Case, dial, movement and buckle signed