fraggle42 Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 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 And I can't find any modern movements that get anywhere near! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droptopman Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 That is awesome. Sent from my droptop using telepathy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Always wondering how did they made these things with such "primitive" tools like the 19th century ones!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
436NR Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gran Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightwatch Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 very interesting and fine looking, those were the times of truly skilfull watchmakers and artists Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Ever watch any of them "Ancient Aliens" shows? Kinda make you wonder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraggle42 Posted June 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww12345 Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 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): 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 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): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dovo1695 Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 That's a pretty incredible movement. Hard to imagine it was even possible to build it back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Error Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 wow! Why do they not make such things any more? I am looking for a thin movement to replace a quartz movement in one of my watches! 8-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww12345 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I'll see if I can get some pics later tonight... They'll be iPhone pics, but when I get back from vacation I'll do a proper shoot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww12345 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 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... Next, a few reps for scale: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 That Omega has such class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww12345 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Thanks! Yeah, honestly it's one of my favorite watches. As cheap as a rep, but with the style of a gen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Yea I agree, mine says 'hi'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww12345 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Beautiful! There's something very understated and elegant about the Omega dress lineup... What's the diameter/thickness on yours? Mine is like 34mm across and 9mm thick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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