Don't miss the next drop
There are certain watches that just ooze character, pieces that have so much soul and lived-in charm that they transcend their mechanical nature and become something more. This Omega is, without a doubt, one of those watches. It’s a quintessential example from the brand’s post-war golden age, a time of incredible innovation and stylistic confidence. What we have here is not just a vintage Omega, but a fantastic Reference 2635 powered by an early “bumper” automatic movement, and crowned by a dial with some of the most dramatic and beautiful patina we have ever seen. It’s a true collector’s piece that stands as a testament to the beauty of a life well-lived.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the automatic watch was still a marvel of engineering, and Omega was at the forefront of its development. Before the advent of the full 360-degree rotor, the winding mechanism of choice was the “bumper” or hammer-winding system. Inside this watch, a weighted semi-circular rotor swings back and forth between two springs, “bumping” off them to wind the mainspring. The wearer can actually feel a gentle, reassuring nudge on the wrist as the mechanism works its magic. This Ref. 2635 would have housed one of these early bumper calibers, likely from the Cal. 3xx family, robust, reliable movements that were the foundation of Omega’s reputation for accuracy and durability that would later lead them to the moon.
This particular example from the early 1950s is a stylistic knockout. The stainless steel case measures a classic 35mm, featuring strong, thick lugs that give it a surprisingly contemporary presence on the wrist. The dial layout is absolutely iconic—a so-called “Explorer-style” configuration with applied Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9, interspersed with sharp, applied dagger indices. This combination, paired with the original luminous dauphine handset, creates a look that is both sporty and incredibly elegant. It’s a design that is perfectly balanced and endlessly versatile. To top it off, this example comes on what appears to be a period-correct, if not original, Omega-signed leather strap, a fantastic and rare detail.
