Vintage constellation ID and info help please.

KaiseRRuby

That De Ville chrono is super cool.. What ref is that?

Omegafanman

Thanks - here you go.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/any-love-for-9pm-date-windows-930-movement-deville-146-017.125969/

KaiseRRuby

Thanks! The Conny seems like a fairly normal one btw, not the desired pie pan models

Peemacgee

Tsk tsk mon brave
Many would suggest that no Constellation is 'fairly normal'
And as beauty is in the eye of the beholder -some of us prefer the simpler things in life.

KaiseRRuby

You're right, I already saw the extended comment above and then I thought: okay, my comment was incorrect. I wanted to post a more ontopic comment so it didn't look like I came purely for that chrono but so that went wrong.

So, i stand corrected.

Peemacgee

Well, the pull-push date change is the clue here.

With that case style it can only be one of two things - either a replacement movt or, given you quoted a service cost in GB£, more likley a British cased Constellation.
If it is British and as it has (presumably) a 564 movt, it would be around '67 at the earliest - so a late Dennison or Shackman case (Shackman took over Dennison's operations after 1967) with a reference of something like 168.5415.
The conservative British liked this style of case so they kept on producing for around 10 years after the Swiss stopped producing that particular style.
It does have a replacement crown but these are often seen with knurled rather than decagonal crowns - and it's very possible they were supplied like that from new.

Carefully removing the back will tell you all - although that info should have been available when the watch was serviced. (rubber ball would be best - too easy to damage a gold case)

Here is a link to Dennison cases (and a reference to Shackman)
http://omega-constellation-collecto...01/from-advent-of-bretton-woods-monetary.html

British gold-cased Constellations (like the comparable French versions) were of very high quality and have something of a collectors' niche all of their own.

Unfortunately , the watch has been redialled as was common in days of yore but it has been done quite sympathetically and should still be a pleasure to wear and a great memento of his father.
It does hit the value I'm afraid - a good 18k Constellation might privately cost you £3000 but with a redial significantly less - but it should be insured for at least that and more. (it would cost quite a bit more to replace it at retail prices)

An extract probably wouldn't tell you much - most likely to say 'movt supplied to Britain'.


hope that helps

Omegafanman

That is great information - many thanks. I assume the redial work was a while ago and not part of any recent repairs?. I think he would have mentioned it if he new anything about that. .

Peemacgee

That's ok
I did have some misgivings about the size of the stars in the medallion - which are usually larger on British cased constellations.
However, the lugs do look slightly longer and narrower than a 14393 (but that could be the angle of the pic) and you would usually find two specific but similar hallmarks on different lugs on a Swiss case - unlike the one seen on one of the lugs in this watch.

Edit pic of rear of my watch removed as shadows made it unhelpful.

Re the movement - You need to ask him how the date is changed.
Can you wind through 12, changing the date, then back through 9 and and through 12 again to change the date again? (often called semi-quickset)
If so, it is a cal 561 and earlier than the 564
If not, he will need to set the hands to 6.30 and (carefully) try pull the crown out beyond the first setting that allows the hands to be moved.
If this changes the date it is a cal 564.

X350 XJR

Is it just me or does OP watch appear to be missing it's bezel?

KaiseRRuby

That De Ville chrono is super cool.

TimeODanaos

+1 👍
And huzzah for a St George's dinner, @Omegafanman 😝! Perhaps the Burns Night model could be deployed, with Shakespeare's Birthday readings while a fish-and-chips supper is brought in to a rendition of the Beatles behind a model Jules Rimet trophy and under the canopy of a 1:20 scale Lancaster. Or perhaps I too have been well-oiled...