Omega Pocket Watch 121.1716 Caliber 161

Blomman Mr Blue shares a fascinating Omega pocket watch, reference 121.1716, that presents a chronological puzzle. While its aesthetic suggests a 1930s-1940s origin, the movement's serial number points to a much later production date in the mid-1960s. This post invites collectors to explore the intriguing discrepancy and the evolution of Omega's pocket watch production.

Friends,

I promised to start sharing more of my lesser known Omegas...

So, let’s start with this little red box.

Inside is a clean classic pocket watch in steel. Breguet numerals and hands.

Hands are in copper or rose gold and the dial has red 24 hour markings.

A diameter of 38.5 mm and 12 mm thick.

The back of the pocket watch is clean, no markings or initials.

All this points to a PW from the late 30’s/early 40’s…

But you might have noticed the box, the box is much later.

I believe the box to be original to the PW.

Why? Let’s open it up and you will see why.

Inside is a very nice and clean movement. The movement is gilt and with a very large balance wheel.

Oh, how I wish more wrist watch movements looked like this!

If we look closer you see the Caliber 161 markings and the movement serial number.

Movement number 24 million which place it around 1966-1967!

If the movement number would have been around 8-10 million I would have except it without a blink…

Here is a scan from the 1937 catalog.

Look at the Caliber 38.5. Honestly, I do not know what separates the Caliber 161 from Caliber 38.5.

OK, I am no expert in Omega or PW movements, but to my untrained eyes they look very much the same!

Same size, same layout, they even have the same number of jewels, 15.

And if we again look in the catalog from 1937.

See the E 1164…

Then look at the 121.1716…

The dial layout looks exactly the same except for the Omega logo which also indicates the later year of this PW.

In the 1937 catalog it says that it is enamel dials. Not sure if mine has that as well. I don’t want to scratch the case to open the front but one day I will bring it to my watchmaker and ask him to open it to confirm.

What separates the PW’s from this catalog scan is also that the case back has a hinge while mine has a snap on case back.

Inside the case back you see the reference (and one service mark from a watchmaker many years ago).

I guess that it is a lesser known fact that Omega made pocket watches also in the 1960’s; at that time their wrist watches were much more famous!

But they did. Here is a scan from a 1963 catalog featuring several versions of PW’s and stop watches.

Look at the MA 141, quite close to mine…

(Thomas, I have an entire catalog dedicated only to PW chronograph and PW stop watches. Will try to find time to scan and share it one day)

Price in 1963 CK 1180, 179 SEK.

I must say that I find Omega to be a very fascinating and intriguing brand with a vast history!

All ingredients to make me want to come back for more!

Stay tuned…

Best

Blomman