Model guide · Vintage models
Omega pocket watches
To identify an Omega pocket watch, read the marking on the movement, not the case. Omega numbered its pocket movements by size: a plate stamped 38.5 L T1 or 37.6 S tells you the movement, and the serial number beside it tells you the year. Find your marking below.
Markings, sizes and jewels are from Omega's GF 620-1 and GF 620-5 spare-parts catalogues. Tap a movement for its details.
Read the marking on the movement
Open the back and look at the plate and bridges. Omega's catalogues print the pocket movements by their size in millimetres, and the letters after it tell you more:
| On the plate | What it means, as Omega printed it |
|---|---|
| 37.5, 37.6, 38.5, 59.8 | The size of the movement in millimetres |
| L | Lépine. Omega's database names its 38.5 L T1 watches “Lépine”. |
| S (sav.) | Savonnette |
| D clé | Key-wound |
| rem. (remontoir) | Wound by the crown and stem |
| SCS | Jumping centre seconds |
| 15 P, 17p, 20 pierres | The jewel count |
| omega/140, omega/110 | The calibre number itself, on later movements |
Two markings for one movement. Omega's catalogue says the first 140s carry 37.5 T1 on the plate and no calibre number; later ones carry omega/140 on the barrel bridge. The first 120s read 59.8 D SCS T1 on the plate, and the 110 gained omega/110 on the train wheel bridge from 1955. So a size marking and a calibre number can be the same movement.
Older movements marked in lignes, such as 19‴ or 16‴, come from before Omega's numbered calibres. The serial number still dates them.
The pocket movements in Omega's catalogues
| Marking | Calibre | Size (mm) | Jewels | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59.8 D clé | 110, 120 | 60.60 across | 15 (120: 20) | Eight-day movements, wound with a key. The 110 is 11.60 mm high; the 120 adds jumping centre seconds and stands 15.45 mm. A stem-wound version, marked 59.8 D, has its own section. |
| 37.5 T1 | 140, 142 | 37.50 | 15 (142: 17) | 3.75 mm high. The 142 adds two jewels at no extra height. |
| 37.6 S 15 P | 150 | 37.60 | 15 | The savonnette, 4.95 mm high. |
| 38.5 L T1 | 160, 161, 162, 163 | 38.50 | 15 or 17 | The lépine, 4.95 mm high. The 161 and 163 are antimagnetic and marked on the bridge. |
| 38.65 PC AM 17 pierres | 830 | 38.65 | 17 | A later pocket movement, created in 1967. |
| 36,60 PC 17 pierres | 960 | 36.60 | 17 | Created in 1971, the latest pocket movement in the catalogues. Omega lists it with either Incabloc or Triovis shock protection. |
All beat 18,000 times an hour. Heights and markings as printed in GF 620-1 and GF 620-5.
Pocket watches in Omega's own records
Omega's vintage database lists these references with pocket-size movements. The reference is stamped inside the case back; type it into the reference lookup for the full record.
| Reference | Name | Year | Movement | Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA 311 | – | 1926 | 40,6 L T2 | White metal |
| 124 | “Diplomat” | 1937 | 38,5 | Steel, 50 mm |
| 1056 | “Medicus” | 1937 | 23,4 SC | Steel, 45 mm |
| CK 1010 | – | 1938 | 37,5 | Steel |
| CK 1011 | “Lépine” | 1938 | 37,5 | Steel, 45.5 mm |
| DB 530 | – | 1938 | 38,5 L T1 | Gold-plated |
| MA 141 LV | – | 1938 | 38,5 L T1 | White metal |
| OK 1094 | – | 1942 | 37,5 LT1 | 14k solid gold |
| ML 1140 | “Lépine UK” | 1944 | 38,5 L T1 | White metal |
| UT 121.1740 | Genève pocket watch | 1971–1985 | 960 | Chrome, 48 mm |
| ST 198.1742 | De Ville Electronic pocket watch | 1973–1977 | 1220, tuning fork | Steel, 48 mm |
Names in quotes are Omega's. Movement markings are written as the database gives them, with a comma for the decimal point.
Omega pocket watches on eBay: For sale now What they sold for (affiliate links: we may earn a commission)
How old is it?
The serial number on the movement dates it. Type it into the serial number lookup: it gives the year band. The year should fit the movement you read on the plate: an 830 can't be older than 1967, or a 960 older than 1971.
Is an Omega pocket watch worth anything?
Start with the case. A solid gold case, like the 14k OK 1094 above, has a floor value in the gold alone, even if the movement doesn't run; Gold or plated? covers the marks and Weigh your Omega turns a kitchen-scale weight into a gold value. Beyond that, it is worth what the same movement and case have actually sold for: use the “What they sold for” link above, not asking prices. What's my Omega worth? explains the method.
Gold Omega pocket watches on eBay: For sale now What they sold for (affiliate links: we may earn a commission)
Not sure what you have?
Six photos, including the movement and the inside of the back, and I check the marking, serial and case against Omega's own records and put it in writing. Nothing to pay until I confirm the photos can answer it.
Parts: a donor has to match
Omega's pocket movements share few parts with anything else, so a donor movement has to be the same calibre or a close sibling:
- 140: every working part carries the 140 number. Nothing is borrowed.
- 150: nearly all its own parts; it borrows just three.
- 160: its own plate, bridges, barrel, train and balance, with the winding, setting and escapement fittings of the 150. A 150 donor helps a 160.
- 120: the eight-day 110 with seven extra parts for the jumping seconds, so a 110 donor helps a 120.
- 830 and 960: every numbered part is their own.
The parts finder gives the factory number for each part and every calibre it fits.
The Bench is a free game in your browser or on your phone: take a real vintage Omega calibre apart and build it back up, part by Omega part number.
Questions people ask
How do I identify my Omega pocket watch?
Open the back and read the marking on the movement plate, such as 38.5 L T1 or 37.6 S, or a calibre number such as 140. That names the movement. Then read the reference inside the case back and the serial on the movement: the reference lookup gives Omega's record for the case, and the serial dates it.
What does 38.5 L T1 mean on an Omega pocket watch?
It is the movement's size marking: 38.5 mm, and L for lépine. Omega's catalogue lists it as the calibre 160 family (160 to 163), with 15 or 17 jewels.
How old is my Omega pocket watch?
The serial number on the movement dates it; the free serial number lookup gives the year band. The movement sets a floor too: the 830 was created in 1967 and the 960 in 1971.
Is my Omega pocket watch worth anything?
A solid gold case has a floor value in the gold alone. Beyond that, it is worth what the same movement and case have actually sold for, not what sellers ask.
Is my Omega pocket watch key-wound?
If the plate reads 59.8 D clé, yes: Omega's catalogue lists the 110 and 120 as eight-day movements wound with a key, with a separate stem for setting the hands. The stem-wound version is marked 59.8 D.
Did Omega make pocket watches after the 1960s?
Yes. Omega created the 960 pocket movement in 1971, and its database lists a Genève pocket watch on it from 1971 to 1985 and a De Ville Electronic pocket watch from 1973 to 1977.
Watch Breaker is an independent identification specialist and parts dealer and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Omega SA or the Swatch Group. Omega is a trademark of Omega SA. Reference data is from Omega's vintage database; movement and parts data are transcribed from Omega's GF 620-1 and GF 620-5 catalogues; no pages are reproduced. eBay links are affiliate links. Terms.