Reality check for first time pie pan seeker (long)

I recently had and then lost the chance to buy a relatively inexpensive vintage Constellation. Now I have the bug and want to do my best to acquire the right one. I am not a collector, though I have about a half dozen nice watches (including a co-axial Seamaster). I want a beautiful vintage Omega to occasionally wear and preserve, not flip. And possibly hand down to my son at the appropriate time. I would welcome comments on the following considerations as I evaluate candidate watches, and if you think my budget is realistic. Here is my criteria.

Must haves:
561 calibre chronometer
pie pan dial, gold markers
gold clad
original dial
Shiny (I understand the revulsion around here to over polishing, but I am a little less sensitive to that. I want a gorgeous original watch on my wrist - patina is great on the dial, but I want the metal to look good.)

Nice to haves, tied to my tastes:
"Officially Certified" on dial
No cross hairs
Proper "edged" crown - need not be original

Budget: Originally $1,000. I have since taken to heart the advice given on this forum to "buy the best you can possibly afford", so I have bumped that to around $1,600.

Advice for sourcing the right watch: I work at a University located in the wilderness of upstate New York no dealers nearby. Rochester and Syracuse are within driving distance, but I believe the internet is the most likely source for the right piece. I have studied this forum and other sources so I am beginning to recognize obvious fakes and redials, but there appear to be some pretty good ones out there. I have been monitoring the For Sale area of this forum but so far everything meeting my criteria way exceeds my budget.

So, questions: Are my criteria reasonable? Is my budget around the right number? Am I looking in the right places?

Thanks in advance from a newbie!

Chris

Hi Chris.

First, your parameters are very doable, especially within your new higher budget. You won't find many gold arrowhead markers with the caliber 561, but the stick ones with black onyx or black paint on top are relatively plentiful. Not having cross hairs ups your chance of scoring a decent specimen since cross hairs seem to the most desired.

Second, the internet is going to offer TONS more options than local places..... but NEVER give up on brick & mortars, particularly old watchmaker's shops. Some of us have fished total gems from local sources (paging @gatorcpa). If there's any doubt about an internet watch you can ask here.

Third, everything is negotiable. 😉 A gold clad case (gold capped is the term) pie pan is the least sought after so it should be the least expensive. In recent times I've helped members score both gold capped and stainless steel examples for under $1300 - some under $1100.

Fourth, the decagon crown is what you want - and there are replacement modern ones available, although they're thicker than the originals. Not a bad thing because they're easier to operate.

Last - "shiny" isn't necessarily bad; it's the stigma of over-polishing and dulled edges that goes along with it that turn most collectors off. As long as "crisp" is in the equation, you should be fine.

Good luck in your hunt! 👍

EDIT: Don't forget to leave about $250 for servicing and any necessary parts (i.e.: new crystal).

Sounds very do-able. Compromises will be needed though if you want arrow-head markers on a cal 561. The combination of cal 561 and arrowheads came in the 14903 where Officially Certified was not present on the dial but cross hairs generally were, as exampled below, whereas the 168.005 featured the 'updated' dial. These are uncommon pieces and there is a premium to be paid for that combination.


Good luck in your search.

Cheers

Desmond

Many thanks to all for your kind responses. I will let you know how it goes!