Here we have an unusual circa 1909 Omega silver cased trench style watch, with the depose 9846 case. It is well sized, measuring 35.5mm with the hinged front and hinged rear of the case. Inside it is marked with the Swiss hallmarking for silver, 0.900 fineness, with the bear mark. It has the serial number 3980374, which dates to 1909. It has the fixed wire lugs with allow the leather strap. To the right is the onion style crown which is original. The glass is period and clean. The dial is silver with the ornate, floral design to the centre. The hands are also eye-catching of Louis XIV style. The movement is an early Omega calibre which is manual wind, with 15 jewels. It has the Omega stamping to the bridge.
An unusual piece, the case and movement are original. Omega cases from this period were not consistently stamped with the omega logo. Omega were known to use cases signed only with the Depose 9846 stamping, of which this appears in line with. The serial number of the case corresponds with 1909 for Omega, which also appears to fit the age of the piece. The movement is early enough that it lacks a serial number, with these being more common around the first world war. It has the Omega stamp on the bridges which is clear.
The aspect that is less clear is the dial. The fact that it is not enamel and is silver, like that of a period ladies fob watch, is unusual. That being said the dial fits the movement and the case size perfectly, as seen with the hinged front open. It may be that it is original but was made to the specific order/customisation of a client who wanted something more ornate.
What we can say for certain is that this is an interesting piece which catches the eye. The combination of the early trench style case, with the ornate dial is something you likely wont see again.
Depose 9846
In 1903, the Anglo-Swiss company Dimier Brothers registered a design of a wristwatch with fixed wite lugs and a leather strap. This was the earliest clearly documented evidence of a wristwatch with wire lugs and a leather strap.
Depose is Swiss/French for ‘registered design’, which is registered with a government office to provide copyright protection. Dimier Freres insisted in October 1907 that other manufacturers pay them a fee and have their cases stamped with a Dimier Freres stamp.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below. A further condition report is below.
Dial:
The dial is formed of silver and has some light scratches and discolouration associated with age.
Hands:
The hands are in good condition with a bright tone and are free of bending.
Glass:
The glass would appear original. It has some marking associated with age and scratching.
Crown:
The crown is original of Onion style and is in good condition with light marking associated with age.
Case:
The case is formed of silver and is in decent antique condition. It has the hinged front which has some dimpled dents to the surround. The wire lugs are original and have some bending with age. It has the original polished finish.
Caseback:
The case back is in decent antique condition. It has light surface scratching associated with age. The hinge is good and it closes securely. Inside it has Swiss hallmarking for 0.900 silver with the serial number dating to 1909.
Strap:
The watch is currently on a 1940s leather strap with metal fold over tabs.
Movement:
The movement is an early Omega calibre which is manual wind. It has a jewel count of 15, with a frequency of 18,000 BPH. The movement has been recently serviced and has a daily variation on the wrist of 30 seconds a day. It has a strong amplitude of 300 degrees.
Case Dimensions:
Case width: 35.5mm
Case width with crown: 38mm
Case length: 35.5mm
Case length lug to lug: 42.5mm
Case Depth: 10.75mm
Lug width: 11mm