A Guide to Vintage Omega Bullhead Chronographs

Since the late 1990s, producing large watches has been an enduring trend, undoubtedly spurred by the success of Panerai. Obviously, watches with larger case sizes were around earlier than that, but the Florentine brand was the first to attain huge, worldwide popularity with its oversized timepieces — with the help of a few Hollywood icons, namely Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Panerai’s case designs were basically reinventions of those used on its early divers from the 1940s. After that, things got out of hand quickly — and for some reason, watch manufacturers for a while thought that the only way to go is bigger and bigger. Panerai watches was the barrier breaker… or was it?

When we think about the 1950s and early 1960s, we picture the watches of our fathers, grandfathers and uncles — elegant, round, classic shapes, like those on Omega Seamasters, Rolex Datejusts, models from Longines, Doxa, et cetera. Nowadays, these are categorized by the WIS (Watch Idiot Savant) community  as “dress watches.” Then, around the late 1960s and early 1970s, watch companies started taking part in the design revolution. They started to become bolder in imagining the shapes, sizes and colors of their products. Among the best examples of these bold designs are the so-called“bullhead”watches.

vintage Omega Bullhead watches

When you Google “bullhead watch,” the first few results will lead you to Omega. No doubt one of the best-known bullhead watches ever produced was the Omega Reference ST.146.0011 (above), which was part of the international Seamaster Chronostop collection in 1970. It’s a model Omega decided to resurrect in 2013 (pictured two photos down) as part of its line of reissued watches that also includes models like the PloProf and Speedmaster Mark II. Omega, however, was not the only company to come out with this type of timepiece during that period. Many popular Swiss watch brands had similar models, including companies like Breitling, Sicura, and Tissot, not to mention a number of brands that have disappeared within the last 50 years. Switzerland, however, wasn’t the only watch manufacturing country to produce such timepieces; Japanese companies like Citizen and Seiko had bullheads among their lines of watches at that time.

So what is a bullhead, exactly, and why is it so special? The word “bullhead” is an umbrella term used for a chronograph watch that has its crown and chronograph pushers on top of the case (in some cases, the crown is at the bottom of the case) rather than on the side, hence resembling the head of a bull with its horns. The cases are usually larger and thicker than those of traditional chronograph watches. In most instances, their cases are not evenly shaped, meaning that the top, where the pushers and the crown are located, is wider and thicker than the bottom. This way, the dial is tilted towards 6 o’clock, which allows the wearer to check the time on the watch much more easily; hence, the oddity of the case. What makes this category particularly special is that most of these models were produced in relatively small numbers, making them very desirable to watch collectors. Of course, as stated above, the unusual sizes and shapes of their cases also provides a key reason that these watches are so sought-after.

mens Omega watches

Regarding the movements found in these bullheads, there are three main types. First are the pieces with so-called “in-house” movements; watch manufacturers like Heuer and Omega used their own – or out-sourced but heavily modified  – movements in their models. Then there are the watches with mass-produced, quality chronograph movements like the Valjoux 7733 and 7734 (the latter includes a date feature, hence the change in the last digit). Finally, there is the third group, which use very cheap, lower-quality pin-lever calibers. In these cases, the only appealing feature about the Omega Bullhead watches might be its appearance. Bullheads are very funky-looking watches in general: loads of colors, shapes and forms can be found on the dial. Their cases are mostly steel, or rhodium-plated on the cheaper versions. A few models have gold-plated cases, with only a thin layer of gold that tends to get worn away pretty easily.

They might not look good on everyone’s wrist; without a doubt, you need to have a certain wrist size to pull off a bullhead. However, for a watch enthusiast who is looking for something out of the ordinary, a true 70s bullhead might just be the perfect match. Not to mention that you can usually pick a decent example of one for under $1,000.

Wonderful Christmas time

As is now customary, the exhibitors at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva are offering a preview of some of the watches that will make their official debut in January. A practice that has spread to the rest of the profession… 

Like many of the traditions that return each holiday season, presentations in advance of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) have become almost de rigueur, to the point that most of the exhibiting Maisons now lift the veil on some of the creations that will galvanise attention come January. Joining them are the growing number of brands that exhibit on the fringes of SIHH. Putting sparkle into the festive season, we offer a taste of what's to come.

Audemars Piguet has the Midas touch

 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in yellow gold 

 

Audemars Piguet celebrates the timeless appeal of its Royal Oak by incorporating a classic complication inside a yellow gold case, the original metal of traditional watchmaking. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is equipped with the new self-winding Calibre 5134, which is slightly larger than its predecessor (Calibre 2120) to fit the updated 41 mm case.Day, month,date, leap year and astronomical moon are displayed on the "Grand Tapisserie"dial. The week is shown on the flange.Given the choice of traditional or unconventional materials, the Le Brassus brand has this time opted for the "enduring lustre" of yellow gold.

Cartier reveals all

 

   Cartier Clé Skeleton Automatic 

 

Still in the bloom of youth, having previewed at the SIHH in 2015, the Clé watch returns with Cartier's first automatic skeleton movement. As with the Santos 100, the skeleton bridges form Roman numerals, a feature which the brand has protected by patent. The difficulty lay in incorporating an oscillating weight into the new 9621 MC calibre - modelled on the 1904 MC base movement - in the most unobtrusive way possible while conserving its efficiency. Mission accomplished: the rotor is merely hinted at from the dial side while its winding power remains intact, with a minimum 48-hour power reserve. Housed inside a 41 mm palladium case, this new Clé de Cartier is a lesson in purity and transparency.

Panerai all in white

 

Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Acciaio – 42 mm 

 

True to form, Officine Panerai revises its classics with a RADIOMIR 1940 whose cushion case measures 42 mm in diameter and 10.93 mm in thickness. This slimline profile is reprised by the P.4000 self-winding calibre, whose 3.95 mm height is made possible by an off-centred oscillating weight that has been set in the movement. The bidirectional tungsten rotor winds two series-mounted barrels to deliver a three-day power reserve,the minimum requirement for any of the brand's watches with an in-house movement. The real novelty of this watch, however, lies in the immaculate white dial, a first in the Radiomir 1940 collection.