Hello all,
I have always been an Omega fan. My Dad gave me my first and his old Omega when I was a young boy, right after I had just lost another watch he had given to me on a school outing.
Dad is an Omega man. I guess his air-force background has something to do with it - he almost made it through fighter pilot school but was withdrawn just a couple of short months before the course ended. My mother (they were already together at the time) said it was quite a shock having him showing up in olive drab one day...
His Seamaster was replaced by a new Speedmaster (Reduced) a few years ago, a gift from my mother. I don't think he takes it off really.
I don't remember much about that first Omega I had on loan from my dad, I vaguely remember a blue dial. Dad says its in a box somewhere, and I must ask him to dig it out sometime.
As I grew up in the eighties, after that Omega came a slew of Casio's, calculator watches, G-Shocks etc'. I remember a radio watch as well.
Later, a host of Swatches and a Fossil which I really liked.
For my 30th birthday it was decided I should get a proper watch. I would have bought an Omega, but a new one was seriously out of budget and I was not aware or considered the possibility of second-hand.
I bought a Seiko Kinetic Auto-Relay. I loved the design and the technology and have worn it faithfully every day since.
Other than browsing through Omega's web-site from time to time, I had no expectation of being able to get any closer to "My Omega" anytime soon. They remained out of reach and an unjustified expense when bringing up two daughters and nursing an old Saab 9-3 through its middle-age (another passion).
The Omega story picks up a few months ago, when I read an article about the watches on "Mad Men", a favourite show of mine these past few years. Don Draper's black-dialed crosshair Seamaster De Ville really caught my attention. I looked for one on e-bay and noticed a seller who keeps churning them out - they are of course redialed, but rather well. He puts out some fine examples, and some not so. The good ones seemed too expensive, and so I looked for alternative vintage Omega. I spent a month looking at all sorts of black dial vintage Omegas - Seamaster Calendars, Seamaster 600, Seamaster Geneve, Constellations - if it was with a black dial it was on my list.
One Constellation "C" caught my eye, and at one point when my resolve failed I negotiated its price and bought it.
Although it was, to my eye, very nice, I was aware of its fairly described redialed status (good, but not very good). Then, as I delved just a little deeper into vintage Omega lore, I started to notice other faults. The case back did not have the correct reference. The second hand did not reach the minute markers. The redial was really not very good. I decided that once it arrived I would send it back, as per the seller's terms.
Meanwhile I decided to steer clear from 60's and 70's watches. I saw that the Dynamic Chronograph was affordable and I liked its retro look. I looked for one that was pristine, with papers and box, and found what I was looking for from a German dealer on Chrono-24. It was bought, paid for and arrived even before the soon to be returned Constellation.
I love it.
The constellation arrived and was shipped back a couple of days later. That same day I visited my in-laws. My wife had pointed out my new watch, and my father in law said that he has a old Omega lying around somewhere and disappeared to go look for it.
You will see from the pictures why I was very much surprised when he brought it out. Sporting a "Brick" bracelet instead of a black leather strap, it was almost identical to the Connie I had just shipped back. No day, just date and an older calibre that the 751 I had bought - but all in original condition and surely no redial!
I was very grateful to be gifted this watch, so now with two Omega's I have reached "Collector" status (albeit a newbee).
Bitten by the Omega Bug I had just today sealed the deal on a Speedmaster MK40 w/papers and box.
The bug will now have to rest for a good while.
Moonwatch and/or Seamaster 300 next, perhaps, sometime ....

 

Oh... can anyone tell me if it possible that the white second hand on my father-inlaw's Connie is as installed by Omega? Or maybe a replacement when (and if) it was serviced?
Thanks!

 

I thought the hands didn't look quite right and it probably did go through a service (the crystal doesn't have the Omega sign, and I guess it should have were it the original).

I expect that sometime I will be sending it in for a service at Omega, and they could probably replace the hands to more authentic ones.

Love my Saab! Although its my first it is sad that it will probably be my last (its a 1998 and I have had it for 10 years now - hoping it will hang on for another 10).

Shame on GM indeed.

 

Good advice, thanks.
I don't know the exact reference and calibre of this Connie.
The date is not a quick set and there is no second hack, so it's an earlier calibre, perhaps the 561?
I may try to scource the right hands on my own when the time comes.
Anyway I'll certainly take advantage of the knowledge of the good folk here before doing anything.

 

Thanks again!

 

Yes I saw it too.
My father in law said that the watch has never been serviced, so in all probability the hands are original.