Description

A beautifully restored Cal.485 ladies 18ct gold dress watch from 1971, on its original integral 18ct gold bark finished bracelet, which is in superb condition, having only been lightly worn and requiring only a light hand polish to return to the ‘as-new’ condition you see here.

The Dial

The beautiful original, unrestored and completely untouched matching gold bark finished dial carries the traditional Omega styling cues. Gilt baton hour indices inlaid with onyx, matched by the original black ‘Index’ hands. The dial carries only the Omega brand and signature.

This is the original dial which remains unrestored and untouched. Considering its age it is in remarkably good condition, free from any of the fading, pitting or scratches we usually see on a dial of this age. The overall effect is quite wonderful, with a very nice and even patina.  The dial has shifted from a light champagne yellow as seen around the centre of the dial, to a more golden yellow. There is some gentle ageing across the whole of the dial, in the form of light spotting, just as many collectors like to see.

Generally, we restore the dials of a watches we offer here, but this is the kind of watch many Omega collectors like to acquire in original condition, so we felt it was best to retain the originality and charm of this dial.

The Movement

The high grade Omega Calibre 485 hand-wound, copper-plated beryllium-bronze movement is in absolute tip-top sparkling condition.

The movement has been fully overhauled by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. This means disassembling the watch movement down to all its component parts, careful inspection under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only genuine Omega parts, then careful reassembly and adjustment before final calibration and testing. This watch winds, sets and runs perfectly accurately and reliably within +16 seconds per day, averaged over 5 positions and this has been checked and confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher. Please bear in mind, this performance is outstanding for any watch, particularly of this age. The movement also has a 46-hour power reserve when fully wound. We are therefore highly confident in offering 12 months’ warranty with this watch movement*.

The movement is signed Omega Watch Co Swiss, 17 Jewels, Swiss with the calibre number 458 with the serial number 33682020, which dates the watch to 1971.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

The sturdy 18ct solid yellow gold case measures just 17mm in diameter, excluding the Omega signed crown. This makes this a mid to small size ladies watch. However, the case is very robust meaning the watch, while ‘ladies cocktail watch size’, is still suitable for everyday use.

Inside the case-back, all the markings are correct and as we would expect with The Omega Watch Co. triangle, along with Swiss 18ct hallmarks and the Omega reference number 7115648.

The case has been cleaned, carefully inspected and carefully hand-polished, which was all that was required to bring it back to its current tip-top condition with no scratches dings or marks of any kind visible to the naked eye.

As always, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Bracelet

The original heavy integral woven link Omega 18ct bracelet carries a bark finish and is in close to ‘as new’ condition and is of its original full length and is adjustable between 16cm to 17cm. This equates to  6.25″ inches to 6.75″ inches i.e. a small to medium size ladies wrist.

The bracelet is adjusted using the three-step Omega ladder locking catch. The bracelet has simply been cleaned and lightly polished to bring it back to the condition you see here.

The box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating the watch to 1971. Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months’ warranty.

The watch also comes complete with the presentation box as shown.

In Conclusion

A rather special and rare vintage gold ladies automatic watch from one of horology’s most famous names, which will provide an excellent financial investment as well as be something to treasure and enjoy!

This is a truly top class example, in immaculate condition with an original dial. The watch is ready to wear and totally practical for everyday use. If treated with care it will make an excellent investment or family heirloom piece. Even though vintage gold Omega prices have risen markedly in the past 12 months, we still feel great examples such as this are still undervalued, because as each year goes by, the world market for vintage Omega watches is expanding almost exponentially, so we think prices are destined to climb ever higher in the foreseeable future.