# 1961 Omega



## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

Received back from RLT last evening; 9 carat Dennison case, manual wind.

Can't stop fondling and caressing it; thank you Roy!

Just wanted to share the pleasure.











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## streety (Jan 17, 2009)

Wow. That is simply stunning.


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## aroma (Dec 11, 2009)

Very nice. Do you know the case serial and case reference numbers - if so you might be able to tell what the model is.

What's the date of the movement BTW - it looks sort of 1950s but you never know until you look


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## Dr.f (Jun 29, 2011)

Very nice indeed.


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

aroma said:


> Very nice. Do you know the case serial and case reference numbers - if so you might be able to tell what the model is.
> 
> What's the date of the movement BTW - it looks sort of 1950s but you never know until you look


The movement has a 18xxx serial number, which I believe is '61, and the case is engraved, with a '62 date, which would be right.

I bought it years ago on a beads of rice bracelet, which I don't like, hence the leather strap.

Wore it out to supper this evening and a number of people enquired as to what it is.

Do you know how to get a model from the serial number?


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## aroma (Dec 11, 2009)

Hi again, On the inside of the case back you'll find two numbers - one (usually the top one) is the case design reference number and the other is the case serial number. The last three or four digits from the case serial number are repeated near one of the lugs - this shows that the case and case back have always been together. In around 1962, Dennison's started using a very 'Omega-like' case design reference number e.g. 165/6.5003 and this design was extremely similar to Omega's 165/6.003. With the earlier Dennison cases this similarity wasn't always apparent. Have a look and report back.

Cheers


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

aroma said:


> Hi again, On the inside of the case back you'll find two numbers - one (usually the top one) is the case design reference number and the other is the case serial number. The last three or four digits from the case serial number are repeated near one of the lugs - this shows that the case and case back have always been together. In around 1962, Dennison's started using a very 'Omega-like' case design reference number e.g. 165/6.5003 and this design was extremely similar to Omega's 165/6.003. With the earlier Dennison cases this similarity wasn't always apparent. Have a look and report back.
> 
> Cheers


Thank you; I shall do. In the morning, when my eye is clearer, and my hand steadier....


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## no8yogi (Oct 1, 2012)

very nice watch I always wanted one like this and just bought a late 60's omega GenÃ¨ve seamaster from Andy on this very forum not solid gold like yours but it has got lots of complementary words from everyone, quick question where did you get that strap the one I have is nice but I like the shinnyness of yours!


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## Littlelegs (Dec 4, 2011)

That looks very nice. How did it look before Roy fettled it?


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

Littlelegs said:


> That looks very nice. How did it look before Roy fettled it?


Very similar; Roy serviced it sorted the balance, the polishing is down to me over a few years...

The strap was a 'clone' Omega, but from where I can't remember, I'm sorry.

Can anybody make any sense of the numbers here?



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## aroma (Dec 11, 2009)

This could be confusing but hang on in there:- Dennison's supplied watch cases for many watch manufacturers who exported their watches to the UK as 'movement-only' (Rolex, Omega, IWC, Zenith and many others) and virtually all Dennison cases have a case reference number and a case serial number.

Dennison's had a long relationship with Omega who appear to have been their biggest customer. Up until 1960, Dennison's used a 5 digit case reference number (which they'd used since the 1930s at least) but in 1960 they changed to a 3 digit number - this coincided with Omega changing from their old 4 digit reference number (i.e. 2782 - Constellation) to their 5 figure numbering system (i.e 14791). These two new numbering systems lasted only around two years (1960/62) and then in 1962 Omega adopted a 6 figure numbering system (i.e 167.005 - Constellation). Dennison's must have been instructed to comply with the new Omega system when supplying cases for Omega watches as they adopted the exact Omega numbering but with the addition of an extra digit in the middle (usually a 5). Dennison's continued to use their old original 5 figure case reference numbering system for cases supplied to all other watch manufacturers.

If you look at your case back you'll see firstly the Omega triangle - this shows that the case was officially sanctioned by Omega (the triangle was introduced to Dennison case backs in 1954). Your case design reference number is 923 - this case design was used exclusively for Omega sub-second manual-wind models with the 26x calibre. The 923 case design was unique to Dennison's unlike later on (>1962) when the Dennison design closely followed Omega's designs. For the centre-second variant (i.e the 28x calibre), Dennison's used case 928 as there must have been some difference in the dimensions of the movement.

Your watch can be dated by the 923 case reference number to 1961/62 (the model 923 was only in production for those two years) - However, in addition you have a case serial number 148721 which is also datable to 1961/62 and a hallmark of an anchor (for Birmingham) and date letter 'M' for 1961/62. The movement you say has a serial number of 18 million which dates it to 1961/63. What all this tells you is that your watch is absolutely kosher - the movement is contemporary with the case and if you look at the joint where the case back meets the case body you will no doubt see the last three digits of the case serial number (721) stamped there (near one of the lugs).

Fascinating stuff isn't it?


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

Blimey!

That's more than I've been able to establish in the years that I've owned the watch!

I am very, very grateful; thank you.

Now, if I can only keep HSBC off my back, I'll be able to actually wear it!


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## andyclient (Aug 1, 2009)

Nice info Aroma ,thanks for sharing


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## aroma (Dec 11, 2009)

Well it all started a few years ago with a 1935 Omega T17 which had a Dennison case and try as I might I just couldn't find any info on it. There is virtually nothing out there to find and so I started a database of all Dennison cases that I saw from there on. It sounds a bit anorakish but eventually the jig saw pieced itself together. I now collect Dennison cased watches - I have several Dennison Omegas and recently it has led me into Smiths (yes Smiths used Dennison as well). The thing I really like about Dennison cases is the quality - they are so much heavier than their Swiss counterparts.

Here's a 1959 Smiths:










and a 1967 Seamaster that I'm having renovated as it is one of the last off the production line before Dennisons went under in Feb 1967










a 1950 Tressor:-










and my all-time favourite - a 1965 Connie










I could bore for Britain on Dennison's

Cheers


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

"I could bore for Britain on Dennison's"

Feel free; I'm fascinated...


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## dobra (Aug 20, 2009)

On behalf of me - a two Omega owner, a warm thanks for all the contributors to this thread - and to Roy for a good job. A great learning point.

Mike


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## aroma (Dec 11, 2009)

Sorry to see it on the 'bay


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## Dr.f (Jun 29, 2011)

Can you do a link


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## Littlelegs (Dec 4, 2011)

I've a smiths imperial dennison cased watch I inherited. Lovely watch just in for some fettling as it was running badly, so sadly I can't put a photo up.

It's made me look at getting another smiths...


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

aroma said:


> Sorry to see it on the 'bay


Me too.


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