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Constellation Chronometer Pie-Pan

  1. nxw1969

    nxw1969 Jan 4, 2016

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  2. BartH

    BartH Follows a pattern of overpaying Jan 4, 2016

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    nxw1969 and davidswiss like this.
  3. nxw1969

    nxw1969 Jan 4, 2016

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    Yeah - well spotted, I missed that! Is that off another movement?
     
  4. BartH

    BartH Follows a pattern of overpaying Jan 4, 2016

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    Guess so.

    I like my chronometers adjusted ;)
     
  5. hamiltonillinois

    hamiltonillinois Jan 7, 2016

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    Maybe it's an old tale, but wasn't there a time that movements/watches imported in the US had higher duties if they were adjusted? I seem to remember hearing that many companies labeled their movements as unadjusted to beat this import tax... even though the local jeweler could easily adjust the movement. Is this BS?
     
  6. Stewart H

    Stewart H Honorary NJ Resident Jan 7, 2016

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    It could of course be that at some time the whole auto-winder (including bridge) has been swapped out.
     
  7. BartH

    BartH Follows a pattern of overpaying Jan 7, 2016

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    I don't think a local jeweler could easily adjust the movement. Regulate it, yes... But adjust is for 5 positions and temperature? No.

    Secondly, I never heard of an unadjusted Connie chronometer.
     
  8. gatorcpa Ω 2

    gatorcpa ΩF InvestiGator Staff Member Jan 7, 2016

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    It was true then and it is still true today. It's just that the extra duties were something like $1 a jewel. Omega had special 17 jewel versions of some movements (cal. 550/560) that normally had 24 jewels (cal. 552/562). Customs was charged on every jewel, if over 17. Adjustments were extra on top of that.

    Back in the days when a really good watch sold for under $100, an extra $25 to $30 cost to the importer was a really big deal.

    Now that even a mid-range mechanical runs a couple of thousand, it's a rounding error.

    However, Omega Constellations were top of the line in the 1960's. Always Swiss Made and always adjusted. They just factored it into the price.

    The watch above had the bridge replaced during a service. You used to be able to buy the correct bridge for a cal. 551 (all the 561/564's used the same part) and have a watchmaker install it for a few bucks. I did that with my pie-pan.

    Unfortunately, it's not so easy to find NOS parts for these anymore.
    gatorcpa
     
  9. hamiltonillinois

    hamiltonillinois Jan 7, 2016

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    I was not referring to this specific watch, just trying to confirm what I had heard in general. :)
     
  10. hamiltonillinois

    hamiltonillinois Jan 7, 2016

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    Thanks for the confirmation! (As you know, I am WAY out of my knowledge base/comfort zone when it comes to imported chronographs. Seeing one of them on my wrist gives me the shakes.) ;)