1952 Omega Automatic With Cal. 344 Bumper Movement

The History

The bumper movement was an interesting stepping stone in the development of the automatic watch movement. The basic concept of an automatic watch movement is that it captures the energy created by the movement of the wearer and stores it to power the watch thus eliminating the need to hand-wind the movement. Today automatic watch movements capture energy by utilizing a weighted rotor that spins 360 degrees, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 1920s an English watchmaker by the name of John Harwood developed what is commonly referred to as a bumper movement. It earned the moniker because it utilizes a weighted section that rotates 120 degrees between a pair of springs and when the rotor kits one of the springs its bumps back in the other direction towards the other spring. The story goes that Harwood was inspired to create the bumper movement after watching children play on a see-saw. Whether true or not the bumper movement is a great piece of watch history and a unique wearing experience for those experiencing the bump on their wrist.

The Reference

This 1952 gold-filled Omega watch is fairly typical of the kinds of watches that Omega was producing at the time between their Constellation and Seamaster lines. Why we particularly like this example though is because it combines some of our favorite elements of both lines with its textured dial, applied numerals, and beautifully shaped lugs. To cap it all off the watch is powered by an Omega calibre 344 bumper movement.

The Case

The 35mm gold-filled case is in very good condition. From a design perspective, the highlight of the case is absolutely the art deco-styled lugs. There are scratches throughout the case commensurate with a watch of this age but the case has not been over polished and retains its shape very nicely. The crown looks to be correct for the watch but the caseback is a replacement piece in steel.

The Dial and Hands

Texture brings a dial to life and that is absolutely true of this piece and its diamond-cut dial and concentric circle sub-dial. The design is capped off by beautifully applied hour markers, Arabic numerals at 3, 9, and 12, and a subtle crosshair. Overall condition is excellent with no major flaws and all components thought to be original. The lume has accumulated some dirt.

The Movement

This watch is powered by an automatic Omega calibre 344 bumper movement. The watch is running and the service history is unknown.

PHOTO GALLERY