Vintage Omega watches come in all shapes and sizes. Here is a guide to the most common models.
No name
Some vintage Omega watches do not carry a model name. This means that the dial most often only features the word “Omega,” possibly accompanied by “Automatic” if the movement is self-winding. The fact that the watches are not part of a line of watches does not make them worse than other Omega watches from that time. In fact, you often find the same calibres in these watches as in other Omegas, so it will in many cases be a matter of which one you prefer. For the novice in the vintage world, these watches may be an opportunity to get a good watch at a reasonable price, as collectors often go for specific model names.
Geneve
Part of the fun of owning a vintage watch (or several!) is that there’s a lot of detective work involved in understanding their origins. Omega Geneves are a good example. In the 50s, Geneve was one of Omega's top lines of watches but as time went on, Omega decided to turn 180 degrees and make the Geneve line their entry-level watches. The older watches can be recognized by the fact that Geneve is written in italics, while this is not the case for the later models. Again, the movement in the later entry-level Geneves from the sixties is often the same as seen in Seamaster watches.
There are countless dial variants on Geneves and different models that feature the Geneve name but have a substantially different look from the dress watches which are the most typical. Examples of this are e.g., Geneve Dynamic and Geneve Chronostop.
Seamaster
This is probably Omega's best-known model and a line of watches that is still produced today. While the contemporary Seamaster watches are diving watches, the Seamaster in the 50s, 60s and 70s was more of the dress type. As a funny anecdote, Omega marketed the first Seamaster watches as "Seamaster" without it being written on the dial.
There are also countless different Seamaster variations, and some have additional names. A well-known example is the Omega Seamaster De Ville, which are very thin dress watches that are made to slip effortlessly under a shirt sleeve.
Constellation
When talking about vintage Omega, Constellation cannot be overlooked. For quite some time, these were Omega's absolute top models and the very best in watchmaking, not just for Omega, but the entire Swiss watch industry. Many Constellation watches are COSC certified by the Swiss Chronometer Institute. Only the best and most accurate watches achieved this certification, which is why the watches bear the text "officially certified" on the dial. To further mark this hard-to-achieve certification, the Geneva observatory is depicted on the case back of the watch.
Speedmaster
Omega's iconic moon watch is called the Speedmaster and has a large collector base. The watch is called the moon watch because it was selected by NASA as equipment for their astronauts and was on the moon. Vintage Speedmaster watches are some of the most complicated models Omega made and are still produced today.
Everything else
There are a host of other Omega models that are not mentioned here. The above is only an overview of the most common models, and within the model lines, there are often many deviations. That's exactly the fun of vintage watches; there's always a new watch out there to buy that you've surely never seen before.
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