1954 Omega Seamaster Automatic Waffle Gold Capped 34mm 2846-3 SC

Here's a stunning 1954 Omega Seamaster automatic Waffle 2846-3 SC with a 34mm gold-capped case, meaning a thick layer of gold was mechanically heated and applied in layers on top of the stainless steel case. The watch features tapering, thick lugs and a lug-to-lug length of 42mm, along with a case thickness of 10.5mm, ensuring a comfortable fit on the wrist. With polished surfaces throughout, its smooth bezel holds a domed crystal above the star of the show: a waffle sector-style two-tone dial, which has patinated to an almost caramel tone. Applied polished gold ‘12’ and facet-edged indexes in between mark the hours, playing with the light as you rotate your wrist. Elegant steel Dauphine hands, complete with a centre seconds hand that sweeps around this rare two-tone waffle dial; the text is kept to a minimum with an applied Omega Motif ‘Automatic’ printed underneath at 12 o’clock and ‘Seamaster’ at 6 o’clock. On the back, we have a screw-down stainless steel case back with ‘waterproof’ engraved on its outer edge and the initials 22.03.58 in the centre; inside is an automatic Omega Cal. 501, 20 jewels, 19,800 beats per hour. The watch comes fitted with a well-suited 18mm WatchGecko brown leather vintage-style strap and an aftermarket Omega pin buckle.

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original Omega box or paperwork. It comes paired with a well-suited WatchGecko brown 18mm vintage-style leather strap and an aftermarket Omega pin buckle. The watch is from Circa. 1954 and is sold in worn vintage condition, with signs of wear and a lovely subtle patina, as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months Non-Waterproof Warranty.

The dial is unquestionably the star of the show here. Over more than 70 years, the original two-tone waffle dial has developed this incredible, almost caramel-like patina, with so much warmth, texture and depth. It’s also one of those vintage dials that is virtually impossible to capture properly in photographs. As you move it through the light, the waffle texture, gold details and different tones continually change and reveal themselves. For me, this is exactly the kind of natural ageing that makes vintage watches so special, you simply couldn’t recreate it if you tried. I would not hesitate to add this wonderful vintage gem to your collection today!

Reference : 2846-3 SC
Movement : Automatic Omega Cal. 501
Age : Circa. 1954
Year : 1954
Case Size : 34mm
Case Thickness : 10.5mm
Lug to Lug : 42mm
Lugs : 18mm
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 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 an astronaut's first choice. 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 Horloger (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967 with their production starting 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.