Thoughts on Rarely Seen Red Leather Omega Constellation Box?

[rshroff]

Dear Respectable Members,

I would like to share a few images of a rarely seen red leather Omega Constellation box. I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide your thoughts on this specific style and suggest which period or model of Constellation would go well with this box. The inner lid is adorned with gold lettering in red suede, displaying the words "OMEGA AUTOMATIC CHRONOMETER," "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED," and "CONSTELLATION."

Moreover, I would like to extend a special request to our esteemed members. If any of you possess the same or a remarkably similar style, I would be be absolutely delighted if you could share some pictures. This would provide us with an opportunity to explore different variations of this lovely piece.

 

[OMTOM]

This box is truly a great find and you are absolutely right in describing it as "rarely seen." Its design and style suggest a time period from the 1950s era. I'm sure that there must be other members of our forum will also have valuable insights to share on this intriguing piece.

 

[gatorcpa]

I have a couple of old pictures of a similar box that I took off eBay:





Note that I do not own this box. I agree with @OMTOM that this box is very early, maybe 1952-55 or so.
gatorcpa

 

[ahartfie]

Nothing about this jibes right with me. The fonts are weird and the star is crooked.

For comparison, here is a period advertisement. Notice the ligature on the final n in Constellation. I don’t think they changed the script style.

Edited: Mar 6, 2024

 

[OMTOM]

I am not an Omega box expert! I like the (older) boxes and possess quite a few – but I am not a specialist on these Constellation boxes. Maybe an expert will come along to give us the facts.

I think the interesting thing is the comparison between the OP’s box and that of @gatorcpa – I could believe that they are from the same period, the same style. The points raised by @ahartfie (which I can understand) are the same on both examples. The star appears just as crooked on both of those boxes.

The box shown by @ahartfie is a later box (as he writes). The Constellation has a history spanning many years – it is not a surprise that the boxes changed. Indeed it is likely that the boxes were outsourced – and there may even be a difference of manufacturer.

Looking at the two scripts (from OP and from @ahartfie), there is indeed a difference (a considerable difference). And the quality of the later box seems to be better – but there’s no surprise in that.

If @ahartfie is suggesting that the first two boxes are fakes, it would seem that they come from the same source – quite a coincidence to find two matching fakes. In my opinion, I think both of the first two boxes (and of course the third!) are genuine and are early Omega Constellation boxes.





Almost all the letters on the later box shown by @ahartfie (starting with the 'C'!) are different. No surprise there.
Indeed, the ‘C’ on the first two boxes corresponds with the ‘C’ in his period advertisement – but the ‘C’ on his (later) box doesn’t correspond – no surprise there either.
In fact, if @ahartfie could give us the date of his period advertisment, it might help to date the first two boxes. They clearly DID change the font after that.

Edited: Mar 6, 2024

 

[OMTOM]

I add as a footnote (an edit to my original post) that @ahartfie showed in his original post an image of a later Constellation box – and it is that (later) box that I included in my comparison images. For some reason, @ahartfie chose to remove the image of that later box (which is quite different) and instead inserted the period advertisement (which is itself of interest but in my opinion does not throw any doubt on the first two boxes shown in the thread – by the OP and @gatorcpa).

It is also of note that the print quality of the period advertisement is better than on the two boxes – but that is presumably because the printing on soft material will not be so easy.

 

[ahartfie]

OMTOM

I add as a footnote (an edit to my original post) that @ahartfie showed in his original post an image of a later Constellation box – and it is that (later) box that I included in my comparison images. For some reason, @ahartfie chose to remove the image of that later box (which is quite different) and instead inserted the period advertisement (which is itself of interest but in my opinion does not throw any doubt on the first two boxes shown in the thread – by the OP and @gatorcpa).
It is also of note that the print quality of the period advertisement is better than on the two boxes – but that is presumably because the printing on soft material will not be so easy.

I took the box photo out because it’s from my 1970 TCL square Connie and I knew the red box was from the 50s. Sorry for any confusion. I hope these two images help.

 

[styggpyggeno1]

I believe there are a lot of different Constellation boxes. Different eras, markets and Constellation versions. Plus different makers.

Here are 14 year old, bad, pics of a box I own.

 

[Dero13]

Attached are images (not my box) of a complete Omega Constellation box set from the early 1960s for your review.. The striking resemblance in the gold lettering, script, spacing, and even the "OMEGA" symbol on the outer cardboard lid cover compared to the box under discussion strongly suggests a shared manufacturer. This significant finding should effectively address @ahartfie's concerns and put them to rest.

I echo @styggpyggeno1's astute observation that there were multiple makers producing a variety of Constellation boxes across different eras and markets, resulting in a myriad of unique and distinctive variations. The scarcity of the OP's box enhances its desirability and positions it as a sought-after collector's item due to its infrequent presence.