18ct yellow gold OMEGA Seamaster "XVI Melbourne Olympic Games" automatic wristwatch. Made 1956

Information

• Brand: OMEGA 
• Made: 1956
• Model: Seamaster
• Reference: 2850 SC
• Calibre: 471
• Movement: Automatic
• Material: 18ct yellow gold
• Features/complications: Cross of Merit
• Dial: Beige dial decorated with the Olympic Cross of Merit featuring appliqué hour markers and dauphine hands
• Case dimensions: 34mm
• Bracelet/strap: Leather strap
• Accessories: -
• SKU: 03414

Essay

In 1952, OMEGA was awarded the Olympic Cross of Merit in recognition of its exceptional contributions to the world of sports. Omega’s involvement with the Olympic Games began in 1932, and to commemorate 25 years as the official timekeeper, Omega released a special series of watches for the Games of the XVI Olympiad, held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956.

Around 100 of these watches were produced as “prototypes,” each featuring the Olympic Cross of Merit on the dial. There were two variations of this merit, where the rings were either a singular colour, or 5 seperate colours (the latter being the rarest, as they took more time to produce and thus resulted in less being released).

OMEGA later recalled the "prototypes", and replaced the Cross of merit with an applied Roman numeral XVI for 16th Olympiad.