2 Vintage Omega Constellations | better value than a Datejust?
Alan Watts:
Time is a very difficult thing to pin down. There’s a famous saying of St. Augustine of Hippo, that when he was asked, “What is time?” he said, “I know what it is, but when you ask me, I don’t.” And yet it seems absolutely fundamental to our life. “Time is money,” we say. “I don’t have enough time.” “Time flies.” “Time drags.” And I think we should go into the question of what this is, because in our ordinary common sense, we think of time as a one-way motion from the past, through the present and on into the future. And that carries along with it another impression, which is to say that life moves from the past to the future in such a way that what happens now and what will happen is always the result of what has happened in the past. And therefore, the idea of separate events which have to be linked by a mysterious process called cause and effect, is completely unnecessary.
Hey guys, I’m Max and this is WatchCrunch. So as some of you know, recently I sold my vintage Datejust 1603. This was partly because I was having a little bit of trouble getting that watch serviced because Rolex has been restricting parts to third-party watchmakers. Partly it was because the price of that watch has gone up so much in the last year or two that I was really made an offer that I couldn’t refuse. But ever since that watch left my collection, I’ve had a hankering for something to replace it.
Now I’ve always been interested in the Omega Constellation. This was Omega’s answer to the Datejust. Here you have a well-built time-piece by a renowned manufacturer that has a great story behind it. So today we’re going to look at a couple of Constellations that I’ve picked up recently. I’m also going to try to help you guys figure out which years to focus on if you want to get one yourself.
To collect Constellations, you first have to speak the lingo, and lovers of these watches have come to endearingly call them connies for short. Let’s take a look at the pie-pan first. This watch dates back to the early 60s. The first thing that will strike you is the creamy silver iridescent dial, still toying with the light all of these decades later. The watch features the sought-after Grasshopper lugs. They have a complex and angular shape and turn downwards to help mold to the wrist. Its long architectural form gives the watch a lug-to-lug of 43 millimeters extending, the length of the case to a more modern dimension.
In terms of other measurements, the case is just 34 millimeters in diameter, but don’t let that fool you. The large dial surface with minimal bezels means that it has a larger visual impact. It’s also extremely thin at just 10 millimeters, making it easy on the cuffs and an ideal candidate for a dress watch.
Sitting proud at the heart of this watch is the Omega caliber 561, which is a chronometer-grade movement tested at five positions in temperature with its rich copper plating still intact. The watch really pops on this suede Fluco strap. It’s called the pie-pan because the dial resembles the bottom side of the baking-ware. The dolphin hands come right up to the edge of the transition, and from there, the 12 sections of the dial fall off to the edge of the case, giving it mesmerizing depth. Each hour marker is highlighted by a black onyx middle section, and the constellation star just above six is there to remind us of Omega’s achievements in the realm of timekeeping.
One thing to know is that the crown on that watch may not be original. See, the Constellation came with these decagonal crowns. They get rounded over time with use and are frequently replaced by ones from the Seamaster. Now, the watch is otherwise in really good shape, so I’m not too worried about it.
Let’s take a moment and examine the entire lineage of the Omega Constellation line. Before the COSC, there were the Swiss observatory trials. You see, a century ago, the best way to calculate the length of a second was through measuring the Earth’s motion around the Sun, and nowhere was this better accomplished than in observatories high up in the Alps. Thus, these observatories became the proving grounds for watch manufacturers to pit their movements against one another in a competition for accuracy.
In 1931, Omega swept the competition by winning first place in all six categories, earning it the privilege to be the sole timekeeper for the 1932 Olympics. This was followed by first place finishes in 1945 with its Caliber 30 and in 1950 with its Tourbillon. These eight wins are proudly commemorated with eight stars above the observatory logo found decorating the case backs on Omega Constellations.
So in 1948, to celebrate its 100th year anniversary, Omega released its first chronometer-certified wristwatch, the Centenary. This watch was thought to be the father of the pie-pan Constellation unveiled in 1952, first featuring 300 series pumper movements later upgraded to rotors in the 500 series. The watch continued to evolve into the 60s with variant [inaudible 00:05:46] square and cushion case shapes and experimenting with integrated bracelets. Unfortunately, we all know the dark period in the 70s when most watchmakers closed their doors and Omega was forced to experiment with quartz movements.
In 1982, still powered by quartz, the Constellation underwent a major design change, gaining its claws at the three and nine positions. It wasn’t until 2015 when we saw Omega mount a concerted effort to return the constellation to its roots with the release of the Globemaster line, watches again bearing pie-pan dials, now with co-axial mechanical movements. The golden age of vintage Constellations would be considered in its early days between 1952 and the late 60s or early 70s, where many versions can still be had with varying case materials, cool lug shapes and interesting dial designs.
The other connie was more of an impulse buy from my buddy Danny, who is a vintage watch dealer. This one not having all the features of the pie-pan was also more affordable. It features a silver crosshair dial, which has picked up a nice speckled patina. I have it here on a Hirsch calf leather strap. The lugs are a bit less pronounced than its compatriot, but it boasts a gold observatory logo on the back. What I saw this watch, I was immediately struck by these beautiful golden hour-markers, each one sculpted with multiple facets into a complex arrow-tip-like shape. The movement here is a self-winding Omega Caliber 501 from likely the late 50s, a workhorse found in many Seamasters of the era, but in this case calibrated to a higher chronometer grade. The case is a bit bigger in proportions at 35 millimeters in diameter and 12 millimeters thick, thanks to a domed acrylic crystal. Both watches have 18 millimeter lug widths.
These watches are the epitome of class. It’s hard to fathom all that they’ve seen in their six decades of life. See, wearing these watches made me realize the subtle difference between time and age. When we talk about timekeeping, the time that we refer to is fleeting and is tabulated in terms of seconds, minutes or hours, but the charm of vintage watches is that not only do they keep time, hopefully, but they also accumulate to age in terms of years and decades. This is reflected in the abrasions on their cases and the patina on their dials, which change so slowly that it’s imperceptible to us. If that’s all a bit meta for you, then just think of it as a free complication you didn’t have to pay for.
So needless to say, I really love these old Constellations and they can still be had for less than half the price of a vintage Datejust, which is a bargain in my book. Now, it is a double-edged sword that Omega pumped out so many different models that it can be hard to nail down exactly which one’s for you, and with this video, hopefully I’ve helped you at least get started in narrowing your search. In the comments below, let me know what other interesting Constellation facts you have, as I’m still learning about these watches. So thank you for watching. Until next time, take care.
Alan Watts:
So the course of time is really very much like the course of a ship in the ocean, because here’s the ship, you see, and it leaves behind it a wake. And the wake fades out, and that tells us where the ship has been, just the same way as the past and our memory of the past tells us what we have done.
