The Extremely Rare Omega Seamaster XVI Prototype from the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics. This week we have an extremely rare Omega Seamaster XVI in our auction, one of just 100 in existence! These watches were Omega’s first Olympic commemorative wristwatches rather than pocket watches. They were created to honour the 1956 summer games in Melbourne, but the design had to be changed before they could be sold commercially. The Seamaster in our auction is one of the so called ‘pre-commercial’ prototypes. Keep reading to find out more about why this watch is so unique and why this design couldn’t be sold commercially. Omega has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic games since 1932 and has been creating commemorative watches for these events since the 50s. The Melbourne Summer Olympics was unique in itself because it was the first summer Olympic games to be held in the southern hemisphere and the games took place during the local summertime in November and December. 25th Anniversary; In 1952, Omega was awarded with the Olympic Cross of Merit for their outstanding service to the sports world. Omega received this Olympic Cross of Merit ”for outstanding service to the world of sports” from the President of Finland after the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. They decided to use this design to produce an extra special commemorative watch to honour their 25 years of official service to the Olympics, which coincided with the 16th (XVI) summer games in Melbourne. The result was this stunning design featuring the Cross of Merit and the interlocking Olympic rings. Two different styles of dials were created: one with red rings and one with gold rings which is on our auction. Omega wanted to make something really special making it a cherished piece of horological history. So they drafted in their best of the best Z.J Fluckiger (one of the best dial makers of the time) and Jean-Pierre Matthey-Claudet ( Omegas most successful prototype maker). The case incorporated the rarely seen ”Frog leg” lugs and the dial used Chinese lacquer to incorporate the Olympic Cross of Merit in the dial. But what makes this watch even rarer is they only made 100 in rose gold and 100 in yellow gold. This was because Omega didn’t properly secure the rights to use the seal on the dial of the watches. A later version was released with a roman numeral on the dial. But if you want the pinnacle of Omega Olympic watches then look no further! Omega wasn’t allowed to use the Cross of Merit commercially, so they weren’t allowed to produce their original design. This means that these 100 prototype watches were either never on the commercial market, or were recalled. These 100 pieces were given to a few selected athletes, celebrities and executives at the time. The watch was redesigned to feature the Roman numeral XVI on the dial in place of the Cross of Merit and this new Seamaster XVI design was released for commercial sale. You may want to add this rare Seamaster XVI to your collection now that you have the chance! Because there are only 100 made, they're not up for sale very often. You can own a piece of Olympic and Omega history. • Shipping: FREE ** Optionally, shipping from Europe (EU) is available. Please contact seller. ** • Movement: Automatic, Works perfectly. Tested on Timegrapher. > Omega Cal. 471 Movement • Glass: Scratch free • Case: 18K (0.750) Yellow Gold • Case Back: Cross of Merit • Dial: Has some little wear at 11 and 2 o'clock. • Crown: Original Omega • Strap: Genuine handmade leather • Buckle: Omega • All functions work perfectly. • Registered and Insured Shipping with Tracking Code in 1-3 days. #atlaswatch