Omega Chrono-quartz, virtually NOS and a complete stroke of luck!

Morning all

Wanted to share my recent acquisition with you, its a great example of taking a gamble and it paying off! I swore I wouldn't buy anymore watches but I couldn't let this one pass me by although it does mean I have had to part with a couple of other bits to keep this one I thought it was worth it!

I bought this recently from ebay as a non runner as a BIN after speaking to the son of the original owner, pics weren't great but it looked good with box, when it arrived it was basically NOS, virtually unworn, never refinished and box and papers! Whipped the back off and found two batteries which had leaked BUT not on to the circuit! New batts and............................NOTHING :-(


Sent it to STS and Simon got right on it, basically long story short a motor unit on the analogue side, full movement service but left the case and bracelet untouched, it is like wearing it fresh from the 1977 (when it was sold and my birth year) shop display!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/IMG_2369.jpg

This watch is of one of Omegas truly ground breaking watches of the 1970’s, the 1976 released Chrono-Quartz or ‘Albatros’. It was initially released for the 1976 Montreal Winter Olympic games but the production run ran on and because of the popularity of the watch it was available for a couple of years afterwards. The watch was also the worlds first analogue and digital watch, having both a standard analogue display and a digital chronograph function.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/IMG_2371.jpg

The Chrono-Quartz is also one of very few Omegas ever made which didn’t share its movement with other Omegas, the Cal 1611 was developed for and only used in this watch. With a production run of around 13000 they are becoming increasingly rare and will get rarer and rarer as time goes on.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/IMG_2372.jpg

The watch is working perfectly, no bleeds in the displays and no damage; it even has the original heavy Mineral Crystal with separate foil and never refinished, definitely a keeper in my collection and over the moon I have finally found a perfect unrestored example!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/IMG_2373.jpg

These watches are a special part of Omegas history and it wears amazingly, although not one for the faint hearted!!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/IMG_2376.jpg

Nice find Tom. Shows that there are some good watches on the bay if you're prepared to take a punt!

Wow!

You lucky so and so.
Looks to have come out of a timewarp.
Great catch.

Daddel.

Congratulations Tom. That's lovely.

How many have you had before getting to this one?

I know there is a lot of risk buying these unseen but once you get a good one what's the process of keeping them in tip top shape?
How long do you think they can survive?

Ian

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Emeister

Congratulations Tom. That's lovely.

How many have you had before getting to this one?

I know there is a lot of risk buying these unseen but once you get a good one what's the process of keeping them in tip top shape?
How long do you think they can survive?

Ian

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Ian

This is my sixth, wont be flipping this one! The big issue is the circuits but tbh I think they are going to be around for years to come! This one is nearly 36 years old and still absolutely perfect! good for another 36 years and with companies like STS there are plenty of people around to keep them going for many many years to come IMHO

COR!

I wish I'd hoovered up a few of these in the early nineties, when you couldn't give them away.

I know what you are saying, I remember seeing a Ploprof go through ebay with box and papers when I started collecting for £925!

That's a beauty, well done.

You've gone through SIX of these? Sounds like they may be a little temperamental, but I still want one. :box:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spaceslug

That's a beauty, well done.

You've gone through SIX of these? Sounds like they may be a little temperamental, but I still want one. :box:

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I think you'll find it's Tom that's temperamental, not the watches :wink-new:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stanford

I think you'll find it's Tom that's temperamental, not the watches :wink-new:

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Ha ha, so very true Bob! This one is staying for good, it is going in the hardcore of the collection alongside the Megaquartz's, Electroquartz, the divers and the Bullhead!