Omega Constellation - buying my first vintage watch (cal551, 1962)

Hi guys,

After posting earlier about purchasing a cal1002 and - while I still absolutely love the look of the posted cal1002 - I feel that it may not be the best choice given that:
- There have not yet been any responses to the cal1002 posting. I can only assume this is because most would not consider it a collectible watch.
- I read Desmond's article on buying a family heirloom and love the idea! This adds to the necessity of having a more collectible watch with a more robust, highly regarded movement.

I still absolutely want a clean, somewhat modern look by getting a watch in a really good condition. I now came across a pie pan that I actually really like to look of!

Seller does mention the crystal is not original Omega so it doesn't have the nice little Omega logo in the center... Would that be seen as an issue?

Love to get your thoughts!

Asking price: 5.500 EUR
Seller: Swedish professional with 98% rating, mostly dealing in Omega vintage.
Details by seller:
Warranty: 1 year
Manufacturer: Omega
Model: Constellation
Winding: Automatic
Caliber: 551
Time deviation: +2s/day
Amplitude: 267
Frequence 19800
Diametre excluding crown: 34 mm
Height: 11 mm
Movement designation number: 19368884
Reference number: 167005/6
Jewels: 24
Strap: Black leather
Crystal: New glass in perfect condition, not Omega original
Crown: New crown in perfect condition, Omega original
Manufacturing year: 1962
Buckle: Gold on steel.
Dial: Perfect condition
Hands: Original in perfect condition
Index: Perfect condition
Case: 18 K yellow gold in perfect condition.
Service: Full-serviced by a Omega certified watchmaker 2023-01

For me this is much overpriced..at 5500 Euro you can buy a limited edition Moonwatch..

What would you say is a good price range for this model given that I want one in very good condition?

After a quick Chrono24 search for "Omega Moonwatch Limited Edition" I find those to be a minimum of 9-10k. There are a couple of cheap ones in the US but they also become 9-10k after import. I do love the Apollo 11 50th edition though, but that is something else entirely... 😀

Thank you for the price range! Good to have that in mind when negotiating. eBay may not be the right channel for me though, it seems there are very few Constellations offered within EU so I would have to pay another ~25% to import.

I agree that it is a nice watch but not ‘perfect’ as claimed.

Date-less doglegs do tend to carry a small premium ( especially as a dress watch) but the the case has some softening ( I would say due to use not polishing) and the dial is showing some signs of spotting.

neither of which would put me off buying the watch if I really wanted it.

Being serviced is a bonus but the current asking price is really quite outrageous.

Dealers have to make a living - At 3k it would be a pretty good deal, at 4K it would be heart over head -anymore and it’s just too much IMHO.

Got this message back. It is indeed one of the best looking Constellations on Chrono24 right now. However, I have no way of telling how often a really good condition Constellation - similar to this one - comes by.

Something else that came to mind: Do you feel prices in Europe are comparable to US?

Added more photos, but don't have any detailed shots from the side.

I can definitely wait a couple of months so that seems to be the sensible thing to do. Just hope that this watch doesn't sell too quickly at this price, as that would destroy my hopes of getting a similar example for less. 🙁

Good information! I am quite worried about making a mistake so I am more inclined to buy from a dealer. Might not be so much of an issue if an experienced forum member is willing to validate my purchase from a private seller I guess?

Are there any other websites you would recommend for buying vintage Omegas?

Doglegs are quite tricky to photograph and always look better in reality than pictures but for comparison @yann86, here is my gold dogleg.

notice the facets on the lugs and the crisp edge between the upper plane and slope of the bezel.

If the one you posted was a sharp as this then it would be worth pushing the boat out for (and by that I mean 4,000 of your precious Euros)

edit: the watch now has a correct 10 sided crown

So conclusion: don’t buy unless the seller would drop to 4k which would be unlikely. I would be happy to overpay a little, but if if 4k is the top end, then 5.5 (or even a round 5k) would not feel right.

Much appreciated everyone!

You definitely have a point there. What counts most at this stage is how long I would have to wait for a similar watch to come by. If I can save 1.500 EUR by waiting 2-3 months, that is a win (and potentially "free" entry-level fun watch on the side!). On the other hand, if I have to wait 1yr+ then I would rather shell out the extra cash today.