Thoughts about this Conny

t_kermi · Tues. 12:19pm

Hi, just bought this 168.005 Constellation from 1963 and thought to ask other people's opinions about authenticity and markings on the caseback. Watch comes from Japan.

I know the dial has some damage, but otherwise to me it seems like an honest specimen. But many here know much more than I. I think the dial condition was also counted in the price (1040 USD).

There's some dirt around the rim of the caseback, so closer inspection will tell if full service is in order. But the rotor bearing I alredy ordered, so slack there gets handled.

SOG53 · Tues. 8:46pm

Photos are really too poor to say much.
Since you have already bought it, not sure what questions you would like answered.
Do you have watch in hand?
Always good idea to plan service if you’re going to wear it.
And I would recommend that you leave sourcing of parts to an Omega certified watchmaker with Omega parts account, rather than trying to collect parts on your own.

dsio · Tues. 8:59pm

Case is a little polished but decently sharp, crown is a replacement, dial has a bit more patina than I would like at that price but not too bad, as @SOG53 mentioned above, you typically leave the parts sourcing to your watchmaker, they know what they're doing and will cover the parts installed under warranty if they source them while they won't do so for any you supply

reggie_v · Wed. 12:05am

I personally would’ve held off for a better example but this isn’t awful. I just wouldn’t be able to live with the dial issues. As dsio mentioned case has been polished but not too drastically. At the end of the day, an example you can wear everyday, enjoy and not have to worry about.

t_kermi · Wed. 12:20am

SOG53
Photos are really too poor to say much.
Since you have already bought it, not sure what questions you would like answered.
Do you have watch in hand?
Always good idea to plan service if you’re going to wear it.
And I would recommend that you leave sourcing of parts to an Omega certified watchmaker with Omega parts account, rather than trying to collect parts on your own.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, photos aren't mine since I don't yet have the watch. They aren't otherwise bad quality but lens was set to too wide aperture making DoF so narrow that most of the area is out of focus.

Like mentioned I was interested in knowing if someone has info about the markings on the caseback. The seller didn't know for sure and said that they are maybe just service markings. I was thinking if they might have been related to original seller or importer in Japan. Then I was interested in knowing if I had missed something obvious pointing out this being redial or some other way not original.

I only use two independent master watchmakers who aren't Omega certified and when a client knows what part is needed they prefer client sourcing the most difficult to get parts. This watch needs a rotor bearing (Omega part number 1429 for base cal. 550) which I could find in NOS condition from only one seller in the World. Part has long time ago stop being supported by Omega. So that's why I bought it directly myself.

t_kermi · Wed. 12:30am

dsio
Case is a little polished but decently sharp, crown is a replacement, dial has a bit more patina than I would like at that price but not too bad, as @SOG53 mentioned above, you typically leave the parts sourcing to your watchmaker, they know what they're doing and will cover the parts installed under warranty if they source them while they won't do so for any you supply

Thanks for your info! Good to know about the crown especially.

Seems my reply to SOG53 was held back and waiting for moderator approval, no idea why 😅. In any case in that I explained that the two independent watchmakers I use prefer a customer to source the most difficult to get parts (when a client knows what part is needed). This watch needs a rotor bearing (Omega part number 1429 for base cal. 550) which I could find in NOS condition from only one seller in the World. Part has long time ago stop being supported by Omega. So that's why I sourced it myself.

t_kermi · Wed. 12:36am

reggie_v
I personally would’ve held off for a better example but this isn’t awful. I just wouldn’t be able to live with the dial issues. As dsio mentioned case has been polished but not too drastically. At the end of the day, an example you can wear everyday, enjoy and not have to worry about.

Yep, I can see the dial condition being an issue for many. Like you suggested I was planning this to be not quite a beater watch but something I can wear without too much worry about it. Of course can't treat it as waterproof still.

t_kermi · Wed. 1:13am

Ah yeah, I think this kind of crown would be the original one, right?

reggie_v · Wed. 3:09am

t_kermi
Ah yeah, I think this kind of crown would be the original one, right?

That’s correct 😀

reggie_v · Wed. 3:09am

t_kermi
Yep, I can see the dial condition being an issue for many. Like you suggested I was planning this to be not quite a beater watch but something I can wear without too much worry about it. Of course can't treat it as waterproof still.

Makes sense! That’s the trouble. As these pie pans become more desirable a pristine example becomes more scary to wear! I know from first hand experience 😂

TexOmega · Wed. 7:29am

reggie_v
Makes sense! That’s the trouble. As these pie pans become more desirable a pristine example becomes more scary to wear! I know from first hand experience 😂

not a pie pan, you show a dome dial example in your pix

reggie_v · Wed. 7:31am

TexOmega
not a pie pan

Meant to say dog leg 🤦🏻 in my head I always think of them as one and the same which they’re quite obviously not!

Peemacgee · Wed. 7:36am

TexOmega
not a pie pan, you show a dome dial example in your pix

I'm sure this was just a slip of the keys but as @reggie_v says, it appears that the current cohort consider 'dogleg' to be synonymous with 'pie pan' because that is what is getting all the exposure on the net these days.
I do wish these same folks would take a closer interest the watches they are drooling over - but that would require a certain amount of effort and attention span.
(it does rather make my piss boil)

Archer · Wed. 9:44am

t_kermi
I only use two independent master watchmakers who aren't Omega certified and when a client knows what part is needed they prefer client sourcing the most difficult to get parts.

Sweet deal for them! Make the customer do your work...

t_kermi
This watch needs a rotor bearing (Omega part number 1429 for base cal. 550) which I could find in NOS condition from only one seller in the World. Part has long time ago stop being supported by Omega. So that's why I bought it directly myself.

Not sure what you are saying here, but to clarify Omega still sells parts, and they still support this caliber family completely. The rotor bearing (rotor pinion is the proper name) is still sold by Omega - I just bought some last week.

t_kermi · Wed. 3:07pm

reggie_v
That’s correct 😀

Thanks for verifying 👍🏻

t_kermi · Wed. 4:11pm

Archer
Sweet deal for them! Make the customer do your work...

Not sure what you are saying here, but to clarify Omega still sells parts, and they still support this caliber family completely. The rotor bearing (rotor pinion is the proper name) is still sold by Omega - I just bought some last week.

Ah, it must have been that I misunderstood then and the reason for unavailability from Omega was due to not being a certified Omega service.

Regarding making the customer to do the work, I'm happy to do it when my main watchmaker charges me 92 USD + tax from a full service (extra if mainspring or crystal needs changing).

Thoughts about this Conny

t_kermi

SOG53

dsio

reggie_v

t_kermi

t_kermi

t_kermi

t_kermi

reggie_v

reggie_v

TexOmega

reggie_v

Peemacgee

Archer

t_kermi

t_kermi

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