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Need help on a vintage constellation

Tom Dick
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Alfred

All look OK but the first two seem expensive and the third one looks quite polished (from my quick cursory look)
 
Vitezi
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If you love vintage Constellations, you'll serve yourself well to spend time at this site before buying anything:
http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.com/

Start with these essays, many of which are in PDF form so you can download them and read them offline:
Why on Earth Would You Buy a Vintage Omega Constellation ?
What Makes an Omega Chronometer Special?
About Collecting Omega Constellations
THE NEOPHYTES LIST OF ON-LINE VINTAGE WATCH AUCTION DOS AND DON’TS
Edited:
 
Peemacgee
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First of all welcome @Alfred S.
There are quite a few of us who share your love of Constellations.

I must say at the outset that the first two are crazy prices.

.010
Can't tell the condition of the 0.10 due to the over exposed lighting
Nice dial
But description says case refinished to Omega specs.
So I'd be careful
Should say 19mm lug not 18mm
Replacement crown

The dogleg
pretty good case for a gold cap
But a 1969 561 ? - not very likely
Why blank the case style and cal?
Rotor rub
Something up with the crystal - not seen a chunky omega symbol like that on a genuine Omega crystal.

.004
Definitely over polished case
Replacement rotor
Rotor rub
Incorrect Replacement crown
Also way too expensive given the case condition


Stick around and pick up some information from the forum it will serve you well in the end.
 
Ashmoret
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A Alfred S.
Hi,

I somehow fell in love with the vintage constellations. I'm not a pro at all. I just like the look.
Would appreciate your help - can you share your opinion on these watches?

https://www.chrono24.com/omega/vintage-constellation--pie-pan-dial--steel--1967--id6094388.htm

https://www.chrono24.com/omega/constellation-ref-168005--id5901550.htm

https://www.chrono24.com/omega/constellation-ref-168004--id6415404.htm

Thanks

Alfred
I echo the price comments
 
A
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Thanks Peemacgee. Very helpful but a bit frustrating as well ;-)

I've no clue how I shall ever find an authentic one. I'm willed to spend some money. No need to be super cheap - but I'd love something authentic. I love the looks of the dog leg.

How do you do this? How can you tell a replacement crown etc. What do you mean when posting "rotor hub"?

any recommendation on where/how to source a constellation without the need to get a PHD in omega watches? ;-)

Thx
Alfred
 
Peemacgee
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A Alfred S.
Thanks Peemacgee. Very helpful but a bit frustrating as well ;-)

I've no clue how I shall ever find an authentic one. I'm willed to spend some money. No need to be super cheap - but I'd love something authentic. I love the looks of the dog leg.

How do you do this? How can you tell a replacement crown etc. What do you mean when posting "rotor hub"?

any recommendation on where/how to source a constellation without the need to get a PHD in omega watches? ;-)

Thx
Alfred

Hi Alfred

the watches you posted are authentic but have some potential issues

there are quite a number of Connie styles - you posted three different styles (although 1 and 3 are very similar to be fair) so my advice would be to fix on the type you like most and try to learn as much as you can about that one style.
the link @Vitezi posted is definitely the best place to start.
also look at the constellation show and tell thread - its a great resource for different case and dial styles

some correct crowns are no longer available -so a number have replacement crowns - which is acceptable as long as you know
with a bit of patience and research you'll soon learn which is which (and which are plain wrong)

rotor rub is where the rotor has been rubbing on the case back - identified by scuffing on the upper edge of the rotor and a circular mark on the case back.
very common and not a huge issue and can be usually fixed by a service -but it does need to be fixed
(you should factor a service into your budget anyway)

it's okay to overpay for a watch you can't live without but there is overpaying and overpaying
however, you already did the right thing by coming here before spending your money

as noted above, keep looking at the sales forum on OF - nice Connies do pop up from time to time - but the best ones frequently disappear again as soon as they are advertised

best of luck in your hunt - and post any targets you might be interested in
 
ConElPueblo
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
Hi Alfred

the watches you posted are authentic but have some potential issues

there are quite a number of Connie styles - you posted three different styles (although 1 and 3 are very similar to be fair) so my advice would be to fix on the type you like most and try to learn as much as you can about that one style.
the link @Vitezi posted is definitely the best place to start.
also look at the constellation show and tell thread - its a great resource for different case and dial styles

some correct crowns are no longer available -so a number have replacement crowns - which is acceptable as long as you know
with a bit of patience and research you'll soon learn which is which (and which are plain wrong)

rotor rub is where the rotor has been rubbing on the case back - identified by scuffing on the upper edge of the rotor and a circular mark on the case back.
very common and not a huge issue and can be usually fixed by a service -but it does need to be fixed
(you should factor a service into your budget anyway)

it's okay to overpay for a watch you can't live without but there is overpaying and overpaying
however, you already did the right thing by coming here before spending your money

as noted above, keep looking at the sales forum on OF - nice Connies do pop up from time to time - but the best ones frequently disappear again as soon as they are advertised

best of luck in your hunt - and post any targets you might be interested in

These are the best pieces of advice you'll get re. collecting vintage watches.

Remember that Constellations aren't rarely found for sale - only a very few of the references are truly rare while some are uncommon. Set yourself a budget and a target, but only after learning how much is a fair price for the reference you are seeking out. It is no hard task getting the best Constellation collection in the world if you're willing to spend obscene amounts of money on it, but wouldn't you rather spend a fraction of that and in turn really get to know your stuff? I call it "swapping time for money" and it is what pretty much all collectors do.

If you dare, go to the search facility, write "Constellation" in the search window, mark the "Vintage Omega Watches" subforum and the "Search Titles Only" and then start from the earliest threads here...
 
A
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Thanks again.
I'm trying to learn based on your comments.

Regarding the .010

I'm only finding descriptions for
168.0001
vs.
168.001

here

https://www.omegawatches.com/planet-omega/heritage/vintage/

Is this a way to check?
I thought I did run into an official omega site where you can search for case number... can't find it anymore.

Regarding the looks. I like this type the most.
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/constellation-ref-168005--id5901550.htm

like the lugs and the crown. I'm a bit material / color agnostic. Like steel as well as gold.

Best

Alfred
 
Peemacgee
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Okay - my fault for using shorthand
I meant 168.010, this and the 168.004 are known as hidden crown Constellations
There is a 168.001 - this is known as a jumbo Connie
The one you like is the classic dog leg
14900, 14902, 167.005, 168.005
Omega changed their numbering system in the early 60s
Same style no date/date respectively
They come in pie pan and dome dial

Feed those referenced into google and see what you find
 
mikechi22
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I think the thing that gave me the biggest pause after dabbling in auctions was Desmond's blog post indicating that the most faked Constellations are the dog-leg ones that you (and I!) both like. He said that gold ones were the first target for counterfeiters but then they followed suit with the steel ones. I'm guessing if you are buying from a dealer and at those prices, you should be safe though! As far as the diligence you need to do, I'm hardly an expert, but I think you have to do a correlation between the movement and the serial number, then go to Omega Heritage site and/or Nagliazone to see if the case being sold really housed the movement you're seeing. I've found that the numbers in one reference source are sometime "close" but not exactly what you see before you. My sense is that sometimes this might be good enough.

I ended up in a cold sweat when I bought a 168.005 recently. Thankfully I spent very little on it as it was in pretty bad shape. Based on research at the above sites, it seemed like my 561 cal serial number was too old to be housed in that case. After further digging in Desmond's site, I found that my watch was probably toward the end of the run of 561s in that case. Kind souls on here chimed in that they had a watch with a higher serial in the same case, so in the end, I breathed a sigh of relief! I think the peril here is part of what's invigorating about the hunt for an old watch! Sure, you could go to Omega Boutique and be 100% sure what you're getting is legit, but where's the thrill in that?!?! I just had my fixer upper serviced, cleaned and am eager to get it back. All in, I will have spent 20% of what those dealers are asking, which I think will give my watch extra meaning when I have it on! Blood, sweat and tears in that purchase!
 
ConElPueblo
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mikechi22 mikechi22
Sure, you could go to Omega Boutique and be 100% sure what you're getting is legit, but where's the thrill in that?!?!

I'm highly doubtful of that... Posting here is a better option 😉
 
mikechi22
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ConElPueblo ConElPueblo
I'm highly doubtful of that... Posting here is a better option 😉
Ohhh...misspoke. I meant in reference to just spending the cash on something brand new.
 
isaacg
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https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-constellations-show-and-tell.19186/

As a fellow newbie who is interested in purchasing a Constellation I have found the thread above to be extremely helpful for getting a feel for what great examples of Constellations should look like. Although I am far from having the confidence to make my own purchase any time soon, I feel like I am learning a lot quickly just by doing some research, and there are tons of amazing resources on this forum and around the web. Also, as far as I can tell, the people on this forum are very helpful and incredibly knowledgable--so long as you don't post something in the wrong place or pretend to know something you don't.

Its been very fun just soaking in all the information I can!
 
Peemacgee
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Hi Alfred

Pics are preferred to links

Having done your research now - tell us what you think about each of the watches you posted links to.
 
Edward53
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No 1 - seller plainly states refinished dial so only worth parts value to a collector.
No 2 - might be ok, can't see from those photos but staggeringly expensive even if mint as described.
Alfred, you are nowhere near ready to be released into the wild! Best stay away from chrono24 and spend some quality time looking at Constellations on here.
 
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