Hello, all. I’m looking for a bit of direction with respect to my first omega purchase, a SS Constellation which I think is from the ‘60s and is near and dear to me. I bought it maybe 6-7 years ago from eBay but unfortunately the pictures I had of the movement/inside of the case are saved on my old computer which is completely dead.

Since then I’ve had my grandfather’s gold omega cleaned up and while I’m still on the hunt for an appropriate strap, I’d like to wear that one as my watch and instead gift the Constellation to my partner who will (knock on wood) become a first-time father in March and who really adores the watch.

I’ve never had the Constellation serviced as it keeps good time. At a minimum, I’d like to: (i) replace the crown - it’s too low and extremely difficult to wind; and (ii) replace the strap which I thought was decent quality back then but it looks pretty rough now and may be a bit too dainty for him.

Any suggestions on other ways I can spiffy it up? Should I have it serviced just to make sure it’s clean and all the parts in good working order? I had the gold one serviced and polished a tiny bit which I know is frowned upon but it was pretty grimy and I personally prefer the sparkly look. Do you have any recommendations for a replacement crown? Do you think that Omega buckles are critical and if so, would it look terrible with new ones? I bought gold-plated Omega buckles from an authorized retailer and while new I don’t think they look that bad with the watch.

Any suggestions you would be willing to pass along would be appreciated. I’m not at all well-versed in the watch world but I do have a great appreciation for these beautiful time pieces and the craftsmanship.

Thanks!

 

Nice watch! I am not a seasoned collector, but please allow me to offer some thoughts.

The crown looks like one of the "hidden crowns" which is a design feature to hide the crown since the movement is automatic and doesn't need manual winding. Whether you should replace it depends on whether it's a period correct crown for this reference. If it is, then I think it's better to keep the crown as it is. I would not be able to comment on the crown due to lack of knowledge.

Straps. There is a sticky thread in the Open Discussion forum regarding strap resources. The lug of your watch should be either 19 or 18mm, you could do some quick measurements to confirm. Depending on your budget, a really well made Italian strap would be 100+USD (I am taking Bulang & Sons as reference), but there are some less expensive options going from 20USD to maybe 70USD. these are just ballpark numbers. Make sure you get the strap with the correct lug width.

I would personally go with vintage styled brown or tan leather straps for a vintage constellation. It's a personal choice, so go with your heart.

 

nice watch. I would......

1) not touch the crown
2) get a proper sized strap. a period correct buckle can be a nice touch but I wouldn't worry too much about that, this type of OCD usually develops over time with a larger collection
3) consider a service, as it's probably due. Don't let anyone polish or replace anything, just service the mvmt

best of luck.

 

I have a particular fondness for this style of Connie.
It’s a 168.010 most likely with a 564 (quickset date) movement- you can tell if you pull the crown out fully and the date changes.
The hidden crown is renowned for being difficult to wind but don’t change it as it is THE design feature of this style of watch.
Simply have the watch serviced and add a 19mm strap - buckles are neither here nor there unless you are really obsessive.
I prefer something like a black lizard (or plain black leather) on SS.
Here are some examples of mine.