Omega's patent winding and setting mechanism.

The Omega 1896 design with their patent setting and
winding mechanism.

From the user’s point of view, Omega watches with this system work as a normal pendant set watch, just pull out the crown, turn to set and press back in.

 

The design was intended to give (and does) a more positive and robust action to setting so as to persuade railroad companies and regulators that the watch was safe for railway use, reducing the chance of the time being accidentally changed. That failed to convince in the USA (probably not helped by the fact that Webb C. Ball, a key player, had a profitable business reselling American made railroad watches), but it was accepted in Austria, Australia and a few other places that had regulations regarding the design of pocket watches used on the railways.

 

The UK did not have any regulations for watches as the entire railway system had signalling of one sort or another so good time keeping was not a safety issue, just an annoyance for passengers when trains were late.

 

Which perhaps explains a lot.

Ten Louis Brandt and Frère - Omega & Labrador watches.

In the last couple of months I have been able to buy in more "Omega's" than I normally would expect to get in a year, here are most of them, 2 at Brackley missed the group shot. They vary in size from approximately English size 10 to a rare size 18. 

They date from 1897 through to 1922 and all are essentially the classic François Chevillat 1894 designed Omega movement and have 15 jewels with a Breguet sprung cut compensating balance with double roller.

Two from 1900 are unusual in that they carry the Omega name or Logo but have screw mounted jewels on the top plate and a screw micro regulator and are therefore the higher grade Labrador in all but name, but this is before LB&F changed the company name to Omega.



 

An early Louis Brandt and Frère Labrador

LB&F Labrador c1895

As described in another post Louis Brandt and Frère had two main movements after c 1894, the Omega and the Labrador.

Here we have an early 3/4 plate version of the Labrador with a picture of the more usual split plate version for comparison.

LB&F Labrador c 1896

The Louis Brandt and Frère (Omega) "Labrador" movement.

Labrador 15J movement 1897/8

The restoration of a  watch by Louis Brandt and Frère with their "Labrador" movement dating from 1897/8 has prompted this post to correct a misapprehension by some - at least by some sellers on eBay - that the "Labrador" was a brand name used by the company to sell their Omega watches in North America. Whilst the movements were  sold there, that is not what the Labrador was about.

Like most companies Louis Brandt and Frère made a range of movements, in 1889 the 19 ligne (close to a Lancashire size 16) Labrador movement was introduced and in 1894 the 19 ligne Omega.

Omega 15J movement 1910

As can bee seen from the pictures (click on them for a larger view)  there is not a lot of difference in the basic construction and in fact most parts are interchangeable between the two types of movements if they are from around the same date. This includes the double action winding and setting mechanism which helped the watch be accepted for railroad use in some countries (not N. America).

Apart from a few cosmetic changes the differences are that the Labrador has screw set jewels and micro adjusted regulation whilst the Omega has machine set jewels and a standard index regulator. Both normally have a Breguet sprung cut compensating balance with double roller.


A 1901 Labrador type movement
stamped "Omega" just below the
"click" on the winding gear.

The cheaper Omega became very popular and in 1903 the company changed it's name to the Omega Watch Company but continued to make the Labrador either branded as such or sometimes as an Omega.

The Labrador was certainly still in production in 1905 but the latest I have seen is from 1904.

Web Site

Omega Half Hunter

This Fahy's half hunter case is probably the best preserved filled gold case I have had, and the Omega movement  is pretty good as well!

Dated by its serial number to 1904/5 this movement was made shortly after the company changed its name to Omega.

The split plate movement has 15 Jewels and a cut compensating balance with double roller and a Breguet hairspring. It is signed on both sides of the movement with the Omega logo.

Omega c1927

And here is another cracking silver case, this time containing a very good size 12 Omega 15J from c1927.