Omega Constellation 18K Cal 561 auction

albedo · Dec 3, 2023

Greetings!
I am a new member with little knowledge about vintage Omegas, but I am a quick learner. I am tempted to dive in the deep end by bidding on an auction for an Omega Constellation 18K with box and certification. The auction description says this is a cal. 561, ref 168.005, number 24438265. The auction photos, shown below, are very clear, but there are no photos of the inside. The current bidding is at $2,200. Please weigh in with your opinions about the condition, originality, price, etc. Thank you in advance.

TexOmega · Dec 3, 2023

Welcome

what has your research shown and what are your concerns after you compared with 10-20 known originals of this reference?

albedo · Dec 3, 2023

Hi TexOmega!

Thanks for your question. In a nutshell, I think the dial is too clean and new looking so perhaps it's a redial. Also, the case appears to be in scratch-free condition so perhaps it has been polished or even over polished. If there were photos of the inside then I could make further guesses. I am hoping that you and other experienced members can add some insight.

GuiltyGear · Dec 3, 2023

I'm far from an expert, so just my 2 cents.

The dial does look original to me. There's nothing that sticks out as repainted; from the text, to the track and applied logos. It does seem to have some signs of age; note the chip at 7 o clock, a bit of damage at the edges from 11 - 1 o clock, and some yellowing here and there. I would believe it should show the defects even more if it was underexposed a bit and the light source more at an angle.

The same applies to the case, as the overexposure tends to hide details. It does seem polished, but considering it's gold, it doesn't look overly done to me. The little dings and scratches would have bothered me though. Not sure how visible in person, but they are visible even with the photo zoomed out.

TexOmega · Dec 3, 2023

flag #1: Pictures are over- processed and manipulated for a reason and a no-go for me

And…..#2 so, what happens if the movement is a rust bucket or has corrosion? No pictures of the movement is a no go for me.

gamble if you wish and good luck

SOG53 · Dec 3, 2023

Your trip to the deep end may be costly and disappointing. Better to gain knowledge by sticking around and doing plenty of research.

Dan S · Dec 3, 2023

Looks pretty good. Lume is very dark in the hands, which detracts from the aesthetics. As noted above, the case is a little polished, but not too bad for 18k gold. The edges and chamfers are still visible. I actually see a lot of dings and scratches on the case, which is a sign that it hasn't been too aggressively polished.

If you want it, you will need to be prepared to bid substantially higher.

mac_omega · Dec 4, 2023

Dan S
Lume is very dark in the hands

IMHO there is no lume in the hands at all, its just black paint

Dan S · Dec 4, 2023

mac_omega
IMHO there is no lume in the hands at all, its just black paint

I thought that also, but wouldn't that be inconsistent with the lume in the markers? When I looked closely at the hands, I though I could see that they went from darker near the center to a little lighter near the ends, so I convinced myself that they were lumed.

gbesq · Dec 4, 2023

I'm going to go with original for the dial, but I too am bothered by the overexposed photos. The lack of a movement photo is a no go for me. Are there any service records? Also, is it just me or does the hour hand look a bit too short?

albedo · Dec 4, 2023

I am happy and humbled that my first post has received so many great responses. I truly appreciate your comments and evaluations and I'll try to respond respectfully.

As pointed out by TexOmega, gbesq and others, the photos are over-exposed so it's difficult to see everything in detail. I understand how important photos are absent a hands-on inspection. Today, I will request more accurate photos from the auction company. By the way, the auction ends in 6 days so I will post any new photos as soon as I get them.

The dial appears to be original per gbesq and GuiltyGear, again based on the over-exposed photos.
The hands lumen could, or could not, be good according to Dan S and mac_omega. I'll ask the auction company to test these somehow.
The case has been lightly polished, but it's still acceptable, per GuiltyGear and Dan S. Of course, better photos would help.

Lastly, and more importantly, you've made it clear that you need accurate photos of the movement. The auction company, who sells mostly art, furniture, glass/ceramics and antiques, says the watch is working good, but there is no guarantee after auction day. I will also request movement photos and post them for your review.

Noddyman · Dec 4, 2023

Those over exposed pictures are hiding a lot. If you look closely around the dial edge you can see many imperfections. The case is quite polished and the hands look to have black infill. Hopefully better pics will reveal all.

hoipolloi · Dec 4, 2023

A lumed dial going with 24 mil movement must have Swiss Made T going with it.
This dial may have been on a 20 mil movement before it was transferred here.

Why don't you wait for an onyx dial or a 18k gold dial with large onyx inserts?

If you want ones with date window, choose the one that has a small hour marker next to it.
Always looks better with it.

Peemacgee · Dec 4, 2023

hoipolloi
A lumed dial going with 24 mil movement must have Swiss Made T going with it.
This dial may have been on a 20 mil movement before it was transferred here

Good catch 👍

Nannini98 · Dec 4, 2023

A albedo
Greetings!
I am a new member with little knowledge about vintage Omegas, but I am a quick learner. I am tempted to dive in the deep end by bidding on an auction for an Omega Constellation 18K with box and certification. The auction description says this is a cal. 561, ref 168.005, number 24438265. The auction photos, shown below, are very clear, but there are no photos of the inside. The current bidding is at $2,200. Please weigh in with your opinions about the condition, originality, price, etc. Thank you in advance.

A bit overpolished to me, fortunately not the back. Consider that it was born with these edges.

albedo · Dec 10, 2023

Here is a quick update on the auction for this Omega Constellation 18K cal 561. The auction company never responded to my request for photos of the movement. The auction ended today with a hammer price and fees totaling $3,590. I decided to stay away - there are other fish in the ocean. Thanks again for your input!

Peemacgee · Dec 10, 2023

A albedo
Here is a quick update on the auction for this Omega Constellation 18K cal 561. The auction company never responded to my request for photos of the movement. The auction ended today with a hammer price and fees totaling $3,590. I decided to stay away - there are other fish in the ocean. Thanks again for your input!

This is truly outrageous for a put together watch with a soft case.

The auction winner obviously doesn’t read OF (and for their sake I hope they never do...)

Omega Constellation 18K Cal 561 auction

albedo

TexOmega

albedo

GuiltyGear

TexOmega

SOG53

Dan S

mac_omega

Dan S

gbesq

albedo

Noddyman

hoipolloi

Peemacgee

Nannini98

albedo

Peemacgee

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