1953 Omega 6B/542 RAF Issued "Fat Arrow 53" Military 36.5mm

Here we have a rare 1953 Omega 6B/542 RAF Issued "Fat Arrow 53" Military Wristwatch, a legendary timepiece ordered by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) specifically for RAF pilots and navigators to ensure precise synchronisation during post-war missions. Featuring a 36.5mm brushed stainless steel case engineered to strict military specifications, it sits robustly on the wrist with straight, purposeful lugs and fixed spring bars made for utilitarian NATO straps. Its rugged profile leads to a lug-to-lug length of 48mm and a case thickness of 12.5mm, offering a substantial and commanding presence on your wrist. On the right side, a substantial crown allows for easy winding, even while wearing pilot gloves. The smooth steel bezel holds a crystal above a matte black dial, redesigned by the MoD with highly visible white Arabic numerals and an outer railroad minute track. Sword-style hands are filled with luminous material, complemented by a sweeping central second hand for split-second legibility. At noon, we find the iconic Omega motif, sitting just above a small "T" in a circle. At 6 o'clock, the prominent "Fat Arrow" (or broad arrow pheon), which denotes British Crown property. On the reverse, the heavy screw-down case back is deeply engraved with the military store numbers 6B/542, the individual issue number 10884/53, and the NATO stock code 6645 101000. Inside is the manually wound Omega Cal. 283, a direct descendant of the legendary 30T2 family, housing 17 jewels and featuring a shock-resisting mechanism explicitly demanded by the military for extreme operational environments. It comes paired with an 18mm aftermarket elasticated NATO strap.

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and, therefore, comes with no original Omega box or paperwork. Coming fresh from service. It is paired with a well-suited aftermarket elasticated 18mm NATO strap. The watch is from Circa. 1953 and is sold in worn vintage condition, with signs of wear and age across the case, as you can see from the photos. The watch comes with our 12-Month NON-Waterproof Warranty.

Military watches don't get much more iconic than this. The "Fat Arrow" has become one of the most coveted British military references, and it's easy to see why. Everything about it is purposeful, from the oversized Arabic numerals to the fixed spring bars and beautifully utilitarian case. It was built with one job in mind, and over seventy years later, it still looks every bit the tool watch it was intended to be. What I love most is its honesty. There's no unnecessary decoration or embellishment, just a watch designed to perform in demanding conditions. That sense of authenticity is something you simply can't recreate. For collectors of military watches, this is one of those cornerstone references that deserves its legendary status. It's a genuine piece of RAF history, powered by one of Omega's finest manual-wind movements, and a watch that continues to be admired by enthusiasts around the world. I would not hesitate to add this watch to your collection!

Reference : 6B/542 - 2777-1 SC
Movement : Manually Wound Omega Cal. 283
Age : Circa. 1953
Year : 1953
Case Size : 36.5mm
Case Thickness : 12.5mm
Lug to Lug : 48mm
Lugs : 18mm (Fixed Bars)
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848, it was founded 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.