Hi there

I've got my eye on a restored 1950s Constellation Cross Hair dial with Rose Gold Capped case.

I know it's been restored but should I be asking to see some for of certificate of authenticity for this to ensure all the parts are legit or is this not possible given its been tampered with in restoration?

The dealer has said that his invoice would come with a lifetime guarantee on the authenticity but I'm not sure how he can claim this.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

 

"Restored" + "Authentic" =

 

No pictures = no help.

Plus, WTF does a "Lifetime guarantee on authenticity" mean? It's either authentic as it is, or it isn't. Parts aren't going to change themselves from OEM to aftermarket while the watch is on your wrist or in a box at your house.

 

Interesting screen name, BTW.

 

Thanks everyone for the responses to date. Here are some photos of the piece. I'm totally new to this so any thoughts on this much appreciated

 

There is really nothing special about this, to put it mildly. It's been redialled, which the seller openly states, and the case has been bulled up to within an inch of its life, both front and back. This wasn't hard to find on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1...218477?hash=item28251b00ad:g:c3gAAOSw44BYOEdfPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network. Obviously the seller is entitled to ask whatever he wants and imply that "restoration" is a good thing. Fine, as long as you're happy to say goodbye to £2.5K. The resale value of that watch is about a tenth of the asking price and you could find two, maybe even three better examples for the money.

 

Thanks for this. When you say the case has been "bulled" up what do you mean by this?

Essentially what I'm getting from you is this watch has been restored so much it's not worth buying unless he reduces the price significantly?

 

This to my mind is a much nicer example of the calibre 561: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-O...075995?hash=item237888a35b:g:HcUAAOSwnKFYRqOSPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network. It's stainless steel not gold cap so maybe not what you are looking for, but it all appears original apart from the crown (=winder) which as he says has been replaced, but the originals are not impossible to find. The dial looks original to me (but others here know more than I do and may say different) and the hands and markers are inlaid with onyx which IMO is a nice quality touch. The case has been polished but only mildly and is still quite decent. The back in particular looks unmolested as one would wish, plus it comes with a BOR (=beads of rice) bracelet that looks original, which adds about £75 to the value though one would have to check that it's long enough for the buyer's wrist. DON'T get it on my say-so but if you are interested, wait for others to chime in.

I have absolutely no connection with the seller and know nothing about them; I'm just pointing out that viable alternatives exist at a considerably lower price.

Just seen your above post. By bulled up I mean overpolished. For some reason an awful lot of posters here join to ask about a watch, get told all its faults yet still want to believe in it. Personally I wouldn't buy that watch full stop but I am a collector, this is a collectors' forum and you will get the collector point of view here. EDITED TO ADD: Sorry if this seems a bit harsh! Your average honest novice is often inclined to believe that shiny and very expensive = the best available, but sadly in the world of vintage watches that is far from true.

 

This is all useful to me. I'm not interested in believing in the watch because I like it. I don't want to be stitched up here. I already have a very old Omega dress watch that was my great grandfather's and I know the full history of it so for me this is important but I also realise I'm not going to have the luxury of knowing the history and quality of all the pieces that catch my eye.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

PM sent.

 

I wouldn't pay $3300 for a re-dialed, gold capped Connie.

There's (2) ways to look at this:

(1) if you had to turn around and sell this watch a week after you bought it, you might get 500 bucks. Might.

(2) you can find (w/ a little patience), a solid gold Connie in really good original condition for around the same price.

Good luck