Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1938 Reference No: CK 987 Movement No: 9’381’453 Case No: 9’554’839 Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 33.3 CHRO, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel buckle Dimensions: 37mm diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives confirming date of production on July 14, 1938 and delivery to the United Kingdom. Literature: For a similar example of this watch see Omega Watch, John Goldberger, pg. 71.
Catalogue Essay
Omega enjoys a well-deserved reputation for excellence thanks to its continuous devotion to timekeeping precision and accuracy since its founding in 1848. Perhaps best known today for its Speedmaster family of chronographs introduced in 1957, Omega was producing superb chronograph wristwatches beginning decades earlier – as exemplified by the present lot from 1938.
Fitted with a magnificent and flawless enamel dial, it features multiple, colored scales used to measure speed and distance. Elegant italicized Arabic hour numerals along with blued steel Breguet hands provide great legibility while evoking the timeless styling of the 1930s.
The generously proportioned case houses a manual-winding chronograph controlled by only two buttons - a highly sought after execution appreciated by seasoned collectors for its elegant simplicity. The timepiece is further enhanced by its superb state of preservation, showing minimal signs of use in its past. Omega wristwatches with enamel dials are difficult to find, and when found in such lovely condition as the present lot, they are certain to impress collectors of all types.
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.