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Omega Constellation 14393 2 SC

A
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Hello, this is my second post here. I've been interested in Omega for more than 20 years, but only in a rather passive way - I have four watches dating from the 1940s through to the early 60s including a couple of Constellations.

I spotted the following on eBay and recognised that the dial doesn't match the case number - maybe a replacement dial or the back isn't original to the case? The movement seems right for the case style, although there's something not right about that rotor.

I've not been able to find any information as to what the case codes actually mean. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks, David
Edited:
 
1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg
cristos71
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Wow, that's had some hard life! 😲

Looks like a 14381 with the wrong case back
 
A
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Thanks. That was my thought. Is there a list of case numbers somewhere? - I can only find records for the post 62 case numbers.
 
Peemacgee
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From the damage to the leading edges of the rotor and the corresponding ring in the caseback, the wrong caseback has been on there for sometime.

Wrong (plain) hands for the lumed indices dial too.
 
MtV
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
From the damage to the leading edges of the rotor and the corresponding ring in the caseback, the wrong caseback has been on there for sometime.

Wrong (plain) hands for the lumed indices dial too.

Fully agree regarding the condition, but 14393 and 14381 cases should be identical, so I assume the rotor rub isn’t due to that but caused by another problem, faulty rotor bearing for example.
 
Peemacgee
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MtV MtV
Fully agree regarding the condition, but 14393 and 14381 cases should be identical, so I assume the rotor rub isn’t due to that but caused by another problem, faulty rotor bearing for example.

I should have been more clear.
I don't mean the rubbing is caused by the wrong case back.
I meant the rubbing on the case back looks like it was caused by that rotor - so they must have been together for a while while being used.
 
cristos71
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
Wrong (plain) hands for the lumed indices dial too.

Could be onyx, it looks to me like it has fallen out of the one 'o clock marker.
 
Peemacgee
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cristos71 cristos71
Could be onyx, it looks to me like it has fallen out of the one 'o clock marker.

That’s what I thought at first when I saw the colour of the insert and the naked 1 index but the chamfered indices usually means lume.
-and I would expect a black insert in the hands of onyx on these references.
 
cristos71
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
That’s what I thought at first when I saw the colour of the insert and the naked 1 index but the chamfered indices usually means lume.
-and I would expect a black insert in the hands of onyx on these references.

Agreed about the hands, but I've been looking through some of my old pictures and this 14381 is what I had in mind when I posted regarding the onyx inserts. These are of course gold, but both chamfered and onyx.

006.JPG
 
Peemacgee
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cristos71 cristos71
Agreed about the hands, but I've been looking through some of my old pictures and this 14381 is what I had in mind when I posted regarding the onyx inserts. These are of course gold, but both chamfered and onyx.

006.JPG

you’ve no idea how much seeing that watch pains me ( I think it’s fabulous) but I meant chamfered ends (rather than sides) which is usually reserved for lume
 
cristos71
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
you’ve no idea how much seeing that watch pains me ( I think it’s fabulous) but I meant chamfered ends (rather than sides) which is usually reserved for lume

Ah, now I see what you mean, I hadn't noticed that before 👍
 
aprax
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cristos71 cristos71
Agreed about the hands, but I've been looking through some of my old pictures and this 14381 is what I had in mind when I posted regarding the onyx inserts. These are of course gold, but both chamfered and onyx.

Could you somehow ascertain that those hands have onyx inserts? Your watch is absolutely brilliant and comes with onyx marker inserts and no doubt with original hands. My question is whether we can be certain that hands with onyx inserts were ever produced/fitted by Omega.

I don't know one way or the other. My impression is, and I may be wrong, that onyx dials either go with solid hands without insert or, if they have inserts, with black lacquer inserts. This is not based on any hard proof, only on my observation that all black hand inserts I have seen up to now (including yours based on that pic) do not protrude at all but seem to form a slight pit as lacquer or paint would.
 
Peemacgee
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aprax aprax
Could you somehow ascertain that those hands have onyx inserts? Your watch is absolutely brilliant and comes with onyx marker inserts and no doubt with original hands. My question is whether we can be certain that hands with onyx inserts were ever produced/fitted by Omega.

I don't know one way or the other. My impression is, and I may be wrong, that onyx dials either go with solid hands without insert or, if they have inserts, with black lacquer inserts. This is not based on any hard proof, only on my observation that all black hand inserts I have seen up to now (including yours based on that pic) do not protrude at all but seem to form a slight pit as lacquer or paint would.

the hands have black painted inserts not onyx.
@cristos71 was referring to the indices.
Dials with onyx insert indices usually have black insert hands.
 
aprax
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
the hands have black painted inserts not onyx.
@cristos71 was referring to the indices.
Dials with onyx insert indices usually have black insert hands.
Yes, I misunderstood @cristos71 , should have read his post more carefully.
He was however replying to your post, where you said:
-and I would expect a black insert in the hands of onyx on these references.
So are we in agreement then that there are no examples of hands with inserts of onyx?
 
Peemacgee
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aprax aprax
Yes, I misunderstood @cristos71 , should have read his post more carefully.
He was however replying to your post, where you said:

So are we in agreement then that there are no examples of hands with inserts of onyx?

touché - My language was somewhat clipped in my response and could have been confusing.

yes, we can agree that the black inserts in Constellation hands are some kind of paint or lacquer but not onyx.
 
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