Advice on a 14900 constellation

Hello, I am interested in this one, but I am not sure about the dial. Crown looks like a replacement. Price could be around 800eur.

What do you think? Legit? Thanks for any advice.

Quality of photos are poor, but I have seen very few fake Türler stamps. I vote original dial and replacement crown.

Price is reasonable for condition.
gatorcpa

I also wonder if the hands were replaced or relumed with black paint...

I can'nt imagine that they would Turler on a refinished dial. Besides that, the dial looks good to me

I hesitated because the t tritium mark on a - 61. I am never sure about no t, one t, two t, etc. And have seen so many bad redial with t Swiss t.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/constellation-14900-black-pie-pan.129888/

😉 I thought about it at first but side picture shows nothing I can see at 10:30. Thanks for the heads up.

EDIT: when I enhance the picture, I think there is something wrong with the bezel. I just dodged a bullet, I don't need the headache.


Don't forget that -61 is the model year, not the actual production date. Like a 105.003-65 made in 67, for example.

Might be worth saying that I'd been following the auction of this watch since before the thread was created, and managed to win the auction. Personally, I don't think the bezel is cracked. It looks to me like some sort of dirt/debris at best and pitting from corrosion at worst. Either way, it's not an unfixable cracked bezel, and I think the dial is beautiful enough that I'm willing to take a gamble on it.

Thanks! Now the waiting game begins

Must've missed the second part of your post somehow, but I'm expecting the total to come out to ~1300-1350 USD when fully processed, which isn't a bargain but seemed to be pretty reasonable considering the condition of the dial.

It is a nice watch indeed. I was not prepared to bother with a bezel problem so I did not bid.

Good luck to you 👍, and maybe post a sharp picture of it for posterity.

Well, the watch has arrived, and I can say that I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. No buyer's remorse here!

In-person, this Constellation is an absolute stunner.

Now that's a dial I would be happy seeing on my wrist every day.

The dial appears to be a wholly original 'no-step, big-star' pie pan with 'TÜRLER' script.

Nothing beats the serifs on an original vintage dial. You could totally cut yourself on those.

The crystal is a low-dome Omega original, with the old 'flat-foot' logo in the center. It appears to be crack-free, and I will likely be keeping it instead of replacing it.

The hands also appear to be blackened tritium, rather than black paint, which is good as that means I won't have to pull out a pair of NOS ones. That said, I'll need to decide whether to leave them as is or have the ZnS replaced with a fresh layer to match the dots.

The movement is alright. It appears to be in pretty decent condition but definitely needs a thorough cleaning. No bridges or parts appear to be swapped, which is a relief. I'm definitely considering putting a display back on it, as I think this 551 will look quite stunning when fully serviced.

A beautiful rose-gold heart lazily ticks away...

The case is worn, but shows no signs of brutal polishing. The observatory medallion still has its original matte finish as well.



The marks on the bezel appear to be light corrosion, as it won't rub off. However, it isn't cracked, which means it will be repairable by laser.

Looks to me like the 'Swiss Made T' is original too. Nice and sharp!


Overall, I think I was pretty lucky that I was able to pick this piece up, especially for what I did. Many vintage Constellations and Seamasters with sunburst dials from Japan have either heavy patina or lacquer bubbling from the humid climate. Case in point, this piece I picked up as a project watch:


This piece is not my first Constellation, and I doubt it will be the last. Even so, this watch has left a lasting impression on me. The symmetry of the 14900 dial, the aesthetic of the double signature, and the piece's solid condition, all combined with the history of the Constellation and Omega, is really quite pleasing. It's not perfect by any means, being quite far from the apex 'condition condition condition' standard that we all strive for, but from the moment I picked it up some intangible element made me recognize that this Connie truly is something special.


@S.H. I have to thank you for letting me win this piece. I'm absolutely in love with it, and 100% plan on giving it a prized position in my collection for the foreseeable future.

Happy for you! Sometimes we get lucky.

I myself prefer the more rounded lugs from the other case refs, the dog leg is a bit too angular for me. I missed a few ones recently... The dial on this one sure was tempting.