Constellation Dial Question (redial?)

cnjackson · Nov 4, 2022

Hi everyone! Someone who is very knowledgeable about vintage Omegas suggested that the dial of a gold-capped? filled? Constellation I have has been redialed.

The watch has been in my family since it was purchased new in the 1950s, so I'm not sure when or where there was an opportunity for it to be redialed.

I do know that when the watch reached my hands, the OMEGA logo had come loose, as well as the seconds hand. Both have been restored by a watchmaker--though I'd say that the logo was not handled very well.

I'd be glad to have the forum's views on the dial. (And suggestions for where I might send the watch for a proper service--please feel free to PM me, if you would rather not post directly into the thread. If it helps, I live in Virginia.)

Here are some not-very-good pix of the watch:

BarbVl · Nov 4, 2022

I am not an expert but for me your pictures do not help me at all to be able to even make an option of the dial. I think you will have to try to make some better pictures. Regards.

byunjoe · Nov 4, 2022

The pictures are too low resolution for people to make a solid judgement. That being said, the line weight of the crosshair itself does look a bit heavy. And waffle dial don't lend themselves well to accurate printing but it looks like the minute track is slightly misaligned with the applied hour markers - though again these pics are too small to be sure.

ken_hodson · Nov 4, 2022

I am sorry, but I agree with your expert's opinion. The text is not crisp enough and the minute track too heavy and uneven.

NotAClue · Nov 4, 2022

You can trust that knowledgeable friend of yours in vintage omegas on this one…

Despite redialed it has been in your family for a long time so it’s probably worth to you a bit more than a NOS example 👍

Dan S · Nov 4, 2022

The photos are not good, but the way the vertical crosshair totally misses the painted marker at 6 o'clock is still pretty obvious.

Pahawi · Nov 4, 2022

A bunch of pics of the black dial, please 😀

MtV · Nov 4, 2022

Yup, I’m afraid even with that blurry picture it’s beyond doubt a redial. The Constellation script is also off, the straight n recognizable (and incorrect for the period), as well as the aforementioned points and general print quality.
It’s not uncommon for one of these to have been redialled during a service long ago. But hey, it’s still a family piece, which is wonderful. I’d still wear it happily.

bubba48 · Nov 4, 2022

Redial for sure

bubba48 · Nov 4, 2022

Pahawi
A bunch of pics of the black dial, please 😀

Maybe it's good (or not)

Walrus · Nov 4, 2022

It probably is but being in the family (if you like your family) for fifty years is pretty cool. Wear it with pride. Gotta be tricky redialing a waffle dial the hands are in the way and it’s a little blurry but it’s a hec of a lot better than I can do.

krogerfoot · Nov 4, 2022

Keeping a redialed watch in the family is a good thing. As others have mentioned, redialing watches was standard in past eras. Whoever purchased that watch was not screwing around.

There’s some debate over whether to keep redialed heirlooms the way they are. I think restoring them is perfectly kosher—it would be just as original to the first owner with a new dial as it is currently.

cnjackson · Nov 4, 2022

Thank you, everyone. As always, it's so good to have so many knowledgeable people here, who can look things over.

I need to apologize for the images--they seemed crisper when I took them. I'll post some better ones tomorrow, once we have good light again. Though I'm really not sure how to take good pix of these watches with the waffle dial.

Krogerfoot (hi again!), are you suggesting that it is possible to "undo" the redialing process--to get back to the original dial? Is that a very difficult/expensive process?

Thanks again, everyone!
~Chris

krogerfoot · Nov 4, 2022

cnjackson
Krogerfoot (hi again!), are you suggesting that it is possible to "undo" the redialing process--to get back to the original dial? Is that a very difficult/expensive process?

I meant finding a donor dial or having it redialed yet again to put it in a closer state to its original appearance is an option. All of the reticence to tamper with the collectibility of vintage watches goes out the window, I think, in the case of family heirlooms. If someone’s grandfather had his watch redialed sixty years ago, why not redial it again? It’s still your grandfather’s watch. Of course, if you grew up with the redialed watch and have an attachment to the way it looks, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it the way it is, either.

But no, I don’t think there’s an way to reverse a redial, and I have absolutely no idea what any of the work I mentioned above would cost.

cnjackson · Nov 4, 2022

krogerfoot
I meant finding a donor dial or having it redialed yet again to put it in a closer state to its original appearance is an option. All of the reticence to tamper with the collectibility of vintage watches goes out the window, I think, in the case of family heirlooms. If someone’s grandfather had his watch redialed sixty years ago, why not redial it again? It’s still your grandfather’s watch. Of course, if you grew up with the redialed watch and have an attachment to the way it looks, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it the way it is, either.

But no, I don’t think there’s an way to reverse a redial, and I have absolutely no idea what any of the work I mentioned above would cost.

Ah! I see! I think I'll probably leave it as is--though I'll still want to get a proper service on the movement.

Thank you! 😀

Pvt-Public · Nov 5, 2022

Not sure where in VA you are, but I have used Herndon Watch and Clock, for servicing. And he has an Omega parts account.

cnjackson · Nov 5, 2022

OK! Here are what I hope are some better pictures of the gold-capped watch. I feel pretty persuaded by everyone that the dial was "redialed" (is that the right word) at some time in the past. But maybe these images can confirm this?

If it turns out to be the case, oh well. I'm still hoping to get the watch properly serviced, and on a nice strap.

Thanks so much, everyone!
~Chris

Dan S · Nov 5, 2022

Redial confirmed. 🙁

cnjackson · Nov 5, 2022

Ah! well, that's too bad. 🙁

But as I look at it, it makes sense. So, back in the day (whenever that was), if you sent your watch in for a service, the dial would be redone as a matter of course? It does look a bit sloppy, doesn't it.

Thank you!

cnjackson · Nov 5, 2022

I'll take this opportunity to ask if people have good suggestions nonetheless for nice straps (maybe on the casual side?) for this watch.

Thanks again!
\Chris

Constellation Dial Question (redial?)

cnjackson

BarbVl

byunjoe

ken_hodson

NotAClue

Dan S

Pahawi

MtV

bubba48

bubba48

Walrus

krogerfoot

cnjackson

krogerfoot

cnjackson

Pvt-Public

cnjackson

Dan S

cnjackson

cnjackson

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