Omega Geneve – A Rare Chronometer

When watch lovers look at the Omega Geneve collection most of them think about the lower valued so called entry-level vintage Omegas. It is wide known among Omega collectors that back in the day when Omega introduced the Geneve collection it was meant to be one of the flagship lines of the brand though. By the mid- to late 1960s Omega shifted their attention.

The Speedmaster collection was very successful (and we all know why). The Seamaster collection with its diver discount fake  watches was also doing great and with the introduction of a few new Seamaster chronographs the brand was getting to a wider audience than ever before. Older collections like the Omega Geneve was re-positioned and put in the market as a entry-level watch.

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Omega Geneve

The designs of the 1970s Omega Geneve watches were outstanding nonetheless. So many different shapes and colors hardly any other Omega collection could compete with that. The cheap replica watch we are about to explore is a bit different in a way that at first look it’s just another “regular” Omega Geneve. Upon closer inspection however, we realize how wrong we were. Meet the Omega Geneve manual wind Chronometer.

First, let’s have a look at the specifications: 33 mm diameter, round, Unicoc (or monocoqe), 18k solid gold case. Inside beats Omega’s caliber 602, based on caliber 601 with an added bonus of being Chronometer certified.

To understand the significance of this watch we have to understand the movement that’s in it. The caliber 602 – as said before – is a variation on Omega’s base caliber 601 that was used for probably thousands of watches at the time. However, the caliber 602 was only used in this Omega Geneve with reference number 137.0001. If you happen to have Omega’s a Journey Through Time book, it clearly mentions the watch with this movement as being “rare”.

According to various sources, only 4000 pieces were produced of this Omega Geneve watch. That is not all, as the caliber 602 is a manual wind and not an automatic movement. Until recently – when Omega released the Seamaster Railmaster Chronometer – this Omega Geneva ref. 137.0001 was the last manual wind movement produced by Omega.

Omega Geneve

A 1968 Italian catalog featuring the Geneve Chronotmeter (scan by Steve Waddington)

The case is also pretty special. I have mentioned before that it is housed in a Unicoc – or monocoqe – case. This is the so called front-loader case used by many Seamaster models as well for instance. Access to the movement has to be made through the dial side by removing the crystal and crown with a special tool – Tool 105. These cases were used to provide water resistance to the watch yet I do not think anybody ever thought about taking it under water even when it was new.

The watch came with 3 case variations; 18K yellow, pink and white gold as well as 14K yellow gold. You can check whether yours is 18 or 14 Carat gold by finding the hallmark on the lug of the watch. Compared to modern standards this is a relatively small and thin dress watch.

DSC_0143The dial is very plain, simple and classy with some added “spice”. Journey Through Time has the following description of it:

“…sun-brushed silver dial, minute circle with strokes, polished and riveted baquette hour markers, gold baton hands with a black line…”

Under 12 o’clock you see the applied Omega logo, same logo you would find on the early Speedmaster dials for example. Under the logo it says “Omega” and then comes the spice. Under Omega you can read: “Chronometer Officially Certified”. The name “Genéve“is above the 6 o’clock as you would find with most the basic models. Pretty decent looking dial if you ask me. Not too busy but still interesting.

This replica watches for men flies under the radar for most watch guys unless they really know what they are dealing with. The monetary value might never reach the price of an Ed White Speedy much less a vintage Rolex Submariner for that matter but it is a very important piece in the history of Omega, a rare find and a great conversation starter. I have only come across one for sale recently and not many articles cover the topic either.

Kicking Off JCK/Couture 2015: 6 Las Vegas Watches for High Rollers

WatchTimereturns to Las Vegas this week for the JCK 2014 and Couture 2015 watch and jewelry shows, starting on Thursday, May 28. As a preview to our live coverage of new watches at the show, we’re re-presenting this list of luxury watches that evoke the spirit of Las Vegas. Check out these six watches inspired by Sin City and its games of chance, including some watches that double as functioning games themselves.

Christophe Claret’s 21 Blackjack functions as a miniature casino with three interactive games of chance: blackjack (with a striking mechanism), roulette, and a dice game. A pair of miniature dice are located in a cage at the 4 o’clock position on the side of the case, visible through a sapphire crystal. The winding rotor, visible through the caseback, doubles as a roulette wheel, which is set in motion by a few movements of the luxruy watches for sale. However, the main attraction is the blackjack function. The dial features several windows with shutters which open to reveal the player’s and dealer’s cards. Under the dial are seven rotating disks on which the “cards” are printed. The game is controlled with buttons on the side of the case.

Christophe Claret 21 Blackjack

The Perrelet Turbine Poker, one of Perrelet’s trademark Turbine tag heuer replica watches with spinning blades on the dial, is inspired by the game of poker, with a hand of cards displayed on the dial. The set of cards is only revealed when the turbine blades are in motion. Perrelet offers three dial options with different card combinations: one with a pair of sevens, another with a pair of sevens and two royal flushes (one with spades and one with hearts), and the third shows two full suits, three of a kind and a pair of sevens, as well as a trio of kings and pair of sevens.

Perrelet Turbine Poker

Audemars Piguet draws inspiration from the Vegas Strip for its Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Las Vegas Strip Chronograph. Its red-on-black design features red numerals and indices against a black “Mega Tapisserie” patterned dial and a blackened steel case on a black crocodile strap with red stitching. The watch, engraved with “Las Vegas Strip” on the caseback, is part of a limited edition of 400, each of which comes with two sets of Audemars Piguet playing cards.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Las Vegas Strip Chronograph

Azimuth’s SP-1 Roulette has a roulette wheel for a dial, complete with a spinning ball. When the die-shaped crown is pressed down, the white ball is sent spinning around the dial, landing on a random number.

Azimuth SP-1 Roulette

Bell & Ross has a roulette-themed provide the best aaa quality fake  watches of its own, the BR 01 Casino. Pictured here is the special edition in rose gold made for the Only Watch 2011 auction. The roulette wheel-styled dial is used for time-telling rather than gambling. The black-on-white “0″ on the outer ring represents the hours, and the small, white roulette ball on the center ring denotes the minutes. The central disk bearing the spinner represents the seconds, making one revolution per minute.

Bell & Ross BR01 Casino

The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon features a fully functioning slot machine (minus, of course, an actual jackpot payout). The watch’s unique design echoes that of the very first slot machine, the “Liberty Bell,” featuring the same symbols on its spinning gold reels: spades, hearts, diamonds, horseshoes and bells.

Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon