Help Identifying 1950s Omega Constellation

gbesq

If it truly hasn't been serviced during its 70 year lifespan, the first thing that you need to do is stop wearing it, stop winding it, and get it serviced. The reason for this is that the lubricants in the movement dried out decades ago and what you have now is a watch movement that is akin to operating a car's engine without oil! You need to find an Omega trained and certified independent watchmaker who has an Omega parts account and have him or her perform a full sympathetic service on the watch. That means that the watchmaker will fully disassemble the watch case and the movement, ultrasonically clean the case, clean and examine each of the movement parts and replace those parts that are worn, reassemble and lubricate the movement and then put the watch back together. The watchmaker will also regulate the timing of the watch and pressure test it for water resistance. Have the watchmaker evaluate the condition of the crystal. If it's in decent condition, all of the scratches can be polished out. If not, it can be replaced with a new crystal. A couple DON'TS: don't have the case polished and don't send the watch to Omega for servicing. This watch is a real heirloom and should clean up beautifully. As others have noted, it's probably a reference 2852, but the reference number of the watch will be on the inside of the case back and the serial number will be on the movement. If you can tell us where you're located, we may be able to recommend an independent watchmaker for you.

gbesq

Can anyone recommend a good watchmaker for the OP in Michigan?

gbesq

Sure. It's not that Omega won't do a competent job of servicing the watch. They will. The problem is that Omega servicing sees its job as returning your watch to you in as "like new" condition as possible. While that's fine for a modern Omega watch, for a vintage Omega watch that means that Omega will likely replace or refinish the dial, replace the hands and crown, and refinish/polish the case. You'll get back a very nice looking watch but the process strips the watch of its vintage character and ruins its collectible heirloom value. Even if you specifically instruct Omega not to take these steps, they will do as THEY see fit in order for them to be able to provide you with a two year warranty on the work. A good independent watchmaker with an Omega parts account and experience servicing vintage watches will do the essential work of servicing the movement, cleaning the case, etc., but will not recondition the watch to make it look showroom new. Instead, he or she will properly service the movement to make sure that the watch is running as it should, but will also work to preserve the watch's vintage character.