Good day all,

This is my first time on this forum and I am excited to be a part of the Omega community! I have been spending the last year learning about vintage Omegas and I would like some advice regarding a potential purchase of a Constellation ref. 168.018 cal. 564.

The things that I can see that are good are:

The dial and hands appear to be original and in good condition
The case ref. , dial and the serial number all match and date it to 1969
The observatory medallion is sharp

The things that I can see that are not good are:

The crystal has the omega logo on it but is badly scratched
The case back is engraved
The crown plating has come off around the Omega logo
From the pictures of the movement there appears to be different hues of the metal parts.

The timepiece comes on a flexi-strap (which I would replace with a leather strap) with box and papers and the dealer's purchase price is $800.

If I was to purchase it would not be to sell but rather to keep.

I am not sure whether this is a good buy for the price.
Also I am not sure about the case condition (i.e. whether it is polished or not).

I would appreciate any advice thank you!

 

Welcome @nkb

First the good:
The dial is nice
Having papers is a bonus
(It’s nice having an Omega box but it’s not the correct box for a Constellation)

Not so good:
The pictures are poor but the case is polished.
The crystal is not just scratched but crazed and will need replacing (say$50)
The crown would need replacing (say another $50)
The inscription is writ pretty large on the back.

I wouldn’t be too concerned about the movement colour as I think it is poor photography.
The watch will need a service anyway.

These later references haven’t found their market yet (they will in the not too distant future IMHO) but folks see ‘Constellation’ and mark them up at too high a price.
So I think the (nearly $900) asking price is ambitious for this 168.018 - but it is a dealer selling it. (The original $1,650 was a ridiculous asking price)

With a bit of patience you should be able to find a much nicer Connie for your money. (Especially if you are looking for a 168.018)

Hope that helps.

 

Hi Peemacgee

Thanks very much for your reply and advice!

What an invaluable resource this forum is.

Yeah too much money to acquire this 168.018 and then added cost for new crystal and crown.

I will continue to look for a better example.
I was wondering where the best place is to look for constellations online?

Thanks again I appreciate it!

 

If you don’t want to pay dealer prices, Ebay still offers the largest selection or you can set up alerts for auction houses (the latter is still where bargains are to be had) - however, either way you have to know what you are looking at, so there is no substitute or short circuit for reading and learning.
Best of luck.