Omega 2.4Mhz Megaquartz - Collected Pictures and Facts
UPDATED 27/12/2011 : see below.
UPDATED 13/11/2011 : see below.
(Picture by CFR from the WUS forums)
I've been fascinated by Omega's early quartz watches for a couple of years now and have a pretty decent collection of my own...going by the movement numbers : 1230, 1250, 1300, 1301, 1310 (x2), 1342, 1441, 1445, 1510 (x2), 1525, 1665, 1680. Their most advanced watches were those based on the 2.4Mhz 151x movements of course and while I don't pretend to have the same knowledge on the subject as dickstar1977 who's written about them in many excellent posts over the years and most recently in Omega Megaquartz F2.4Mhz, A Dream Come True, I thought I'd try to contribute by sharing the pictures and facts I've collected concerning the different versions, so here goes.
Starting from a list posted by dickstar1977 on WUS at some point, I've numbered them and added the prototypes and related topics. Note the missing versions, if you have pictures of them, please post them !
INDEX:
0.1500 Elephant (dickstar1977)
0b.1510 Prototype (JonW)
1.1510 Stardust SS
2.1510 Stardust 18K and bracelet
2b. 1510 Stardust 18k and strap
3.1510 Blue dial SS
4.1510 Blue dial 18K - UPDATED - see below
5.1510 Waffle blue SS (flame SC 05/2011)
6.1510 Waffle brown SS (dickstar1977)
7.1510 Waffle Black SS (JonW)
8.1510 Waffle brown 18K - No picture available - To be Confirmed
9.1511 Marine Chronometer SS and 14K
10.1511 Marine Chronometer SS and SS Bezel (France) - ok
11.1516 Marine Chronometer SS and 14K
12.1516 18K with 18K white gold bezel - UPDATED - see below
13. Difference between 1511 and 1516
14. Original and New bracelet
15. Links
PICTURES:
Starting with the prototypes, here are a 1500 prototype, the "Elephant", owned by dickstar1977 and also on display at the Omega museum in Bienne and a 1510 prototype owned by JonW. Both sourced on eBay. There are likely other prototypes that survived (notably with the 1515 movement) but they must be locked up somewhere in Bienne!
0. 1500 Elephant
A mid-2011 acquisition by dickstar1977 and he wrote brilliantly about it here : >> LINK<<. Following two pictures by dickstar1977
From the eBay auction :
At the Omega museum in Bienne:
0b.1510 Prototype
Owned by Jonw who talked about it here recently.
1.1510 "Stardust" SS
This is probably the most striking version thanks to its unique dial made of Aventurine (a greenish quartz apparently) that looks a bit like Lapis Lazzuli (a gemstone). Omega resurrected aventurine on a recent Speedmaster but to somewhat less effect. As described in detail by Piotr on his cazywatches site it is very fragile (tends to crack, but hairline cracks are from the lacquer and are ok as explained by "flame") but it seems to be the most readily available version with the 1510 available these days.
(sorry credit unknown)
(Picture by CFR from WUS)
(Picture by dickstar1977)
A cracked stardust dial...
2.1510 Stardust 18K and bracelet
Same dial as above but this time with a solid 18K case and bracelet, stunning ! Actually the dial is a bit different as the hour markers are now golden instead of white/silver, pictures by CFR :
Forum member flame owns an 18k Stardust on 1510 now fitted on a strap with a 9k plated No27 deployant that was originally sold with an 18k bracelet. Based on their vintage site, it doesn't appear that Omega sold it in this configuration but the combination works well.
3.1510 Blue dial SS
This version uses a metallic blue dial similar to the one of the Electroquartz "Pupitre" (1300 caliber) although maybe a bit "greyer". I also have a Seamaster with caliber 1310 with that type of dial. They must have been produced in lower quantities than the Stardust version because they are quite rare these days with 5 known examples : one owned by toshi, one I own, two that dickstar1977 owned and one that was sold on eBay in 2010. Was apparently available on a leather strap (1215 reference with No27 deployant or a standard buckle).
(Picture by Toshi)
(Picture by disckstar1977)
4. 1510 Blue Dial 18k : No picture available - To be Confirmed
5.1510 Waffle blue SS
On to the so called "Waffle" dials that are even rarer than the metallic blue version. Possibly because they don't age well with cracking and discoloration. The first one is the blue version once owned by flame and that seemed to have held up well over time :
(Pictures by flame)
6. 1510 Waffle Black SS
Blue or black it's a bit hard to tell the difference, color shifting over the years?
(Picture by JonW)
(Picture by JonW)
7. 1510 Waffle Brown SS
On to the "brown" version that may in fact be the black/blue version that has lost its original color as shown in JonW's picture below.
(Picture by dickstar1977)
(Picture by Jonw)
9, 11 and 13. 1511 and 1516 Marine Chronometer SS and 14K
Moving on to the "Marine Chronometer" versions of the 151x movement that were all certified over the years by the Besançon Observatory but only a couple by the Neuchatel Observatory. While a "Marine Chronometer" certificate looks good on paper, there's no evidence that the 1511 movement was any different than the 1510 movement and with the rather lax Marine Chronometer certificate requirements in the early 70s (they were made for mechanical watches with an authorized daily drift of 0.3 seconds per day) it's likely all the 1510 movements would have made the grade too had Omega submitted them as well. In fact I've seen a certificate for a 1510 movement for a 1511 version...The biggest difference of course with the 1510 is the case design...and price at the time.
There were two batches, the 1511 and the later 1516 with some minute changes that CFR analyzed a few years ago on Watchuseek with pitures reproduced below. In essence the case was somewhat shortened, the crystal was now a saphire instead of mineral and movement details changed:
10. 1511 Marine Chronometer SS and SS Bezel - FRANCE
This version is much rarer and I'm only aware of two having survived. I've heard of two reasons that led Omega to remove the 14k bezel and plate. The first one being that 14k gold was not allowed in France and the second one because solid gold required a visible hallmark and they were not willing to place one on the bezel or the number plate. Take your pick !
(picture by Corsaire)
Next to its bigger/younger sister, the 1525 OMC:
12.1516 18K with 18K white gold bezel - No picture available - To be Confirmed
14. Original and New bracelet
The original stainless steel bracelet for the 1510, 1511 and 1516 models was the 1209/202 reference with solid heavy links. Later on it was replaced by the 3018/202 with hollow light links and it now appears to be sold under reference 3019/202. It can be found at Ofrei ($242+Tax) in the US and CousinsUK (£117 + VAT) in Europe. I got one from Ofrei (before I found out CousinsUK also had it) for my Stardust as the original bracelet was rather beat (stretched and scratched) it does the job even though it isn't as hefty.
Again all credits go to CFR :
15. Links
- dickstar1977's Omega Megaquartz F2.4Mhz, A Dream Come True
- Piotr's website : Megaquartz 1510, OMC 1511/1516
- Calling all OMC owners on WUS : Omega 2400 Marine Chronometer Project -- Calling all owners!
- JonW's New Arrival... Omega Disco Fever! Mirror Ball Watch
- dickstar1977's The rarest Audemars money can buy? Quartz haters look away (same 2.4Mhz movement)
FINAL WORDS
Thanks for reading and I hope it will help get an understanding of Omega's great 2.4Mhz project both for existing and future fans of these watches!
Saying goodbye with my two 151x's (a 1511/1516 has to be in my future
ardon
