1950 Omega Black Waffle Bumper Automatic Jumbo 36mm 2493-8
Ref: 2493-8
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only” and, therefore, comes without its original Omega box or original Omega paperwork. It comes paired with a well-fitted leather strap and pin buckle. The watch is from Circa 1950 and is sold in worn vintage condition, but overall, it is in very good condition, as you can see. The watch has a sharp, unpolished case, and the dial and hands are original. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/116hZjvOumHL22AJCtH5N0C-azcXPs6eS?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 17:13 - https://youtu.be/etpJVvBuUOU
The Watch
Here we have a rare 1950 Omega Black Waffle 2493-8 with a Jumbo 36mm stainless steel case, a large case size for its time, gently curves over your wrist with thick tapered drilled lugs. Its curved, strong case flanks lead to a lug-to-lug length of 45.5mm and a case thickness of 10mm, ensuring a comfortable fit. On the right side is a signed crown. Its smooth bezel holds a domed crystal above a stunning black waffle dial. Applied Gilt dagger and Arabic numeral indexes mark the hours, elegant gilt Dauphine hands are complemented by sub seconds at 6 o’clock, and at 12 o’clock, we have the applied Omega motif “Automatic” underneath completes this early and rare vintage timepiece. On the reverse, a screw-down solid case back, inside a bumper automatic Omega Cal. 332, 17 jewels, beating at 19,800 beats per hour. It comes paired with a well-suited 18mm leather strap and pin buckle.
Personal Note
It is far from every day that an example like this crosses our desk, so when this Omega reference 2493-8 landed, we had to jump. It features a beautiful black waffle dial with deep gilt finishing and is powered by the early bumper automatic Omega Calibre 332, all cased in an impressive 36mm stainless steel case, considered 'jumbo' for the period, which is in its unpolished condition. I would not hesitate to add this rare and fine example to your collection today whilst you can!
The Brand
They were formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co., founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds. When he died in 1879, his sons carried on his dream. In 1880, they moved to 96 Rue Jakob-Stampfli, where they remain today. The brothers produced their first mass-produced calibre, the Labrador In 1885. Just a few years later, in 1892, they produced the first minute-repeater. In 1903, they renamed the company Omega until 1982, when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1, Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged together to form Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH.) In 1931, another group was formed - Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG). Where SSIH was primarily French-speaking, ASUAG was founded by the more German-speaking members of the Swiss watch industry. In 1948, they introduced the first edition of one of its most symbolic watches: the Seamaster. Omega first introduced the Constellation in 1952. At the time, it was Omega's flagship timepiece. The first models had a Cal. 354 bumper movement in them. Later, in 1955, Omega introduced the Automatic Cal. 50x, followed in 1959 by the Cal.55x (no date) and 56x (date) versions. Many of the Constellations came with pie-pan dials, diamond indexes, and fancy lug configurations. All the gold Constellations of that time have the Observatory of Geneva's hand engraved on the back. The stainless steel and stainless steel/gold versions had a gold medallion on the back with the Observatory of Geneva. The eight stars above the Observatory stand for the many exploits of Omega in the world Chronometer competition. Celebrating the fact that all Constellations are Chronometer Certified. In 1962, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first Omega watch to enter space. After rigorous tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions, including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today, Omega is still the first choice of astronauts. In 1969, President Nixon famously said it was “too valuable” and turned down the first-ever all-gold Speedmaster Professional Deluxe. As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Omega and many Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe formed Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967, and their production started in 1968. Then In 1972, Omega introduced the reference, 198.030, which included the Omega calibre 1250, a ‘tuning-fork electronic movement which was made under licence from Bulova. Later we saw a merger of SSIH and ASUAG into SMH, or Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. This merger took place in 1983. In 1992, the company acquired Blancpain, and in 1998, it officially rebranded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.