Community Stories

I bought a Constellation (with a cool dial)

Z
Posts
20
Likes
34
Peemacgee Peemacgee
Don't place too much store by all of the info in the Ultimate Constellation thread.
Whilst good work by @PlainVanilla some of the info is harvested from the web and is not all accurate.
Also terms like Grand Luxe and Deluxe have been misused often (even by Omega themselves)

I do think the info on Omega's website is misleading as they show a different case back to the description in the section above to illustrate the early observatory.

The listing in AJTT does also mention a 1953 2700 'non-water resistant' case (presumably they mean "snap-back'?)
tempImagetU1VWY.webp


Edit:
if you expand the text box on the Omega website it does tell you more about the caseback

Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 13.27.16.webp
Thank you. By the way, does the video I posted work? I tried to show the watch is as much clarity as I can there.
 
Peemacgee
Posts
5,644
Likes
8,756
Z zhixi
Here are some extra pictures. The link you sent is for a different movement which I believe has different feet. This watch is a cal 354 with the correct case back and serial numbers (in terms of range).

Re dial specifics, I’ve given some thought to this too. The photos from Omegamania and Phillips auctions are static. No videos of this the watch exist (other than a few seconds in the 2nd John Goldberger Hondinkee talking watches video). Secondly, it’s hard to say how or how differently these dials could have aged over the past 70 years, because there are so few around.

Re provenance, I believe im the third owner. The seller purchased it in 2006 from the original owner, who had it since the 50s.

IMG_8802.webp IMG_8817.webp IMG_8821.webp IMG_8822.webp IMG_8825.webp
Thank you for the additional pics
the video link does open but I'm afraid I'm not keen on downloading a link from an unknown source - sorry

I realise the aftermarket dials were intended for later watches and yours does have some differences ( e.g. the rounded Omega symbol as opposed to a squared cross-section)
However, it wouldn't be beyond the wit of a half-reasonable craftsman to remove the dial feet and swap the Omega symbol to turn a €3,000 watch into a €100,000 watch.

Unless the dial has been touched up, these enamel dials were of the very highest quality and didn't have wavy edges to the enamel central plane - however the aftermarket dials do.

The provenance is something but we do see stories of past owners quite frequently that don't quite pan out - I do hope that yours is the genuine article but until I see another just like it sell at auction for the big-bucks these watches command I would have my suspicions that it has an aftermarket dial.

Once upon a time you could order an EOA and that would clarify the matter - nowadays not so much.

For the record - image of the aftermarket dial and description


Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 13.47.09.webp Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 13.50.03.webp
Edited:
 
Z
Posts
20
Likes
34
Took another photo just now. Hopefully this clears up the “wavy edge” issue.

IMG_0316.webp
 
Z
Posts
20
Likes
34
Apologies. I forgot to add this photo to the earlier post. I blocked out part of the serial number for security reasons.



IMG_0593.webp
 
Larry S
Posts
13,079
Likes
52,062
Wow. Huge congrats. Always fascinated by these.
 
Peemacgee
Posts
5,644
Likes
8,756
Dan S Dan S
An example from a 2017 Phillips auction: https://www.phillips.com/detail/omega/CH080117/200
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 7.32.55 AM.webp
Dan S Dan S
And from the talking watches episode: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/talking-watches-john-goldberger-part-2#&gid=1&pid=11
1736433341407.webp
each of these has a square-section Omega symbol without the happy feet -which does appear on a 1954 Seamaster enamel dial. (the rest in AJTT appear to be the rounded type with happy feet)
However, the dials are still much 'flatter' than the OPs.
 
Z
Posts
20
Likes
34
Playing with the dial in different environments (natural, downlight) shows the depth the dial that is hard to capture in a single photo. The video I took is able to better capture this detail. Unfortunately I haven’t seen another similar video to compare with.
 
Z
Posts
20
Likes
34
Dan S Dan S
An example from a 2017 Phillips auction: https://www.phillips.com/detail/omega/CH080117/200
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 7.32.55 AM.webp
The Phillips watch is interesting as both the hands and markers are lumed (all the others aren’t). The minute hand is also unusually long - so long that it extends way past the minute track, which is a bit odd? The auction doesn’t say whether the hands are original or replacements.
 
cqing
Posts
382
Likes
1,214
When I look at the example sold by phillips and the one owned by Goldberg, I noticed the letter 'M' in CHRONOMETRE and AUTOMATIC are not perfectly symmetrical, the left half seems to be wider than the right half. I don't know it is due to picture distortion or not.
 
Sharp
Posts
264
Likes
1,068
For me the larger enamel filled stars do not look good on the OP watch compared to the others posted - they look crude and the enamel fill appears more monotone than the three dials from the Omega museum, Phillips and Hodinkee which all look nicely formed on the tips and coloured carefully. The OP dials stars look like they came from the same hand as the aftermarket dial above.

OP Dial:
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 16.11.51.webp

Aftermarket Dial:
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 16.29.14.webp

Phillips dial:
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 16.33.23.webp


Hodinkee dial:
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 16.33.56.webp

Museum dial:
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 16.35.18.webp

Ok the image quality isn't great on all of these but you can see the trend, not to mention those minute markers and the edge of the enamel...
Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 16.03.20.webp
 
Davidt
Posts
11,893
Likes
20,662
I’m not familiar with the nuances of these dials but the minute marks and text on the OP watch do not look factory standard to me.
 
gatorcpa
Posts
12,697
Likes
17,150
I am by no means an expert of these watches. As such, I cannot express any opinion on this example or any of the others shown here. Especially from pictures or videos on the internet taken at varying angles with no consistency.

For watches of this level of potential value made by brands other than Omega, I would ordinarily recommend investing in a flight to Switzerland and meeting in person with the head of their museum who may have access to original dials or watches to which yours may be compared in person and under appropriate magnification to make a proper assessment of authenticity.

However, given the current situation with the Museum at Omega and until they are ready to restore services there, I’m afraid there is really no method that I could recommend that would confirm authenticity.

I hate to be so negative, but it seems that everyone (dealers, auction houses, even the Brand itself) has a profit motive in concocting rare Omega watches from various parts of other watches. It’s a minefield out there. It’s also why I limit my collection to watches of lesser value.

gatorcpa
 
cristos71
Posts
7,505
Likes
34,535
I'm no expert on these either....far from it, but I have studied the information available and I have also seen various aftermarket dials. I'd like to see some decent hi-res images from the OP to study his dial further...and I do have my fingers crossed for him as if original it's one of, if not the, ultimate Constellation's 🤞
 
Deafboy
Posts
2,328
Likes
6,698
Peemacgee Peemacgee
No matter - I think I found it
If it is the one you are referring to - It certainly appears to have more depth but not as much as the OPs

Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 12.58.51.webp
To me, that dial looks quite different from the OP's watch (observatory telescope aperture size, rounded points on the stars, textured night sky). . They might have been hand painted, but the differences are significant, imo.
 
16 More Posts...
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

Asturianucu

Christmas self-gift: Rescuing a 1956 Seamaster

Asturianucu Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
Asturianucu
Asturianucu
Posts
41
Views
7K
MtV

Omega Seamaster 14779 in SS with a brushed dial, ca. 1961 | serviced + bracelet options

MtV Private Watch Sales
qazwsx1
qazwsx1
Posts
7
Views
7K
MtV

First-gen Omega Constellation 2648 in 18k YG, cross-hair honeycomb dial, arrowhead indices, serviced

MtV Private Watch Sales
ketiljo
ketiljo
Posts
13
Views
7K
H

Just bought a constellation! I've been looking a long time

harroun Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
KingCrouchy
KingCrouchy
Posts
9
Views
988
aap

Seiko LM (Lord Matic) with a cool, blue dial!

aap Private Watch Sales
Foo2rama
Foo2rama
Posts
3
Views
10K
Pascal S

The Channel crosser: a Speedmaster’s tale

Pascal S Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
S
steversaurus
Posts
22
Views
8K