Superb Omega “Fab. Suisse” Automatic in Rose Gold, circa 1953 – N.O.S.

In post-war France, the gold trade was tightly controlled by the State: as the import of finished goods in precious metal was prohibited, the Swiss houses imported movements and dials and entrusted the making of cases to French workshops – while the law of 11 January 1892 required the mention “Fab. Suisse” on the dial. These watches, known as “à boîtier français” or “French Case”, form a chapter of their own in vintage watchmaking. Ours bears the maker’s mark nicknamed “PGF”, which many collectors struggle to identify: that of the Paul Frank (et Fils) workshops, in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, as well as the eagle’s head, the French guarantee hallmark for 18-carat gold (750 ‰).
Our example, produced circa 1953 (movement numbered 137xxxxx), features a rose gold case of approximately 33.5 mm and a two-tone dial – a satin cream centre and a slightly more silvery outer ring – with applied faceted Arabic numeral hour markers in rose gold, matching hands and a blued steel central seconds hand, all with their original radium luminescent material. Beneath the caseback beats the caliber 354 “bumper” – the very one that powered the Seamasters of the early 1950s. Never polished and kept in near-new condition, the watch has undergone a complete service by one of our experienced watchmakers.
It is presented on a new high-end, made-to-measure Amplitude° x Alexandre Tritz strap, hand-stitched from vintage pigskin leather, fastened with a vintage satin-finished rose-gold-plated pin buckle, and accompanied by our Steel Warranty Card.
A witness to a still little-known chapter of Franco-Swiss watchmaking history, this rose gold Omega combines the charm of the bumper, the rarity of the French case and a state of preservation that is quite simply exceptional. Collectors will need no convincing: this is a rare opportunity.

In post-war France, the gold trade was tightly controlled by the State: its purchase was reserved for professionals licensed by the Banque de France, and the import of finished goods in precious metal was quite simply prohibited. The great Swiss houses faced a real dilemma: how could they sell gold watches to a French clientele that was asking for them? The answer: import the movements and dials, and entrust the making of the cases to French workshops. An even older law – that of 11 January 1892 – also required the foreign origin to be declared on the dial itself: hence the “Fab. Suisse” inscription that ours bears.

These watches, known as “à boîtier français” or “French Case”, now form a chapter of their own in vintage watchmaking, and one we are particularly fond of. Struck on its caseback, ours bears the maker’s mark nicknamed “PGF”, which many collectors struggle to identify: it is the mark of the Paul Frank (et Fils) workshops, master case makers based in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, known for producing gold cases of excellent workmanship for the most prestigious Swiss manufactures. The lugs and middle case logically bear the eagle’s head, the French guarantee hallmark for 18-carat gold (750 ‰).

The example we have the pleasure of offering, produced circa 1953 (movement numbered 137xxxxx), features a rose gold case of approximately 33.5 mm in diameter. Its two-tone dial – a satin cream centre and a slightly more silvery outer ring – bears applied faceted Arabic numeral hour markers in rose gold, matching hands and a blued steel central seconds hand. The hour markers and hands have retained their original radium luminescent material. Beneath the caseback beats the caliber 354 – a direct heir to the automatics powering the first Seamasters – the final generation of Omega’s “bumper” (or “à butées”) automatics: 17 jewels, 19,800 vibrations per hour, central seconds, and that oscillating weight bouncing between two springs which gives the wrist the sensation so dear to enthusiasts. Never polished and kept in near-new condition, the watch has undergone a complete service by one of our experienced watchmakers, and runs to the strictest tolerances.

It is presented on a new high-end, made-to-measure Amplitude° x Alexandre Tritz strap, hand-stitched from vintage pigskin leather, fastened with a vintage satin-finished rose-gold-plated pin buckle, and accompanied by our Steel Warranty Card.

A witness to a still little-known chapter of Franco-Swiss watchmaking history, this rose gold Omega combines the charm of the bumper, the rarity of the French case and a state of preservation that is quite simply exceptional. Collectors will need no convincing: this is a rare opportunity.

This Omega from circa 1953 is preserved in quite simply exceptional condition. In short, although this watch is almost 75 years old, it has, so to speak, remained new!
The case has never been polished: the edges are sharp, the brushing on the sides of the lugs is intact, and the hallmarks – including the eagle’s head on the lugs and the middle case, and the maker’s mark on the caseback – are perfectly crisp, as on the very first day. Only the faintest handling marks, testament to seven decades of slumber rather than wear, can be made out on the caseback.
The two-tone dial is immaculate; the hour markers and hands have retained all of their original radium luminescent material, with a soft, even patina. Everything here suggests that this watch has probably never been worn.
The movement has undergone a complete service by one of our experienced watchmakers and runs to the strictest tolerances.
An ideal example, with its rare French case in rose gold, all preserved in near-new condition.

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