zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

Sam,

Your post has way too much vertical space in it to be immediately useful... Here is a First crack at a format edit:

Omega has since about 1990 used what they now call a "short PIC" of 8 characters. There are several locations where they are explained.

Try here

http://home.xnet.com/~cmaddox/omega/other/omega_pic.html

for one on Chuck Maddox's amazing site.

The short explanation is UVWW.XY.ZZ:

U	collection, 2 for Seamaster, 3 for Speedmaster, etc.
V	case metal and strap/bracelet code
W	product variations
X	dial color
Y	hour markers
Z	strap color and variation

-------------------------------------------------------------

Now there are "long PICs" which are 14 characters

AAA.BB.CC.DD.EE.FFF

AAA - the same three digit collection code as used presently. Huh? I didn't know of three digit collection codes, did you?

Here is what I know so far:

BB- represents "WH diams + Bracelet", which I guess is watch head, diamonds and bracelet

I don't have time to reproduce the chart, so let me generalize.

There are only first digits of 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9, or 10s, 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s and 90s, or six ranges of ten.

Last digits are only 0-3 and 5-8.

Thus, there are 8 choices in each range of ten, of which there are six:

ergo, 48 choices.

10s, 20s and 30s are a primarily stainless steel case;

50s and 60s are a primarily gold case;

90s are other metals.

Bracelet or strap is indicated by the code as well, with the higher second digits representing "non-metal" or a strap: that is second digits of 2,3, 7 and 8 (only 0-3 and 5-8 occur in second digits).

The type of material for the strap is further identified by CITES (Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species) or non-CITES with CITES-compliant materials given the higher second digits, 3s and 8s.

The highest second digits of 5-8 are "paved", presumably with diamonds.

------------------------------------

CC - size (width) of watch head rounded to two digits

------------------------------------

DD Type of movement/number of complications

First Digit see table below; second digit is the number of complications, not counting one disk date and complication implicit in type of movement.:

EE - Dial

FFF is a counter, apparently a way to count variations and improvements.

****************************************

Thus a "patch" 50th Anniversary Speedmaster has a long PIC of

311.30.42.30.01.001

311 or AAA code = manual winding Speedy

30 or BB code = stainless steel and other material case or watch head without diamonds on an "assorted metal" bracelet

[curious -- I have this watch and I am unaware of any non-stainless parts on the watch head]

42 or CC code = 42 mm diameter

30 or DD code = Mechanical chronograph with no complications (other than the chronograph)

01 or EE code -- Black dial

001 or FFF code -- first variation

*********************************************

REFERENCE

323.50.40.44.01.001

This is a solid 18k red gold day date Speedy on a gold bracelet

323 or AAA code = auto winding Speedy

50 or BB code = gold case or watch head without diamonds on an "assorted metal" bracelet

[curious -- any non-gold parts on the bracelet?]

40 or CC code = 40 mm diameter

44 or DD code = Mechanical chronograph chronometer with 4 complications (other than the chronograph): day, date, month 24 hours display

01 or EE code -- Black dial

001 or FFF code -- first variation

**********************

REFERENCE

222.63.46.50.01.001

Planet Ocean chrono red gold on black alligator

222 or AAA code = Planet Ocean

63 or BB code = gold case or watch head plus other material without diamonds on CITES-compliant "non-metal' strap

46 or CC code = 45.5 mm diameter

50 or DD code = Mechanical chronograph with coaxial with no complications (other than the chronograph and single disk day)

01 or EE code -- Black dial

001 or FFF code -- first variation

*****************************************

Hope this helps

I did notice you still can't tell anything about the indices or hands and the color of the metal . . .

Sam aka Hewybaby

I'd be happy to give it the "Chuck Table/HTML treatment [a.k.a. the Omega Chronograph Dimensions tables, or the MOAT]. This is a first step. I'd be happy to host such a document, as I would assume so would Steve and Jeff.

Please keep me in the loop!

-- Chuck

Chuck Maddox

Chronographs, like most finer things in life, only improve with time...

Watch Article index: http://www.xnet.com/~cmaddox/cm3articles.html,

Watch Links Page: http://www.xnet.com/~cmaddox/watch.html,

Watch Blog: http://chuckmaddoxwatch.blogspot.com/.