Just came a across a rather nice looking Constellation on the Watches of Knightsbridge website.

However I can't find any other examples of this exact case reference or pictures of a similar internal case back. The appearance of the stars on the medallion also seems unusual as they are all the same size and particularly large.

The internal stamped marks look rather faint and unconvincing and the reference number in contrast looks almost too clear and deep.

Can anyone give me more information about it - I suspect that it is probably a non Swiss made case ?

Some of their photos are posted below

 

Hi @christhomas

I too have been looking at this Connie (spookily I was just PM'ing a fellow member about it...)

the dial and case look good -but I had some concerns about the case back
not so much the inside but the outside -there are definitely those who will know the hallmarks inside the case

there is something not quite right -the colour, finish and uneven edges -esp at 11 and 3 (as you look at it)
it looks like the upper surface has been polished -possibly to get rid of an engraving?

BTW-if you look at Desmond's site -there are multiple variations of the medallion with Observatory and stars in different combinations -especially it seems for the gold cased watches

I'd be interested to know what others might think

 

Looks French, appears to be an eagles head hallmark on the lug, which would be correct for an 18K French case.

 

I go French market too, that's no reference number but a French production case number.

Strange no Fab. Suisse on the dial?

 

any thoughts on the polished case back gents?

 

I think you're right. Searching with "French" or "France" bring up several results in google or this forum and other almost identical images.

See: https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-omega-constellation-case-made-in-france.10387/ for example

What do other members make of the rest of the watch though - to my untrained eye it looks very good. How much less desirable is a french made case to a swiss one?

 

Depends where you live and which reference. In France I wouldn't think it makes much of a difference at all, but in The States I guess it would.

With this reference I think there would make something of a 10-20% discount all things being equal as a Swiss cased version is not difficult to find and the OP's watch has a normal "Swiss Made" dial.

I have a small sub collection of Fab. Suisse French production watches. I actively seek them out, but then from the 1940's and 1950's and they must have the "Fab.Suisse" or "Importe de Suisse" on the dial which for me gives them a certain....je nais se quois that I find charming.

The gold cases are French production and as far as I'm aware the steel cases are Swiss production. All to do with the taxation on import of luxury goods back in the days.





Eagles head hallmark on the outside of the case back





The case numbers differ by 174 units between the production of these two 18KT RG 352 chronometre cases

 

I love the two in the wrist photo - what would be the year and name/description of that model ?

 

You say that that is a French case number rather than a reference number - but surely there must be some connection between that number beginning in 168 and the Swiss made 168-*** references ?

 

It is indeed a French case number, distinguishing a Swiss made 168.005 with the 3. English cased versions were of the same watch were styled 168.5005, Argentine versions were 168.6005, and Brazilian versions also had a prefix number, which I can't recall off the top of my head. The watch in question is quite nice, a bit of white dial spot, nice sharp chamfers on the lugs, a couple of small scratches on the lugs and a plated crown a little different in colour to the case.

 

Crown, hands and markers looks rosé gold to me, at least not matching the case.

I've seen these beefy connies before and I posted one that I distrusted (https://omegaforums.net/threads/please-report-fake-counterfeit-item-s-and-seller.7699/page-29#post-301880).

 

Thanks for your reply - very informative. I had a feeling that there must be specific significance in that extra digit. Does the "beefiness" of the lugs throw up any warning for you as suggested by BartH or is there some variation in the exact dimensions and proportions of the lugs between Swiss made cases and these foreign made versions ? Do you feel that the case and dial are an original pairing ? Is there a cut off year after which the "Fab Suisse" marking on the dial no longer appears?

 

My mistake, I assumed just a case run number as my cases are and not a reference number

 

Ive seen the equivalent of a 14381 with Fab Suisse, and I think the 168.005 iteration was probably one of the first. After Nixon killed off the Bretton Wood gold linkages and support of the dollar, all gold cases came from Switzerland.

 

These are about 1950, and they are kind of like a 2520, which AFAIR were Seamaster signed chronometres