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Thin Movements


fraggle42

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Inspired by another post from a member looking for a thin watch, I went on a Google meander through lots of thin watches.

 

Of course a lot of the uber-expensive watches came up, some featuring micro rotor auto winders, etc. And those movements were as thin as 2.4mm - very impressive considering one of them has 405 parts in it.

 

Then I came across this movement.

 

Made in 1850. 164 YEARS ago.

 

1mm thick.

 

http://www.horology.ru/en/workshop/golay.htm

 

tn_Golay_VS_coin.jpg

 

And I can't find any modern movements that get anywhere near!

 

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Always wondering how did they made these things with such "primitive" tools like the 19th century ones!!

 

Probably they had a better skillled labor and setup for mechanical watches then than we do now (with some notable expeptions)

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Things like this do change my view of how it was back in those days.

 

I grew up with visions of people in small, cold houses, horse and cart transport, basic tools, and any machinery had to be vast as the tolerances coudn't be done that finely to make anything smaller.

 

Then you see something like this and realise that they had the knowledge and skills and tools to make anything mechanical, but the 21stC inventions, production lines, modern metals and production techniques, etc, didn't exist so it was probably all hand made in individual pieces, one by one, by one person.

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Yeah, it's really interesting - my gen Omega Seamaster (not the actual diving version, but a "dress" version from 1963) is really, really thin! It's a Cal. 565, which isn't even the thinnest movement they made, and the watch basically disappears on your wrist... Really pretty impressive, when you think about it...

 

Some pics of the movement (not my pics, and the second one is a 561, which is basically the same movement, just adjusted for more positions):

 

565_dial-screw.jpg?w=529&h=433

 

movement+clean+561.JPG

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Any pictures? I'd love to see them as I'm getting into vintage Omega dress watches.

Yeah, it's really interesting - my gen Omega Seamaster (not the actual diving version, but a "dress" version from 1963) is really, really thin! It's a Cal. 565, which isn't even the thinnest movement they made, and the watch basically disappears on your wrist... Really pretty impressive, when you think about it...

 

Some pics of the movement (not my pics, and the second one is a 561, which is basically the same movement, just adjusted for more positions):

 

565_dial-screw.jpg?w=529&h=433

 

movement+clean+561.JPG

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Ok, got some shots.

First, the Omega, dial, case and on the wrist. Wears super thin because of the BOR bracelet that is silky smooth. Also, way-to-go radium! Can still read the dial anytime at night - even out in the woods camping...

post-32456-140357421134.jpg

post-32456-140357423234.jpg

post-32456-140357425703.jpg

post-32456-140357427404.jpg

Next, a few reps for scale:

post-32456-140357432919.jpg

post-32456-140357434927.jpg

post-32456-140357437356.jpg

post-32456-140357439937.jpg

post-32456-140357441778.jpg

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I believe that mine is 39/9mm. Mine is hand wind however, although I do have a gold plated 38mm auto Seamaster from the same era.

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