Omega. A rare and very elegant stainless steel “Staybrite” openface keyless lever watch with inverted two-tone silvered dial

This very elegant and unusual watch is from the Art Deco Lépine range, the case is made from Staybrite steel, a steel alloy containing 0.2% carbon, 18% chromium and 8% nickel. It polishes to a particularly fine finish and was often used for making watch cases in the 1930s. The two-tone silvered dial of the present watch has, unusually, the subsidiary seconds in the 12 o’clock position and is confirmed by the Extract from the Archives. The bow and winding crown are also reversed to the 6 o’clock position, this configuration makes the watch more practical to use in the field. Omega steel pocket watches were advertised in the 1930s as being for sportsmen and men of action being described as a “bright, sparkling, Steel Companion”.