Hi all,

Just joined this great site and straight away I wonder if I might ask for some advice on a watch advertised on Ebay?

It's a vintage constellation and would be the first decent watch that I've ever owned! I'm looking for something that I can wear everyday and I wondered what the opinion was on this one?

This is the item number on Ebay 331071013787 (sorry I don't know how to post a proper link!)

Could I ask if you thought it was genuine and if it looked like a good buy or could i do better for the £1000 budget I've allowed myself? Does this look like it has a pie pan dial??

Any help would be much appreciated!

Spike

 

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The experts will be along shortly, but no, it's not a pie pan and yes, you can do better IMHO.

 

Hi Spike - Welcome

Yes, its genuine, no its not a pie-pan and it has been refinished and not very well.

You can do much better for your £1000 budget.

Check the sales forum here and read this blog http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.com/ until you're blind.

Happy hunting.

 

Thanks Patrick, appreciate your reply.....

Hopefully I'll get some further feedback later.......

Regards

Spike.

 

Thanks guys! Wasn't expecting such quick replies!

Many thanks for the advice

 

You have a good budget that opens many doors, patience and research plus the assistance you will find here and you will end up with a really nice piece.

 

Agree with all of the previous. Personally (and I've yet to do so myself, but...) I'd take a look at the watches for sale (http://omegaforums.net/forums/watches-for-sale/) here first, before eBay. £1000 is okay money and I reckon you could get a better watch here than there, subject to the usual provisos, of course.

 

If you say what you're looking for (perhaps what attracted you about that particular watch) I'm sure you will get some suggestions. Black dialled Constellations are often a problem because the dials don't seem to age well and most are refinished.

As others have said you will generally get good quality watches at very fair prices in the for sale section on this forum - I doubt a seller would get away with misrepresenting a watch on here!

 

That's great advice, thank you all very much for your input, I'll pass on that one then!

I THINK I want (!) a nice vintage constellation in silver with a pie pan dial and hopefully with an original stainless steel strap.

I'm open to options on the dial colour but always thought the black with the silver strap looked rather nice! Appreciate that would be harder to come by because of the dials mostly having been refinished so not sticking to that as I would prefer it to be as original as possible.

Hadn't thought about looking on a 'for sale section' on here but I certainly will now.......

If anyone does notice something that they consider might be a good buy could they point me in that generally direction!

Open to other suggestions as well but being quite 'small wristed' it'a no good me looking for any monster watches!

Once again many thanks.

Spike

 

All very very nice.......

This is where I make myself look very stupid by asking what the 168.005 code relates to?

 

It's the case number. Sometimes written as 168.0005 as Omega added an extra digit. 167.005 is the same style but without the date. The date version should have a 561 or 564 calibre (564 has a 'quick' date set) and the non-date has a 551. Read the Omega Constellation blog linked above for everything you ever wanted to know and much more, but when you find one you like post here because there are a lot of fakes and frankenwatches (a watch made up of parts from different watches) around, and nobody here wants you to buy one of those.

 

Yes everyone here was very helpful and it took me about 3 weeks to find a good one its not the easyist task but worth it! Good luck on your search

 

Yes, thanks very much again to all that have taken the time and trouble to post.

If only I new what a 'good one' was.......prepare yourselves for more advice!

Regards

Spike

 

I also have smaller wrists, but watches in the 1950s and 60s were generally smaller and so you shouldn't have too much of an issue there. And there is a section here for recommended watches on eBay; 'course that goes against my earlier advice, but still. You'll notice, though, that most of the action there seems focussed on Speedmasters and chronograph type watches, which will probably be too big, too expensive and maybe (dare I say it?) too brash for your tastes. Bet Kyle's posting is amazing, comprehensive and will certainly give you some inspiration - it did me. Thanks Kyle.

As to what is a good one, one point I'd make is to repeat what Roland Ranfft always says about buying a used watch (and many others, too, but you may as well know about Ranfft sooner rather than later http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&a&2uswk - fantastic resource for details about all watch movements, good advice there, too): always, always, always make sure you see a movement shot. Not for nerdy reasons, but to evaluate what kind of condition the works are in, to see (roughly) how well the watch has been maintained. Movement should be clean, no rust, no gunk or detritus.

 

Hi guys,

Following on from my recent posts I happened across this site based in the north of England and wondered if anyone had any knowledge or dealings with them?

http://www.vintage-watches-collection.com/watches/omega-watch/

Although nothing advertised in the vintage Omega range actually falls into what I was initially looking for, there certainly seems to be a number of interesting watches for sale at what seem to be (for a complete novice like myself) at 'reasonable' prices?

Do you think purchasing from somewhere like this would be advisable or will I always be paying well over the odds assuming of course there was something available that I wanted?

How does this place look to the experienced eye for stock, price, condition etc?

Sorry for the waffle......thanks for any advice!

Spike

 

I believe that they stopped updating their website some time ago. At least two of their Omegas shown have been owned by a friend of mine for the last 9 months and one of their Zeniths has been sold by them and then sold again by the buyer about 6 months ago.

According to my friend, you have to speak to them about what they actually have and they will email you details of anything in which you are interested.

Finally, they are not shy with their prices.

 

Thanks for the info Stewart.

Regards

Spike