Omega 1955 Seamaster, White Honeycomb 12, 2846-11

“Embarking on the Journey of Vintage Watches”

Why I Got It

I’ve not seen many dials, which have aged so cleanly. The white makes it wear bigger on the wrist.

Aesthetically, the watch has simple lines, elegant dauphine hands, and a warm domed crystal. The case feels substantial, yet is nice and thin (11mm), allowing for under-the-cuff semi-formal and casual wear.

Finally, the watch has a storied movement, rich history with military roots, and a textured (honeycomb) aesthetic specific to the 1950s.

How It Wears

The textured honeycomb dial is rarely seen today, and almost exclusive to the 1950s. Textured dials aged cleanly in this condition are rare, so feel special on the wrist!

Birthed from an era of fashion (James Dean, Elvish Presley and Marlon Brando), the watch wears casually with well-fit t-shirts and jeans. However, with roots in the British Royal Navy, when paired with a formal strap, the Seamaster is just as comfortable dressed in business casual.

This is almost a GADA watch, with a lean towards the slightly snappy. The dial is sparse with a fancy Arabic 12, long applied markers, yet down to earth because of the textured dial. On the other hand, the case is initially a very robust feeling, until one notices the thin profile and curved chamfers.

The lugs, white dial and oversized crown give this watch lots of presence, and I’d recommend it best fit for 5.5″ to 6″ wrists.

Depending on the lighting, the dial shifts from light cream to caramel beige. The clean white dial and thin bezel result in the watch looking larger on the wrist than 34mm. While the watch feels new, the evenly aged dark grey lume, on the hands and mark plots, gives a subtle hint to a long life and past.

What to Look For

Omega Seamasters – especially those with textured dials – are great starting watches for those new to vintage collecting.

Starting with the dial,

• Textured dials (in my opinion) are difficult to touch up, though they can be redialed.
• Because of the dial material, water damage is easy to spot.
• Due to a great collector community and Omega’s Vintage Database, you can find many high-quality pictures of what the dial should look like.

A key tip on vintage white dials is that they are hard to photograph. Many photos will not showcase the texture properly. Plexiglass crystal scratches may look like dial damage. Finally, you’ll often see what looks like water damage but is actually a reflection of the camera lens. Ask for pictures from different angles to confirm.

If there is any, make sure you’re happy with any patina on the dial, as it’s pretty much impossible to remove.

If the lume is intact on the hands and the markers, it can help confirm originality, as they should have aged in the same way.

The clover crown should be signed with the Omega logo. Period correct “clover” crowns will have flat feet, but replacements are still relatively easy to find.

For the domed crystal, you can confirm authenticity by zooming in at the centre, to spot a transparent Omega symbol. Also, keep in mind that light scratches on the crystal, being plexiglass, can be buffed at home using Polywatch and microfibre.

If possible, ask the seller to provide a movement picture and compare the nuances.

For the case, compare to an unpolished example, and look closely at the chamfers as an indication of Polish history. Heavily polished watches are less collectable and this should be reflected in the price.

Omega watches have the advantage of an open parts market. In particular, replacing movement parts, the crown or the crystal is reasonably easy and will not devalue your watch.

Finally, as with all vintage watches, factor in service history, and if the seller did one, ask for a copy of the receipt.

Under the Loupe

Hover over the adjacent image to see the details.

This watch houses a dependable and storied in-house movement. 1955 marked Omega’s transition from oscillating ‘bumper automatics”, to the innovative 500 series “360° full rotor” movement.  As such, this reference holds historical significance, as Omega’s first generation of modern watchmaking. Even today, the rotor system remains largely unchanged.

The watch is tough. Vintage Seamasters are not as fragile as one would think. Though made for the civilian gentleman (it even has a decorated movement), all of the military essentials of World War II were carried over. The watch is waterproof, has shock protection, resistance to magnetism, and robust precision, designed for extreme conditions.

Vintage Omega Seamasters have exceptional serviceability with local watchmakers, and Omega themselves. Unlike Rolex, Omega keeps its parts accessible, and its official service centre returns all replaced parts. As such, the price of vintage Omega watches is still attainable, even in today’s competitive market.

In 2019, I took this to the official Omega Service Center. Though a 4 month’s wait, I found the Switzerland Bienne Watch Makers’ reputation for quality was well deserved. The Seamaster was restored to factory specifications, and I was especially pleased with the very light respectable casework. All the lines remain sharp, and the mirror finish now matches the dial’s condition.

Closing Thoughts

If I could talk to Omega, I’d ask them to reissue more of the Seamasters of the 1940s to the 1970s with these suggestions:

Retain the aesthetics as much as possible, especially the revival of textured dials.

Stick to classic sizes and proportions. While a 34.5mm case wears nice and classy, I can see the reissue having to be upsized to 36mm or 37mm, but please maintain overall balance!

Modernize the movement but keep the vintage charm. For this movement, hacking would be my number one request, but I’d try to retain key elements, namely, material and design aesthetics. On power reserve, it’s nice, but rather have a shorter run, than an overly thick movement.

Avoid laser-etched clear case backs. One of the more vocal criticisms of the 1948 Seamaster reissue. It added no value and obstructed the beautiful movement. I’m not a fan of clear case backs at all, but, I could get behind a modern copper-finished and decorated 500 movements.

One design tweak I’d champion, for this particular model, would be extending the hours hand as with the 1948 Seamaster reissue.

Finally, a minor point, but removing the little lume to fill out the markers and hands, would modernize the watch just a touch.

Years Later

I go to this watch quite often, as it works on many occasions. Of my Omega vintages, this is the third most worn; the first is a similar 1952 Seamaster 2577-11, but with Arabic 3, 6, 9, and 12 numerals, and the second is my Omega Constellation.

I’ve since handled many textured dials, but the white honeycomb remains my favourite.

Watches connect us to the past, especially iconic designs. When I look down at my Seamaster, I can’t help but think of the 1950’s; the first golden age of television, the introduction of Rock and Roll, and yet feel there is timeless aesthetics in its design language, which still holds relevance today.

Where to Buy

Unless you are an expert, I would strongly recommend against eBay.

If you are a first-time buyer, take a look at the Omega Enthusiast. He has the cleanest dials I’ve seen. The watches are also meticulously serviced, warrantied, genuine and finally discounted – for life – for future services.

For the more Internet savvy, I recommend the Omega Forums private sales. The community culture, and makeup of Omega specialists, create an environment of learning, authenticity and fair pricing. Buy the Buyer, I started by buying from senior, proven, forum members.

Finally, for a greater selection, often on these forums, you’ll find professional watch dealers. I’ve also had great vintage purchases from CoinWatchCo, Cape Town Vintage Watches, Horology Hour and Those Watch Guys.

As part of your buying process, I suggest looking for a reputable Omega Watch Maker near you. Small independents will often provide the best service and price, but often don’t take new clients and are becoming very scarce.