Reply With QuoteReally beautiful watches there Paul, the pie pan dial of the Constellation is just fantastic and so classy..
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Here's three of mine that hark back to the days when Omega concentrated on building great watches, no James Bond, no man on the moon, just quality and class.
The 14ct rose gold Seamaster's circa 1950, steel Seamaster's 1969/70 and the 18ct Constellation's from 1964. Three of my favourites, they don`t get much wrist time but it's nice to own them. Constellation's needs a service, that'll be happening soon.
Paul
Really beautiful watches there Paul, the pie pan dial of the Constellation is just fantastic and so classy..
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Gorgeous.. the one on the left would be my pick.
Rose gold looks fab
Very lovely.
The one on the left is really nice. I bet it's well sized for my wrist as well.
Piepan wins for me. Yours looks brand new. Nice trio.
Like a few other people here, I really like the rose gold Seamaster but they are all lovely.
Terrific tidy triumvirate.
What lovely, classy examples - the Constellation being my pick. Beautiful.
Old Omegas of that ilk (bought carefully) offer such rewarding value for money & vintage charm, plus even though I'm a larger, steel tool-watch fan at heart, there's something a little bit satisfying about wearing gold occasionally - suppose that's an innate human magpie trait.
Some shocking redials & mish-mashes around though, if some don't know what to look for.
Very simple, yet elegant and quite stunning. I would happily own and wear any of them.
All three are stunning Paul....they have an elegant class that is hard to find in modern watches. Hope to see them at the MCGTG!
Lovely trio Paul, I love Omegas of that era. Beautiful timeless design, and great movements.
I love the Seamaster in that group, you are a lucky owner.
But The Bond watches and Moon watches..i disagree that you seem to think these watches do not have class. I think they do. I also think these are the days that Omega still concentrate on building class.
Just lovely Paul, but please stop flashing that rose gold seamaster around!!
Mmmmm just what I’m looking for, a 1950s rose gold.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A lovely trio - all anyone would need for their vintage wristwatch fix.
My grandfather wore a seamaster of some sort for years, I believe it was his retirement watch from the company he worked at, at some point I want to get myself a seamaster because of that and I think they look great too.
Those three are stunning I like the left one the best but it's splitting hairs really.
Beautiful...and now you also have a new box to put them in
Beautiful collection Paul.
I have often hankered after a Constellation Piepan.
But love the warm finish of the Rose Gold.
They all look fabulous, Paul. Thanks for sharing
ATB
Jon
A beautiful trio. I think I'm now a rose gold convert.
A very nice trio indeed, I especially like the rose gold one and the Constellation. Didn't you say on another thread that you have a black dial piepan , any chance of showing us that?
Wow! Stunning condition and finish you've got there, Paul!
They really do look like (or even better than, perhaps) new.
Great work (although I doubt anyone questioned that) - Shame you don't do work for others anymore!
Not sure you've got the hang of this forum yet!Originally Posted by gbn13
M.
Last edited by snowman; 8th February 2018 at 15:31.
Nice constellation pie pan and well restored. I think most people would agree the moon watch is the most iconic and the historic models remain v classy. What is not classy is the thorough milking by the Swatch group of the moon story every other month with a new LE iteration of some dog space mission speedy Tuesday first omega in space or buzz aldrin losing his virginity anniversary edition. Its also a shame the constellations of today are so ugly, double eagle claw watches wtf
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by ac11111; 8th February 2018 at 15:41.
+1
Love that Constellation.
Mmmmhhh…. That pie pan!
The rose gold Seamaster had been refinishd when I bought it the 1990s, I serviced it a a couple of years back and gave it a very light polish. I also managed to sharpen the angles on the lugs slightly.
The steel Seamaster was in good condition but needed the brushed finish re- doing. Refinishing this one was tricky, it took some doing to get it right, but I was delighted with the end result. The dial’s original and apart from one tiny blob of lume missing it’s perfect. The hands have been relumed and cleaned, overall the watch is in virtually ‘as new’. I have the correct bracelet for it too, must get around to giving it a polish.
The Constellation came from Mike Wood in 2009. It’s had a very easy life, and I knew in an instant I had to buy it. I’ve done no work on it, apart from some marks on the back it’s virtually blemish free. The dial’s got some light ageing but you need an eyeglass to see it. I paid a strong price at the time, I remember trying to twist Mike’s arm but he wasn’t having it, he wins the prize for the most polite refusal of an offer I’ve ever heard! Would’ve been a huge mistake to let it go for the sake of an extra few £££.
I let a couple of nice Omegas go a few years back when I foolishly got distracted by more expensive stuff beginning with R. Had a C- cased steel Constellation day- date 1021 on the correct bracelet and a steel 60s Seamaster with a lightly aged silver dial.
It’s a real shame Omega parts are hard to source, several years ago it was possible to buy and restore these watches on a modest budget. Unless something changes those days are drawing to a close if not quite over. Just placed an order with Ofrei in the States for an hr/ minute hand for a 70s Omega, and a sub- seconds dial for a 1950s Seamaster. These parts are essential to get the watches just right, but the total cost inc shipping will be £61. Turn the clock back 5 years and they would’ve been available in the UK for £30. It’s not just the cost, it’s the lack of availability that’s the real issue. Look on ebay at the prices being asked for new Omega parts, it’s getting silly.
Restricting the supply of parts will have a detrimental effect on the overall quality of older Omega watches in circulation, more watches will be bodged up with used or incorrect parts and more people will get ripped off buying potential moneypits. The Omega accredited repairers have their hands tied, they’re told what they can and cannot work on and they’re told how much they have to charge. It’s helping nobody, most commercial repairers have more work than they can cope with and that’ll get worse as more of the little guys are forced to give up.
As Bob Dylan said......’The times they are a-changin’
Paul
I must say, those are three gorgeous watches
What a trio! I can't choose between them so I'd have to have them all. Interesting note of caution though on the future servicing viability of pieces like these and is exactly why I have stayed away from most vintage pieces like these so far. I love a really nicely turned out dressy vintage piece but worry to much about 'money pits' as you noted.
nice if you have the skill and knowledge for these though :-)
i love all three, but what model is the steele one paul? did they do a gold version?
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
Just three beautiful watches full stop. I would love to own anyone of them. You are a very lucky man. Enjoy
Sent from my SM-T520 using Tapatalk
Old school class, pure and simple.
J
There are more pictures in another thread of Paul's (link) and I'm going to have a stab at the ref being 166.0032. If that is correct, then yes, there was a gold version, the BA 166.0032.
Correct....almost! Forgot I`d posted these earlier.
Case ref is 166.032 or 168.023. Both are in the caseback. I think 168 refers to a day-date model in Omega parlance.
I had the same model with a gold-capped case and gold frosted dial, another one I should've kept. By vintage standards this is a big watch at around 36.5mm. Provided the watch hasn`t leaked the dials survive extremely well, my gold-capped one was just as good as this. I`ve seen solid gold ones but they're rare.
Date only versions are available with the 565 movement, and there was also a chronometer-rated day/date (cal 751) version that commands a premium.
Paul
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 8th February 2018 at 19:40.
I think that 168 is 'chronometer certified' whereas a 166 is not (link).
duly added to my wants list! thanks chap. i did have a hummer in a similar case a few years ago...should have kept that!
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
Could be correct, I think 168 might refer to chronometer rated watches, not day/date as I previously assumed. There was some type of code but I forget the details, any number starting with 3 is an integral bracelet.....every day's a school day
These are very desirable watches.
Surely they would sell if Omega re introduced something similar.
Classic style and quality. Thanks for sharing the photo and the details Paul.
Sent from my [device_name] using TZ-UK mobile app
Those really make a delightful trio, and are lovely to see.
They epitomise the classic and timeless design missing from a lot of modern watches, at least IMHO.
That Constellation is particularly attractive, and something similar is definitely on the list to join my own modest collection of vintage Omegas.
Many thanks for posting.
Last edited by willie_gunn; 8th February 2018 at 23:23.
Yes, indeed!
Great looking survivors. I have a fondness for pretty much the same.
Omega will service these vintage models at OSC.
They did did a cracking job on my 1964 Constellation but their prices are eye watering!
I don’t have an issue with their current iterations, some I like, some I don’t.
Last edited by JeremyO; 9th February 2018 at 11:42.
Oh the 18ct 1964 Constellation....Achingly more desirable now than when new and that’s just considering those slender, impossibly exquisite lugs. This particular watch transcends practical utility and horology. There is a certain uplifting quality about it, an innocent pleasure accessible just by gazing.
Last edited by forpetesake; 9th February 2018 at 20:21.
Very nice watches. The one on the left looks like a Bumper (Cal 354?) and is the one that appeals most to me. For anyone who doesn't have a bumper, they're a great watch and you feel the bump-bump on your wrist as you walk up and down stairs. After a while you're lifting your arm to your ear and lowering again just to feel the rotor bump onto the spring - do get some strange looks though...
Cheers, Chris
I have to admit, they do look much better than the current offerings. I'd happily wear all three but the steel Seamaster would me my pick.
Rare to see such a sharp, gold, pie-pan Connie. Like all three but particularly that.
Nice, now show us the rest ....
What’s even more interesting is the changes made to the bumper automatics over the years they were in production (early 40s to mid 50s). There are 3 rotor designs, and it’s obvious they increased the mass of the rotor to improve self- winding. The two later rotor designs look identical but are not interchangeable, I came across one last week that had been bodged to get the wrong rotor to work! It surprises me how durable these movements are, the rotor axle can break but doesn’t seem to wear badly, the pivots are jewelled so they don’t wear but they can get chipped or broken. Rotor axles are getting hard to source thesedays, I have 2 new ones in the spares box but once they’re gone I can’t get replacements.
Ironically, Omega’s later movements with fully rotating rotors give more problems owing to worn bushes and broken rotor axles on the 500.
Posting Permissions
