1956 OMEGA SEAMASTER Olympic XVI Mens Vintage 18K Rose Gold Very Rare Dial
Posted on January 1, 2022 | By admin
1956 OMEGA SEAMASTER Olympic XVI Mens Vintage 18K Rose Gold Watch – Very Rare Cross of Merit Dial. Very Rare “Pre-Commercial Prototype” Edition – Only Approx. One of the Holy Grail Seamasters.. For serious Omega Connoisseurs, this is a special opportunity to own one of the Holy Grail XVI Olympic Seamasters. An even greater achievement is to have in one’s collection the rare so-called “pre-commercial prototype” version with the Olympic Cross of Merit on its dial. This is our favorite Cross of Merit version with multi-color rings on the dial. Its rose gold construction is gorgeous! While Omega has never said exactly how many Olympic XVI Seamasters were made, and the commercial version itself is a semi-holy grail watch, it is generally speculated that only approximately 100 watches were made with the Cross of Merit dial and were produced by Omega prototype maker Jean-Pierre Mathey-Claudet who also is known for making the prototypes for the famous 30mm caliber movement. The Seamaster XVI was created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Omega being the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games. Beginning in the 1932 Los Angeles games, Omega watches were, and still remain, a fixture at the finish lines during the Olympiads. The Games of the XVI Olympiad were the first to take place in the Southern Hemisphere, which meant they were held in late November and early December – autumn for countries in the Northern Hemisphere. The host-country Australians showcased their excellence in international competition, including swimmer Murray Rose’s three gold medals and runner Betty Cuthbert’s three gold medals. Most call these “pre-commercial prototypes” suggesting that they were never available for sale and it is widely rumored that these were given away to executives, dignitaries and celebrities, although the few that were made may have been offered for public sale. It has often been speculated that Omega changed to the standard version that only has the Roman numerals XVI on the dial and not the Cross of Merit because they didn’t have the right to use it for marketing, but because both versions retain the cross on the case back that explanation seems unlikely. They tend to sell for only about a 10% – 50% premium over the commercial version, yet are both far rarer and for more aesthetically interesting to my eyes. We were fortunate to acquire this very rare and sought after example in original condition. All of its parts are Omega down to the buckle and box. It Chinese lacquer dial, which has a thick original top coat finish, is untouched. It has a few places of loss of finish around the periphery but the Cross of Merit logo with its five color rings is almost perfect. Its dog leg case has distinctive lugs and the Cross of Merit emblazoned on the back. It is in excellent condition with fairly light to moderate signs of previous polishing. It presents honestly with all of its wording clearly intact on the back and a perfectly crisp hallmark. It looks very nice on the wrist. Like usual, one of our watchmakers has disassembled it down to its last screw and cleaned and oiled it. Like a brand new Omega, it is keeping chronometer grade time in our testing position. For the finishing touch we have equipped it with a brand new Teju lizard strap and period Omega buckle making it ready for immediate enjoyment. Accompanying it is a period correct Omega box. Photos of the inside available upon request. Note For more information on this model and several illustrations, see Richon, M. Omega: A Journey Through Time, pp. Timepiece’s Finer Points. Cream, large applied 18K gold “coffin” indices and special Cross of Merit emblem with Olympic rings in red, yellow, blue, green, and black, thick Chinese lacquer, signed Omega, original and untouched. Crystal : Acrylic, excellent condition. Case : 18K rose gold, two-piece, water-resistant style snap back, prominent Cross of Merit emblem on back, 34mm wide (excluding crown – 37mm including), 41mm long lug tip-to-tip. Genuine Teju, dark brown, aftermarket fully stitched, padded, brand new and unworn with period correct Omega buckle. Brown cow leather band done in Teju lizard grain that was on the watch when it was photographed which is only very lightly used but fairly low quality. The high quality genuine Teju band we have installed has a very similar look to the photos but a much higher quality We also stock a variety of others straps in various prints, skins, and colors. Please ask us if you’re interested. 471, copper colored, 19 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance-spring. Hours, Minutes, Automatic, Sweep Seconds. Crown : Signed Omega, correct style. Country of origin: Switzerland. 2850SC, XVI Olympic Seamaster. Functions: Hours, Minutes, Automatic, Sweep Seconds. Case material: 18K Gold. Case markings (inside): Omega Watch Co. Case condition: Excellent condition with fairly light to moderate signs of previous polishing. 34mm wide (excluding crown – 37mm including), 41mm long lug tip-to-tip. Hands: Original, gold dauphines. Movement markings: Omega Watch Co. Swiss, Nineteen Jewels, 471. Beat frequency: 19,800 BPH. Width between lugs: 18mm. Serviced: Yes, one of our watchmakers has cleaned and oiled the movement. Timing: Timed to precision on a state-of-the-art computerized system. Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an experienced team of watchmakers both of whom each have over forty years of experience and a large number of parts. Please message us for details. Box/Papers: BOX – Period correct Omega box; PAPERS – Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity; New timing certificate. Simply notify us and send it back anytime within 30 days after it has been received. View our feedback and shop with confidence. Connoisseur of Time, Inc. 1000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Suite 6-343 Suwanee, GA 30024. It is listed toward the bottom of our homepage and prominently on each watch’s listing page. Connoisseur of Time Recently In the News. Steve Lundin with IW Magazine asked Paul to collaborate on his article about rectangular watches, Hip Squares. Melissa Pearce with Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald asked Paul to collaborate on her article about trends in mens antiques: “Mantiques: The New Boys’ Toys”. Hodinkee did a feature piece. On this vintage 14K Omega chronograph of ours. Jeff Stein of OntheDash featured one of our watches in his article “Project 99: The History of the Chronomatic” written for the March issue of International Watch magazine. Leaders Magazine featured one of our watches in their article “Defining Luxury: Ensuring Authenticity” (Volume 33, Number 4). 100% satisfaction guarantee for all of our watches. We hope you love it! We don’t recommend getting a vintage watch wet – and really don’t recommend showering or diving with it – even one that was originally designed to be waterproof. Wait until you see how big the box is that your watch is coming in! Please do remember though that while we do our very best and have careful procedures and quality control inspections – we will again fully re-test the proper functioning of your watch after you pay, right before we send it to you – from time to time some courier workers don’t handle packages the way we think that they would want their own packages to be handled. Watches are ultra-precision instruments, and the timekeeping of most is governed by a small spring that is only about 1/8 the thickness of a human hai r. The vast majority of our watches arrive safely and problem free. But even on a bad day there’s still good news… Yes, even the older vintage watches. So sit back, relax, and dream about the first place where you’re going to wear your new watch! It does not cover things like abuse, being dropped, crystals, bracelets, crowns, case parts etc. Even if you have a problem that you don’t think will qualify for coverage, tell us about it anyway. We are here to serve and just might be able to help you. After 48 hours the watch will be relisted. Check We have to hold the watch until the check clears. Add Connoisseur of Time. Track Page Views With. Auctiva’s FREE Counter. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Watches\Wristwatches”. The seller is “connoisseur_of_time” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Model: Ref. 2850SC, XVI Olympic Seamaster
- Department: Men
- Gender: Men
- Country of Manufacture: Switzerland
- Case Material: 18K Gold
- Warranty: Non-Factory Warranty
- Movement: Automatic
- Type: Wristwatch
- Customized: Yes
- Year Manufactured: 1950-1959
- Vintage: Yes
- Dial Color: Cream
- Band Color: Brown
- Brand: OMEGA
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Switzerland
- Band Material: Teju Lizard
- Features: Hours, Minutes, Automatic, Sweep Seconds
- Serial Number: 14,726,619