Hello everyone, I've been lurking here for a few weeks now after stumbling across this forum while researching a recent acquisition of mine. My compliments to the members and the shared knowledge here, really outstanding and I learnt a lot in a very short space of time regarding the Constellation in question. About myself, I've always had an interest in watches ever since I can remember, but I think the catalyst was in the late 70s when, after much long and hard deliberation thumbing the Grattans catalogue, I received a gold plated multi function digital watch for my birthday which played "The yellow roses of Texas" as a wake up alarm, had a back light for under my quilt at night, and to top it all off, a 1/100 second split chronograph function to time anything and everything that could possibly go on in the mind of a eight year old! Between then and 2003 there came and went many, many "normal" watches, none of which would be deemed as relevant or interesting in the great WIS scheme of things but for me as an unenlightened young boy/teenager/man they always had what I wanted: design and functionality. Sadly, due to reliability issues none of them are with me today. I think 99% of the time it was water ingress which was to deal the final and fatal blow. Looking back on all those steamed up crystals and flooded cases almost brings a nostalgic tear to my eye, but that of course is due to the rose tinted glasses of a vague and distant memory! In 2003 I was again watch less and decided a vintage watch was the way to go, I found on Ebay a very nice gold-filled Lord Elgin from the 40s or 50s, it came, I loved it, but it was a bit too small...... first WIS lesson learned: always ask case diameter (second lesson is of course: measured without the crown!) Within a couple of months I started to look for another vintage alternative and soon "won" a nice old Omega manual wind from the 50s. This one a great size at around 37mm but due to the poor pictures on Ebay the heavily faded printing on one half of the dial had been disguised by shadows and I had not picked up on it......so, after a short while, I started (again) to look for a vintage alternative.... And so it started....1940s, 50s and 60s dress watches from many manufacturers in the beginning, to my collection today which is mainly vintage Omega with a few other little side lines going on for added interest. Enough talk, here's a couple of pictures. Regards, Chris.
Hi Cris, welcome to ΩF. We need some detailed pics of the Vader & Skywalker! .... and if you don't mind, I'd like to see more of the AOPA Navitimer.
Chris, nice collection you have there! BTW, duplicates are not allowed, please contact me as I will be able to correct the duplicate problem you have with those SM 300s welcome!
Here they are together, I found both watches locally, the Anakin at a watch fair and the Darth I bought from a garage owner who had received the watch as payment for a couple of new tyres and an oil and filter change on a Ford Scorpio many years ago. He had worn the watch for a couple of years and then put it in a sock in his shed and forgot about it, 15 years later he then remembered it and decided to sell it amongst other things to raise some cash to renovate his bathroom, luckily I saw the advert for a Seamaster and managed to close a nice deal. And the AOPA together with a '68 Transitional. The AOPA has a very faded dial but I quite like it like that as I have enough watches in pristine condition. Regards Chris
Awesome watches and awesome watches Chris, I love those big 70s chronographs, if you're ever considering selling Anakin or Darth please let me know What are your dress pieces like?
Thanks for the compliments! I'm not much of a seller I'm afraid, a lot of these pieces have taken a long, long time to find and I don't get bored with them easily, and as we all now trying to replace them would prove very difficult I think. With regard my dress watches, I still have most of them including the original Elgin, various Longines, a couple of Baumatics, Seamasters and a few Constellations, Chronograph Suisse, etc, etc. I know there are some very serious Constellation collectors here, so I'd better show one of my nicer Constellations! This one a 168.010 with its original 14kt Milanese bracelet. Best, Chris
We have a Longines forum and a handful of brand enthusiasts that would enjoy seeing them. Me being one of them.