Omega Caliber 562

Manufacturer	Omega
Caliber Number	562
Base Caliber	560
In-House?	Yes
Movement Type	Automatic, self-winding mechanical
Display	Analog
Diameter	27.9mm
Jewels	24
Frequency/Beat Rate	19,800 vph
Lift Angle	49 degrees
Power Reserve	~50 hours
Rotor Winding Direction	Bi-directional
Hand-Windable?	Yes
Shock Protection	Incabloc
Functions	Central hours; central minutes; central sweeping seconds; date at 3:00
Hacking Seconds?	No
Chronometer?	Unconfirmed
Country of Manufacture	Switzerland, Swiss made
Known Models	Omega Seamaster 166.010, 166.009, 168.002 (Add your watch to the comments below…)

The Omega caliber 562 is a 24 jewels Swiss made automatic movement that was found in various models from the late 1950s to 1960s. This vintage calibre is in Omega’s signature copper tone color (not gold) and features a swan neck style regulator system.

Setting the Calendar:

The 562 does not have a modern quickset style date, it has what is referred to as a semi-quickset date. This means you can move faster through the calendar setting by turning the hands past 12 (24:00) then back to 8 (20:00), then again past 12, back to 8 – until you reach the desired date.

1 inside the Omega logo:

Perhaps not as common on the Omega 562, you may see some examples of this movement (and similar calibers 560, 561, 564 and 751) with a number one in the center of the Omega logo. It is not a factory origin mark, date of production indicator, customs mark, or a symbol to represent calendar upgrades… the 1 (or 2) simply means that the movement has a higher hand assembly, meaning that the hands are positioned higher up to accommodate taller dials (such as the pie pan style dials). This information is especially useful when searching for replacement parts for your timepiece. In-depth information regarding this can be found here (direct pdf link here).

Replacement Prices:

The Omega cal. 562 has long been discontinued, therefore no replacement value is available. If you are in need of parts for a service, sometimes you can find NOS parts on eBay. You may also be able to find broken watches with the 562 for parts or repair.

Chronometer and Constellations?

One of the big debates in the Constellation community is whether or not there are any Connies with the caliber 562 inside. Some say yes, some say no. The 562 is the non-chronometer version of the 561 which is found in many Constellation watches with Chronometer across the dial. Chronometer rated movements will also have extra text on the bridge: “Adjusted to Five (5) Positions and Temperature” – with the jewel count positioned lower on the bridge than its non-certified counterpart. Confusions and skepticism is created largely due to the fact that many of the parts between 561 and 562 timepieces are interchangeable. For this reason, watch have found their way into the market with mismatched dials and movements. You may find a Chronometer dial, with a non-adjusted movement, or simply a replaced 562 bridge. Therefore, it is advisable to be cautious of cal. 562 Constellations.

Editor’s Comment: With the above advisory offered, always remember that while we all put our trust in our beliefs of how these watch companies operate (Omega, Rolex, etc.) nothing is set in stone! They do not disclose such things as absolute in written documentation, so before you publicly call out a watch for being fake or frankenwatch, it may be better to quietly walk away. After all, no matter how much we enthusiasts think we know about a brand, model or movement, we never really know what goes on behind the doors of the watch factories, and whether or not they produced a few chronometer rated 562 or 562 Connies for example. It is exciting to know a lot about a topic and want to share (and possible help someone else), but it is not good when the community suffers accusatory finger-pointing based on best guesses and opinions.

Additional Resources:

• More Omega watch calibers