Hi All,
I bought this Constellation a short time ago, it's a calibre 564 with case #168010 and a 25.661.613 movement. I'm pretty sure its all legit (I know it has an incorrect crown) but it has a 'wonky' star. I know the photo is pretty pants but you can just make it out. Should I be overly concerned and would it be a fairly easy fix?

I have been a 'lurker' for some time now and have leant a LOT from you guys and am amazed by some of the nuggets you come out with. Any help would be most appreciated.

Many Thanks
Adam

 

Can't tell from those pictures if it's a star or a pentagon.

 

Yeah its a Constellation, it's just ever so slighlty off but enough to annoy me! It goes of to maybe 20 degrees to the right.

 

Ha, yeah I know, we don't see too many Chrysler's in London though!
Cheers for the welcome.
I'm going to take it to a local watchmaker next week to see if anything can be done.
What do you think of the watch BTW, feel free to be a brutal as you can. I know you guys tend to be a tad shofter once you know the person actually owns the watch in question, but I'm ready for the full force!

 

A slighty better photo.
PS Dsio thanks for the avatar, Git!

 

Usually a wonky star is a sign of a redial (80% chance) and your dial looks like one of them. The minute markers are too far away from the piepan edges which means the redialer had used the die of the 168.005 or 167.005 (which have smaller dials than the 168010) to print your dial.
Here is an original 168.010 piepan dial that you can use as reference



How to fix that wonky star ? It depends.on what kind of glue the redialer used. Sometimes they have to remove the dial then adjust and reglue from behind, sometimes a slight touch is enought from the front side.

PS I assume that your dial was refinished but still need a better pic to be sure

Best.

Hoi

 

Thanks for your reply Hoi. I can see from your photo that the minute markers should be flush to the 'step' on a pie-pan.
I bought the watch from Somlo Antiques in Burlington Arcade London, as far as I am aware it is the only authorised vintage Omega dealer in the UK so if it is a redial I might have to go back to ask a couple of questions.

 

I think Hoi is right.

Sometimes in original dials there is some variance of wonk, but, to me, your example has an excess of wonk (a complete wonker in fact) and I think the chapter ring really tells the story of it being refinished.

I'd wager the watch didn't come cheap either. Rents in Burlington Arcade are not exactly inexpensive, and good old George has probably got to foot the bill for his sixteen grandchildren's orthodontics, his upcoming prostate operation and his wife's excessive generosity at the Synagogue. These incidentals, of course, are all added into margins, which means that you pay about double what you would on the open market.

I have seen similar redials from Omega in Bienne, which is one of the reasons why I suggest sourcing an indpendent watchmaker with whom one can project manage a restoration or service.

I think the issue may centre around whether or not they told you the dial was both original (a weasel word used by some to indicate a dial that has always been with the watch refinished or not) and untouched since production.

Welcome to the forum by the way. Don't despair, as we have all at some time or another bought an 'experience' watch, where we learn after the fact that our faith in a seller was perhaps a little too freely given.

Regards

desmond

 

Well I paid £2,250 for the watch. I thought I was going in pretty prepared after reading countless posts on this forum and your excellent blog (I assume you are the same Desmond?). I knew I was paying a hefty premium but thought I would get the real deal so was prepared to take the hit.
It's funny you say 'George has probably got to foot the bill for his sixteen grandchildren's orthodontics, his upcoming prostate operation and his wife's excessive generosity at the Synagogue.' as when I was buying the watch I was dealing with a chap called Clive and he was waiting for a call to let him know about a birth of a grandchild. Oh well at least I've kept a newborn in nappies for a year!

 

is this SS or white gold?