Vintage 1949 Omega Automatic Cal. 342 Bumper Watch – 14K Gold-Filled Wadsworth Case – 17 Jewels – Tested – Rare Collector Timepiece INV #881A

Vintage 1949 Omega Automatic Cal. 342 Bumper Watch – 14K Gold-Filled Wadsworth Case – 17 Jewels – Tested – Rare Collector Timepiece

Price: $2,000.00

Description

Step back into the golden age of Swiss watchmaking with this beautiful vintage Omega Automatic, an elegant late-1940s mechanical wristwatch powered by Omega’s historically important Caliber 342 bumper automatic movement.

The Cal. 342 was introduced in 1949 and belongs to Omega’s celebrated early automatic movement family. Unlike a modern automatic movement whose rotor rotates through 360 degrees, the bumper system uses an oscillating winding weight with limited travel that reverses direction at its buffers—giving these early automatics their distinctive mechanical character. The movement has 17 jewels and operates at 19,800 vibrations per hour. 

This particular watch is especially attractive because it combines the Swiss Omega movement with a period Wadsworth 14K gold-filled case manufactured in the United States to Omega specifications. F6212 examples with Cal. 342 movements are documented from this period. 

Watch Details

Brand: Omega
Era: Circa late 1940s / approximately 1949
Movement: Omega Caliber 342
Movement Type: Automatic bumper wind
Movement Serial: 11,515,647
Jewels: 17
Frequency: 19,800 vph
Display: Hours, minutes & subsidiary seconds
Case: Wadsworth 14K Gold Filled
Case Reference: F6212
Case-Back Number: T966637
Approx. Case Diameter: 32–33mm excluding crown*
Lug Width: 16mm*
Dial: Silver/cream vintage dial with applied gold-tone hour markers
Hands: Gold-tone dauphine-style hands
Seconds: Subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock
Strap: Brown genuine lizard leather, marked 16R
Price: $2,000

*Comparable F6212 examples measure approximately 32.3mm across with 16mm lugs; I recommend physically measuring this particular watch before publishing those dimensions as exact specifications. 

The Famous Omega “Bumper” Automatic

One of the most interesting features of this watch is hidden beneath the caseback.

Omega’s Caliber 342 uses an early bumper automatic winding mechanism rather than the continuously rotating rotor familiar from later automatic watches. The oscillating weight travels through a limited arc and reverses direction against its buffers as the wearer moves.

This technology represents an important stage in the development of Omega automatic watches before full-rotor movements became dominant. Caliber 342 was introduced in 1949 with 17 jewels and a 19,800-vph frequency. 

Beautiful Mid-Century Design

The dial captures classic post-war Omega styling: an elegant silver/cream surface, applied gold-tone faceted markers, prominent applied 12, slender dauphine-style hands and a subsidiary seconds register at 6 o’clock.

The restrained proportions and warm gold case give it the understated appearance that makes late-1940s and early-1950s Omega watches so appealing to vintage collectors.

Wadsworth 14K Gold-Filled Case

The inside caseback is clearly marked:

Wadsworth
14K GOLD FILLED
OMEGA WATCH CO.
F6212
T966637

Wadsworth produced American cases to Omega specifications, and surviving F6212 examples are documented with Caliber 342 movements. 

Important: this is a 14K gold-filled case, not a solid 14K gold case.

Mechanical Condition / Timegrapher Test

The watch has been photographed on a timegrapher showing approximately:

Rate: –4 seconds/day
Amplitude: 167°
Beat Error: 2.4 ms
Beat Rate: 19,800 vph

The –4 sec/day reading is encouraging for a vintage mechanical watch, but a timegrapher measurement represents the watch under the particular test conditions at that moment and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of identical daily wrist performance.

The 19,800-vph reading is consistent with published specifications for Omega Caliber 342. 

Because the displayed 167° amplitude and 2.4 ms beat error leave room for improvement, I would not advertise the watch as “recently serviced” or “excellent mechanical condition” unless you have documentation of an actual service. A safer Shopify description is “running and timegrapher tested at the time photographed.”

Why Collectors Appreciate It

This is much more than an attractive vintage gold-tone Omega. It combines several desirable period features: an early Omega bumper automatic movement, 17-jewel Caliber 342 architecture, subsidiary seconds, a period Wadsworth Omega-signed 14K gold-filled case, and unmistakable mid-century styling.

Comparable documented F6212 examples use the same Cal. 342, 17-jewel bumper architecture and approximately 32mm case proportions. 

Condition

Vintage pre-owned condition with age-related characteristics consistent with a watch approaching eight decades old. Please examine all photographs carefully, including the dial, case, movement, inside caseback, strap and timegrapher photograph, as they form an important part of the description.

The watch is sold as a vintage mechanical timepiece. Unless service documentation is supplied, service history should be considered unknown.

Collector’s Note

The movement photograph showing Omega Watch Co., Swiss, Seventeen 17 Jewels and movement serial 11,515,647, together with the signed Wadsworth/Omega F6212 caseback, makes the open-case photographs particularly useful for collectors evaluating the watch.

SALE PRICE: $2,000

A beautiful opportunity to own an early Omega automatic from one of the most fascinating periods in the development of the self-winding wristwatch.

For Shopify, I would use the movement, inside caseback, dial, exterior caseback, and timegrapher photographs prominently. They give buyers substantially more confidence than beauty shots alone.

inv # 881A