Looking for thoughts on this Constellation. Dial looks original to me but with some spotting which I don't mind. Crown is original. 18 million serial number seems to match case ref. no 14393 and cal. 561. Other than what looks like case polishing are there any glaring issues with this watch? It's being sold by Omega Addict asking USD 1350. I appreciate any input! Thanks!
Any other thoughts? I’ve been looking to buy a pie pan Constellation for a while now but am relatively new to the hobby. I appreciate your time!
The case looks really polished to me and several markers have already faded. Hands too. IMO the price is not bad for a serviced Connie, but you can find one in better condition
My concern is the hands, original hands are faceted and have longer cuts (for lume or black paint) The ones with short cuts are after market, I believe.
I appreciate the input! Thanks all so much. So it sounds like the case polishing and probable replacement hands would be a deal-breaker?
Another quick question. Is the lume plot to the right of the date window indicative of a re-lume/re-dial? I’ve been searching and haven’t been able to find any other dials with a lume plot like this one.
no, this is a known variation on lumed pie-pan (and dome) dials. Some Connies have a short index at 3 - most likely the variation is down to different dial makers
I like the case, medallion on caseback and pie pan dial looks sharp. Crown ok and a scalloped crown also fine for 14393. I’d say case polish is sympathetic though I don’t mind the typical wearing marks usually seen of r 50+ yr old watch. Quite prefer those ..... Although Hr/Min hands look like replacements but not sure. @jrmjrm ...Did you pull the trigger?
Yes I actually did end up pulling the trigger. I'm not yet a hardcore collector (still a med student) so the reliability and included service were important to me. I didn't mind the case polishing too much because I feel like most of the angles and design are preserved (will take a couple years of wear for the "brand new" shine to wear off, though!), and I decided that the hands could be replaced with correct ones down the road and it wasn't a huge issue. I actually love the patina on the dial, which was my biggest reason for pulling the trigger. In person, especially, it has a deep champagne/sunburst hue, and in some lights it even gives off a hint of a salmon. While I know that this is not the "totally original, untouched" connoisseurs piece, I am happy with the purchase, and this watch will definitely get lots of wear! I really appreciate all the input from the community!
Congrats...Look fwd to additional pics when you get it. Best wishes in your journey, collecting and (more importantly) in med school !!